Isopathy, a sub-division of homeopathy
Isopathy is a type of alternative medicine that is related to homeopathy, but the two are not the same. They are similar in the fact that both isopathy and homeopathy are considered holistic treatments because the individual and not just the condition from which he or she is suffering is at the centre of any and all types of treatment. Isopathy is one of four types of general homeopathy.
It is up until this point that isopathy and homeopathy are related. When it comes to the substances that are used to make up the remedies, or treatments, the practices begin to differ greatly.
The word isopathy is derived from the Latin and Greek words for "isos", which means equal, and "pathos", which means suffering. It is based on the notion of letting "equal cure equal", or "aequalia aequalibus curentur". In comparison, "homeo" indicates similar and "pathy" denotes suffering. In this sense, homeopathy reflects the principle of "like cures like".
This difference, the one between "equal" versus "like" translates into very distinct remedies, or medicines, that are created by practitioners who are employing either isopathy or homeopathy. For example, isopathic remedies use the actual substance that is causing an individual's symptoms, ensuring that the exact cause of a person's discomfort is being used in the treatment. For example, an isopathic remedy might include cat dander for a person that is allergic to cats or liquid taken from around an arthritic joint for someone that suffers from acute arthritis.
In contrast, homeopathic remedies rely on plant, mineral or animal substances that can induce similar reactions to what the particular patient is experiencing in a healthy individual. The substances used in these types of remedies are unrelated to the actual cause of a patient's suffering. Instead, the idea is to use ingredients that can mimic the symptoms being felt by the patient in a person who is not suffering from the condition.
As is the case with vaccinations, isopathy follows the principle that a person's immune system can be stimulated by a dosage of the very condition from which he or she is suffering. In fact, isopathy uses the same standards as vaccines that are a common part of Western medicine, especially during infancy when many children undergo a series of shots that are designed to produce immunity to certain diseases, including measles, mumps and polio.
How these vaccinations – that typically take the form of an injection – work is that they actually introduce very small portions of the disease into a child's system so the child's body will react by naturally producing antibodies to fight the newly introduced toxins. These toxins, foreigners to the body's immune system, are remembered and the antibodies serve to protect the child throughout his or her lifetime.
Johann Joseph Wilhelm Lux is credited with developing the theory and practice of isopathy in 1833. It is known that Lux had contact with Samuel Hahnemann, who is the founding father of homeopathy. Hahnemann coined the term "homeopathy" in the early 1800s.
Related topics about homeopathy
Homeopathy & the Common Cold
A cold is essentially a viral infection that attacks the body when resistance is low due to fatigue, stress, or nutritional deficiencies. Typical cold symptoms include stuffy/runny nose, coughing, sneezing, sore throat fever, "achiness", and a feeling of general, all-around lethargy.
Veterinary homeopathy
While it may sound a bit odd to some people, the practice of homeopathy for pets is becoming more and more mainstream. If you're not a pet owner it may be difficult to understand the notion of alternative and natural medicine for animals, but for pet owners it makes complete sense.
Homeopathy for Bladder Infections
Urinary tract infections are often painful, and embarrassing. The most common cure known to man, is the use of antibiotics to kill the infection.
Homeopathic Treatments for Eczema
Eczema is a form of dermatitis (skin inflammation). The term eczema is actually used to describe a wide variety of skin conditions, which include recurring rashes characterized by any one or combination of the following symptoms: redness, swelling, itching, flaking, dryness, blisters and so on. Common types of eczema include Atopic eczema (which is probably the most common and linked to allergies as well as being hereditary), Contact dermatitis, Xerotic eczema (extremely dry skin often exacerbated by cold weather; very prevalent among the elderly) and Seborrhoeic dermatitis (eczema of the scalp and face similar to dandruff).
History of homeopathy
Homeopathy is a form of alternative medicine, meaning that it is used by people as a substitute or as an addition to conventional Western medicine. Samuel Hahnemann is the founding father of this alternative practice that first began to emerge in the late 1700s. While Hahnemann, who was a German physician, did not use the term "homeopathy" until the early 1800s, he began speaking of a "law of similars" as early as 1796.
Homeopathic Practitioners
If you've made the decision to live a more natural lifestyle, chances are you're searching for homeopathic practitioners in your area that can give you the guidance that you need to live a life that is free of traditional medicine. And, if you're interested in going into the field of naturopathy yourself, you will need to know what types of training homeopathy professionals should complete in order to legally practice medicine.
Standard Homeopathic
Do you want to take a more natural approach to living? Are you tired of being on prescription medications? If so, you may want to consider standard homeopathic remedies that may give you the tools you need to change your life and improve your health. There are some major adjustments that you may have to make over time, but many people have reported having much more energy after switching to homeopathic medicine, and have even reported the elimination of sicknesses such as cancer and diabetes.