Homeopathy Tips Newsletter

Every student has their own way to study. Some do best with flashcards. Others do best with memorization. But for the serious self-directed student of homeopathy, there are some tips for helping to learn. These are a few ideas that will help a person learn about remedies and really "get them". These tips will help immeasurably and can be used to investigate remedies that are considered for prescribing.

First off, learning should be fun. Any time I set my mind to learning anything, if it is not fun, it will not be as useful. Make your study time fun. Embrace your study time with enthusiasm and imagination. Be light-hearted and free. You will have the best success this way.

Many times I will pick up Materia Medica and just open to a page. Often there will be a very small remedy I know nothing about. I will read everything about this remedy from all Materia Medica sources. First, I will study the substance and everything I can find out about it. Is it a plant, animal,...

Of all the major advances to modern homeopathy, the single greatest has been bringing the Repertory and Materia Medica into a computer format. Now with very usable tools we can analyze and search mountains of homeopathic information and have results in a fraction of a second. This makes the homeopath's job so much easier, but there are risks to having so much information so quickly.

We can all thank David Kent Warkentin of Kent Homeopathic Software for bringing us homeopathic computer programs. He was the very first programmer and the pioneer of homeopathic computer programs. His programs, MacRepertory and ReferenceWorks, are still the industry standard for homeopathy. Since David's passing Kent Software is now under the new name of Synergy Homeopathic Software. I have been using these programs since the early 1990's and the advances since then are truly astronomical. I still have my very old, thick, Apple laptop computer with the program still working. Someday this will be a real...

As homeopaths, our highest goal is to cure in a gentle way without causing harm. Many times we see miracles of healing. To expect to save a life is a very real expectation for homeopaths. Yet we do not get to choose the length of a person's life or whether they heal or not. Even the best of homeopathy may not always save a life. How then do we treat a person when death is approaching?

There are really only two ways that death comes to visit us; suddenly by trauma or slower as a result of dis-ease. When we are involved in a trauma that is life-threatening always give remedies based on the trauma. If it is not the person's time to leave their life then all attempts to save their life will be utilized by the vital force. Since we do not get to choose it is always best to continue to treat until death does occur. The remedy that may help the best will be for the trauma.

The other way that death can approach is when dis-ease has finally brought the person to their end days. This is...

There are two aspects of Homeopathy that seem to be diametrically opposed to each other but are absolutely necessary for Homeopathy to work. These are the "art" and the "science" that must be brought together to form a whole picture of dis-ease and the correct selection of the remedy. At first glance, it seems as though it would be impossible to marry the two. But careful investigation as to the true meaning of these different aspects can bring homeopathy to the level Hahnemann himself experienced.

I speak often about "seeing the case". This is where the "art" part of homeopathy comes in. The ability to be free of prejudice and let the client "paint the picture of their dis-ease". It is much like art appreciation; where there is nothing to judge about the work of art but to simply take it in and allow it to create the feeling inside. The difference is that it is most detrimental to follow feelings when case-taking. Feelings are usually your previous experiences and it is not good to...

When doing homeopathy it is very helpful to have complete knowledge of the repertory, especially the mind section. Obviously, it is so large that it would probably be impossible to memorize it all.  But there are a few rubrics that come up often that it is good to be familiar with. These rubrics can often be seen in case-taking and could help lead to the best remedy.

Study these rubrics and get to know the remedies they contain. Having these as one of the tools in your toolbox will help you immensely.

• Ennui - When there is a weary sense of dissatisfaction.
• Superstitious - When a person trusts in something; saying or action, a fetish, habit, amulet, ie. "knock on wood"
• Weeping; with sympathy for others - When they are easily moved to tears by the suffering of others.
• Stupefaction - A state where the person is unable to react or respond to a situation or life; either through shock and amazement or groggy and insensible.
• Sensitive; to noise - When there is an...

