Homeopathic Medicine and Botanical Therapy
Homeopathic medicine can be used as an alternative or complementary approach to conventional methods in healing disease. Homeopathy makes use of natural substances that are prepared in a health-promoting way. It's based on the idea that "like cures like"; large doses of a substance cause a symptom, while very small doses of that substance will cure it. Some use homeopathic medicine for:
- Nausea
- Pain relief
- Relaxation
How it's used: Homeopathic therapies come in many forms, including supplements, scented oils, and creams.
Caution: In general, these therapies have not been scientifically tested. You should discuss your plans on using homeopathic remedies with your doctor. Many remedies can interfere with standard treatments and may cause harmful side effects.
Botanical therapy uses many different plant substances as medicine. One plant may be able to address many problems simultaneously by stimulating the immune system to help fight off cancer cells.
How it's used: Botanical therapies come in the form of supplements, herbs, and extracts.
Side effects: The organic nature of most botanicals make them compatible with the body's chemistry system; hence, they typically produce very few toxic side effects.
