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As women, we face unique health challenges. Our bodies are regulated by monthly cycles as rhythmic as the phases of the moon.
Normally, these cycles flow naturally and effortlessly. Yet the delicate interplay of hormones, stress, environmental pollutants and improper diet can cause imbalances. That's when healing herbs and natural homeopathic remedies may help restore equilibrium.
"Many women's health problems are very easily treated with homeopathic medicine," observes Jacquelyn Wilson, MD, former president of the American Institute of Homeopathy and a homeopathic family practitioner in Escondido, Calif.
PMS, irregular periods, cramps, vaginitis and bladder infections all respond to homeopathy, Wilson notes. And unlike conventional therapies, homeopathy seeks to balance the system by stimulating the body's innate ability to heal itself.
Wilson has used homeopathy for the past 20 years in her medical practice. She became interested in homeopathy because she felt it offered more relief for women's health problems. "In allopathic (conventional) medicine, narcotics such as pain pills are the primary treatment for menstrual cramps, while birth control pills are used to regulate periods. In homeopathy, thousands of medicines are available, so there are a lot more treatment choices."
Jennifer Jacobs, MD, agrees. After practicing conventional medicine, Jacobs investigated homeopathy 20 years ago and now uses it almost exclusively in her practice in Seattle, Wash. "I turned to homeopathy because it's a natural system of medicine that stimulates the body's own healing mechanism, and there are no side-effects," she explains.
Homeopathy is a system of medicine developed in the late 1700s by German physician Samuel Hahnemann. Based on the principle of "like cures like," homeopathic remedies cause disease symptoms in overdose yet cure the same symptoms when prescribed in minute, homeopathic microdoses.
Remedies are derived from animal, mineral or plant substances, and undergo a pharmaceutical process known as "potentization" in which one part remedy is diluted with 99 parts water or alcohol, and shaken vigorously. Shaking is thought to release the remedy's electromagnetic energy. Dilution may be continued to different strengths.
The more diluted a medicine, the more potent its effect, according to Dana Ullman, M.P.H., president of the Foundation for Homeopathic Education and Research in Oakland, Calif.
Although modern physics has yet to explain this phenomenon, homeopaths believe the resonance of the microdose affects the resonance of a person's life force, notes Ullman, in his book Homeopathy: Medicine for the 21st Century.
"It's simply two different philosophies," Wilson explains. "Allopathic medicine is based on molecular science and uses strong, chemical drugs that can be good for the short term, but ultimately weaken the immune system. Homeopathy is an energetic therapy that uses natural remedies to balance a person's energy and strengthen their immune system."
Homeopathic medicine also is free from side-effects, although a patient may experience a "healing crisis" in which symptoms temporarily worsen for a day or two and then get better in response to the body's natural healing process, explains Jacobs.
Homeopathic prescriptions are based on overall constitution, not just physical symptoms. For instance, the remedies pulsatilla and sepia are used to treat a variety of women's health problems. Yet pulsatilla generally is prescribed for gentle, agreeable, emotional dependent women, while sepia is indicated for outspoken, independent, irritable women.
Physically, a pulsatilla woman may be warm-bodied, thirstless and blush easily. On the other hand, a sepia woman my be cold-bodied, constipated and lack energy. To be effective, homeopathic remedies must match a person's physical and psychological makeup.
Although U.S. research is limited, a few foreign studies indicate homeopathy's efficacy. One double-blind French study showed homeopathic medicine reduced both childbirth time and abnormal labor.
According to the study, reported in the journal Cahiers de Biotherapie, homeopathically treated women averaged 5.1 hours in labor, while those given a placebo averaged 8.5 hours in labor. Only 11.3 percent of the homeopathically treated women had an abnormal labor, while 40 percent of the placebo-treated women experienced abnormal labor.
Other studies indicate homeopathy's efficacy in treating allergies and rheumatic disorders. "There are few U.S. studies on homeopathy because it's not taught in American medical schools," Wilson observes. "So most information comes from practitioners using the medicines in their practice."
Although chronic complaints should be addressed by a homeopath, it's possible to treat minor ailments with remedies bought over the counter. Typical over-the-counter dosages are 6X, 12X, and 30X, with the higher number representing the more potent dose.
You'll also find combination formulas for such complaints as menstrual cramps and PMS. These formulas can give temporary relief, yet they many not act deeply enough to correct a serious imbalance, Jacob says. "If symptoms persist, see a homeopathic doctor," she advises.
Here are 8 helpful homeopathic remedies for women:
Belladonna - menstrual pain, PMS, exhaustion
Chamomilla - menstrual pain, PMS, irritability
Cantharis - bladder infections
Sepia - vaginitis
Lachesis - menopause symptoms including hot flashes
Cimicifuga Racemosa - menopause symptoms including irritability & restlessness
Nux Vomica - morning sickness
Pulsatilla - irregular menstrual periods
Sue Frederick is the author of A Mother's Guide to Raising Healthy Children and she is the Editor of Holistic.com.
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