February 4, 2010

Learning to Use Homeopathic Remedies at Home

Homeopathy is my favorite way to manage children's acute illnesses.  Because homeopathy is so safe, gentle and effective, I have never had to give Tylenol to my three children for an illness.  It is also very forgiving, so if you prescribe the wrong remedy without a noticeable change in symptoms, you can try another one.  And because homeopathy is energetic medicine as opposed to chemical medication, it is completely safe and will not interact with medications.

What is homeopathy?  It is a system of medicine based on treating people with highly diluted substances which trigger the body's own natural healing processes.  It works on the principle of "like treats like" - such that a substance that would cause symptoms in a healthy person is used to treat those same symptoms in illness.  Homeopathy helps to put the body back into balance, so if your child is whiney or clingy or in pain or restless with fever, the sign of having found the right remedy is renewed calm and sleep.  

Take a look at my posting Homeopathy Remedies for Common Illness for a basic primer of homeopathic remedies to keep on hand for children's illness and how to use them.  The ten remedies listed are the ones that I use most frequently with children's illness both in my practice and at home with my own children.  I recommend that parents keep these 10 remedies on hand at all times.  Take them with you on vacations, stock a few in your glove box (Aconite and Belladonna best choices as they are the most commonly used) so that you have them when you need them.  I can't tell you how many times we have been away for weekends with other families or just with our own children when I have found myself pulling out my homeopathy kit.  Bring one of your books along, or my blog posting, so you have a place to start.  

All 10 remedies (Aconitum Napellis, Belladonna, Chamomilla, Gelsemium Sempervens, Ferrum Phosphoricum, Apis, Oscillococcinum, Pulsatilla, Arsenicum Album, Spongia Tosta) are available for purchase right here on my blog.  Scroll down to the "Order Supplements"section on the right side of the page, half-way down under "Recent Posts".  You will see a green "buy products" hyperlink that you click on.  Don't forget the code once you get to the Emerson Ecologics log-in page, which is: emerso (Yes, you read it right, emerson without the n.  Wasn't feeling very creative that day was I?)  If your budget won't allow for buying that many remedies at a time, read through my posting Homeopathic Remedies for Common Illness and look for the symptoms that you see most frequently in your child.  In addition to your first purchases Aconite and Belladonna, select ones with symptoms pictures that remind you the most of your own children.  That way you can build your medicine cabinet slowly.

My two favorite homeopathic reference guides for simple, straightforward home care are: Everybody's Guide to Homeopathic Medicine by Cummings and Ullman and Homoepathic Medicine at Home by Panos.  Both of these books are available at Amazon.com new and used.  

I am available for brief phone consults if your child is sick and you would like some guidance in determining what is the best homeopathic remedy to use.  If you call my office number: 503-804-0133 my cell phone will be paged and I will call you back.  If this is a service that interests you please email me at kandersonrossnd@gmail.com and I will get a price sheet to you.  I find that many parents want to use alternatives to over the counter medications for their children but don't know where to start.  My goal is to teach you so that you will start to recognize patterns in your child and gain in confidence for your own homeopathic prescribing, needing my help less and less.  I can't recommend this approach to treating children's illness highly enough.