Homeopathy for acute women's problems: bladder infections, morning sickness, and other problems

Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients, Nov, 2006 by Robert Ullman, Judyth Reichenberg-Ullman

Women and Homeopathy: A Harmonious Marriage

It is no coincidence that it is often women who introduce their families to homeopathic medicine--moms who have done their homework about natural approaches for their kids, spouses who urge their partners to seek out an alternative to pharmaceuticals for their health complaints, or women who come to homeopathy for menstrual, pregnancy, or peri-menopausal or menopausal problems. There are lots of reasons why homeopathy is a highly compatible approach for women:

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* Homeopathy is gentle and natural. In this better-living-through-chemistry world, quick-fix drugs are often touted for whatever ails you or your children. You need to be increasingly alert to side effects from drugs, immunizations, and other conventional procedures and interventions. We are at risk of damaging our health from eating, driving, and even breathing. What a relief to find an effective type of medicine that is completely safe for pregnant women, newborns, the elderly, and our beloved pets. We feel so fortunate to work with such a safe type of medicine.

* Homeopathy works well and quickly. As a woman, a mom, and a partner, you want fast results that you can count on. That is why many people pop an aspirin or a Midol. Rest assured that homeopathic medicines provide nearly immediate relief for first-aid conditions and prompt improvement of acute problems. You can count on the right homeopathic medicine relieving your pain from an acute bladder infection within fifteen minutes, your menstrual pain improving within an hour, your morning sickness improving significantly within days to a week (and remaining better), and acute sore throats becoming noticeably better within an hour. Even with chronic conditions such as depression, vaginal infections, and PMS, you should notice a clear improvement within weeks to a month. This is no longer than is needed for a pharmaceutical drug to act, often less.

* Homeopaths spend more time with patients. It is common to wait an hour or more in the waiting room of a conventional physician only to spend five to ten minutes in the treatment room. Homeopaths typically spend an hour and a half to two-and-a-half hours during the initial appointment and a half-hour during return visits. It is not necessary to race through symptoms before the doctor's hand reaches for the doorknob. The more we know about our patients, the better. Even after spending two-and-a-half hours with a woman during a first visit, we may want additional time to address particular issues or ask for reports between appointments.

* Each woman is unique. There are over 2000 homeopathic medicines available and more being proven and introduced into the homeopathic literature as we speak. A homeopath wants to get to know you in depth--all of your physical, mental, and emotional symptoms in detail; what you think, worry, and dream about; your relationships and childhood and their impact on you; and what we call your "state," which ties together all of these into one package. Your state is the sensation that unites your body and psyche, your past and present--all of you.

* Homeopathy treats the whole woman. A homeopath doesn't look at your ovaries or your breasts as separate from the rest of you. You are an integrated whole. Your PMS, postpartum depression, or mood swings are not separate from your painful periods, acute or chronic bladder infections, or uterine fibroids. You are a complete totality, and that is what a homeopath investigates and treats. And, more startling, one single, well-chosen homeopathic medicine will treat all of your symptoms.

* Homeopathy works on a deep, not a superficial level. We don't believe that the cause of a woman's problems is due, bottom line, to an infection, growth, hormone, or neurotransmitter, but rather to a fundamental imbalance of the vital force, the underlying energy system of the individual. Simply put, if you are in balance, you will remain as healthy as your body can possibly keep you. If you are out of balance, you will develop problems, depending on your particular susceptibility. This vulnerability may be influenced by genetics, lifestyle, or life events, or a number of other factors.

* Homeopathy is an art, not just a science. Interviewing a woman in depth, perceiving her as a unique individual, analyzing her case, selecting the correct medicine, and following her case over time is not just a left-brained, analytical process. Of course, it is essential for a homeopath to be familiar with a vast amount of data concerning material medica (the homeopathic medicines), but the process of relating to a patient is also quite intuitive. The initial interview may touch you on a level far deeper than your intellect, and you are likely to feel profoundly understood.

The above are all reasons you, as a women, may feel that you simply resonate with the idea of using homeopathic medicine more so than with other more strictly left-brained or mechanical approaches.