Motion sickness, which includes airsickness, carsickness, and seasickness, is an acute condition that causes a feeling of nausea and malaise. It is usually accompanied by vomiting, headache, and vertigo. There are drugs to help prevent this condition but homeopathy offers one of the best solutions for prophylaxis as well as treatment.

Motion sickness is caused by an overstimulation of the vestibular nerve in the inner ear which controls balance. The condition is usually brought about by motion that is accompanied by acceleration and deceleration. The body has a hard time keeping up with the continual changes brought on by the constant motion and movement.

Motion sickness is common in children who are susceptible to the motions of riding in cars and boats. Once motion sickness sets in, the first symptom is usually nausea. This can be accompanied by sweats or chills, dizziness, hyperventilation, headache, anxiety, inability to concentrate, and sometimes claustrophobia. Vomiting...

Diabetes is an increasingly more frequent disease as a result of our modern diet and hereditary influences. It is one of the most insidious diseases affecting man. It can be a quiet killer if not properly diagnosed and treated. Allopathic treatment is fairly easy and with the help of dietary changes can help modify the disease. But to remove the disease and its symptoms, good homeopathy must be applied to help inspire deeper healing along with lifestyle changes, including diet.

There are two main types of diabetes; diabetes insipidus, which is characterized by polyuria (increased secretion of urine without containing any sugar or glucose), and diabetes mellitus, which is characterized by polyuria with an increase in sugar in the urine, abnormal thirst, and an increased or depressed appetite with progressive debility.  If left untreated, diabetes affects all metabolic functions and creates a horrible picture of disease. Circulation can become impaired leading to...

Kidney stones occur in about one in 1000 people. The passing of kidney stones can cause excruciating pain. Homeopathy can be very useful in helping to heal the susceptibility to kidney stones and during the acute pain of passing them.

Kidney stones are called renal calculi. They are crystallized mineral deposits that develop in the renal pelvis or calyces. Calculi develop when calcium and other minerals, such as uric acid, crystallize in the kidney. These can break off and enter the ureters causing pain (renal colic) during the spasmodic contraction of the ureter. Sometimes complete blockage of the ureter happens. This is a serious situation and needs prompt attention. If the stones are small enough, they can pass unnoticed.  

Renal colic is characterized by excruciating, intermittent pain, usually in the area over the kidney in the small of the back and spreading across the abdomen often to the genitals and inner thighs. Other symptoms can include nausea,...

Childbirth is not a disease. It is a normal progression of actions of the body to deliver a baby into this world. Because it is a process, there is plenty that can go wrong and affect the health of the mother and child. Homeopathy can help the process along and help preserve the good health of the mother and child.

Labor is a series of rhythmic, progressive contractions of the uterus that gradually moves the fetus through the lower part of the uterus, through the vagina, and into the outside world. It is truly a manifestation of the miracle of creation. This process happens in three stages. 

The first stage is labor proper. This most commonly starts with the rupture of the amniotic sac and the release of the amniotic fluid. It has two phases where the contractions push the fetus into the cervix. This is called dilation as the fetus begins to appear and the cervix is opening. This process usually lasts around 12 hours and is...

Hemorrhoids, more commonly called piles, is a condition of the anus and rectum. The anus is at the end of the digestive tract and is made up of mucous lining and a ringed sphincter muscle. Many blood vessels and lymph vessels end here. The blood vessels are linked to the portal vein and return to the liver and then into general circulation. The lymph vessels drain into the nodes in the lower abdomen and groin.

Hemorrhoids occur when the veins in the rectum and anus become enlarged and varicose. When this occurs they may bleed, become infected, become clotted, or protrude from the anus. Those hemorrhoids forming above the boundary between the anus and rectum are called internal hemorrhoids. Those below this boundary are called external hemorrhoids. Both of these types of hemorrhoids may protrude.

Increased pressure in the anorectal veins causes hemorrhoids. The predisposition to hemorrhoids can be caused by general blood stasis in the region. This can be due to sitting or inactivity....