Why Isn't Homeopathy More Popular?

I consider myself moderately experienced in the world of experimental health practices. I'll dabble and let you know how it goes. I’ve had an exorcism before. It was great. And yet, every time I see an assortment of miniature vials with itty bitty capsules, they are so adorable, but I walk right by. Even though it’s on the shelves at Sprouts and Whole Foods, there is something elusive about homeopathy that makes it challenging to get into. Homeopathy falls under a large umbrella of healing concepts that aren't explained by science and that our science doesn’t have much interest in explaining. In Experience Life magazine’s exploration of homeopathy, a homeopathic practitioner describes, “it works like a tuning fork – an energy resonance that happens with the vital force”. Did that help? Put in another way, it is based on the concept that our bodies can do a lot to heal itself if we let it. It also is based on the concept that many physical ailments or symptoms are manifestations of underlying issues. In homeopathy much like other energetic healing practices – symptoms are seen as the body holding up a “HELP!” sign to call attention to a different problem. Two people can have the same symptom, but different causes.

In conventional medicine, the symptom is often treated as the problem. In homeopathy, the symptom is an indicator to a range of problems. Conventional medicine will give you a pill for that, but homeopathy is rooted in emotional, mental, and physical causations. This makes it especially difficult to conduct studies on if homeopathy works. A hurdle to overcome with homeopathy is that it’s not offering an “A to B” path to a solution. All of those little vials don’t have clear marketing to tell me which one I should buy and for what; so I should just get an exorcism and see what that does. Homeopathy is an abstract healing concept that’s not made very tangible. In a 2021 survey, 54 percent of Germans reported using homeopathy in the past year. The most recent data from the States dates back to 2012 when less than 2 percent of Americans reported trying homeopathy. This may tell us something. American culture is conditioned to shy away from concepts that aren’t readily obvious. German culture is stereotypically very precise, scientific, and almost too rational. That makes it very intriguing that those little vials that don’t look like they can do much of anything are a somewhat normalized remedy in Germany while broadly perceived as an “out there” or unclear gimmick in the States. Considering this, I will personally explore homeopathy for myself and likely discover that maybe I didn’t need an exorcism but it was fun. The following suggestions are taken directly from Experience Life magazine. Nux Vomica: Good for an upset stomach from overeating or over-indulging. Ideal for treating heartburn, indigestion, and drowsiness from eating or drinking too much. It’s the go-to for “high living ailments” like too much alcohol, spicy foods, coffee, etc. Arnica Montana: Good for bruising, shock, and head injury. Mainly used as an anti-inflammatory. Arnica has been found to be comparable to pharmaceutical anti-inflammatories for reducing swelling and bleeding. Gelsemium Sempervirens: Good for headaches, influenza, sleeplessness due to anxiety or anticipation. Great for fatigue after illness, such as any viral flu. Allium Cepa: Good for Allergies, runny nose, and watery eyes. As a part of the allium family (think about crying while chopping onions) this will induce a flushing out process.