(Originally
appeared in the July 15, 2004 edition of the Century City News)
Holistic medicine looks at the causes of ailments and aids
the human body in drawing upon its own healing powers. The human body is an
intelligent self-sufficient system that holds enormous healing powers. It is an
entire universe constantly working to maintain a state of balance. When the
weather gets too hot, you sweat in order to lower the body’s temperature.
During cold weather, your body keeps heat inside itself. During this process
alone, there are millions of cells working together to keep the body in proper
function. Each cell is well programmed to do its own job and keep you healthy.
Disease usually enters the body when cells become confused and deprogrammed so
they stop working for you and thus you are thrown off balance.
Homeopathy, a prominent
form of medicine, draws from the body’s inherent strengths to heal itself. This
form of science works on a sub-physiological level. Meaning, it works with the
energy of the body to create a state of balance where all the cells are
harmoniously working together. This 200 year old system of medicine treats the
person and not the disease whether the condition is acute, chronic or even life
debilitating.
The Encino-Acu Medical
Center, run by Dr. Salar Farahmand, has been dedicated in the research and
unique practices of this science. Dr. Farahmand has helped many people overcome
disease and reach a state of balance by giving them individualized homeopathic
treatments.
Homeopathic medicines are
tiny doses of naturally occurring substances used to stimulate the body's
innate healing powers. Because the doses are so small, these remedies are
completely non-toxic, non-addictive and there are no side effects. Yet their
effectiveness has been proven repeatedly in double-blind clinical trials. With
its therapeutic properties, low expense and two hundred year history,
homeopathy has the potential to become the medicine of the future. Homeopathy
is gaining recognition throughout much of the world, comprising a significant
part of the national health program in many European countries. For example, in
England there are entire hospitals within the national health program devoted
to the homeopathic care of patients.
Based on the Greek words
homoios, meaning "similar", and pathos, meaning "disease",
Homeopathy works through the Law of Similars, or likes curing likes. This means
that if a substance produces certain symptoms in a healthy person, then a
homeopathically prepared dilution of that substance will help treat similar
symptoms in a sick person. Homeopathic medicines are chosen holistically,
taking into account the patient's physical, mental and emotional symptoms and
characteristics.
The process of immunization
is similar to homeopathy: a vaccination is a minute dose of a substance that
can cause physical symptoms, given to increase the body's resistance to
similar, but more serious symptoms. The difference is that the vaccine usually
of actual killed microorganisms, and creates a controlled immune response,
whereas homeopathic remedies are usually taken from natural substances which
stimulate more than just the immune system to facilitate healing.
A medical doctor named
Samuel Hahnemann is recognized as the father of modern Homeopathy. He stumbled
onto the concept when he was identifying and cataloguing new medicinal herbs.
He often experimented on himself, and carefully noted his symptoms and their
duration with each new medication. When he took a large dose of cinchona bark,
which was used to treat malaria, he was amazed to experience symptoms of
malaria. They lasted only a few hours, and recurred consistently every time he
took another dose. If large doses of a substance create certain toxic symptoms
in a healthy person, then homeopathic doses of the same substance can be used
to cure the same disease, or one with similar toxic symptoms. Further
experimentation revealed that this principle was true for hundreds of
substances. Hahnemann spent the rest of his life testing and documenting the
effects of micro-doses of medicinal herbs.
These micro-doses are
prepared by taking an extract of the original herb, mineral, or animal
substance and putting it through a series of dilutions. Between each dilution,
the preparation is succussed, or vigorously agitated with impact -- a process
which is believed to capture in the diluent fluid (usually water) the living
essence or biological information of the herb. Unlike allopathic drug, with
every step of dilution and succussion, the potency or strength of the substance
is increased. How homeopathy works is not completely understood, but it is
clearly the succussion process which is responsible for transferring or
incorporating therapeutic properties to the diluent, as preparations which are
diluted but not succussed are ineffective.
Homeopathic remedies offer
a wide variety of benefits:
• Effectively treat the symptom of disease.
• Release toxins from storage sites in tissues.
• Facilitate drainage of toxins and their elimination from the
body.
• Desensitize the body to prevent and treat allergic
reactions.
• Increase one's ability to withstand stresses without undue
harm.
• Antidote to substances which poison the system.
• Aid in the assimilation and absorption of nutrients in the
body.
• Neutralize the action of free-radicals and help to repair
and regenerate the damaged cells and tissues.
• Revitalize and support the immune system.
Ingredients for these
remedies are obtained from plants, naturally-occurring chemicals and minerals,
animal substances, and other biological sources. More than half of the 3000
commonly used homeopathic remedies are derived from plant sources, such as
roots, stems, leaves, bark, flowers, buds, fruits, berries, seeds, and whole
plants. Other sources of homeopathic ingredients can be mineral (such as
calcium), chemical (sulphur, etc.)or animal extract (snake venom).
Upon taking a homeopathic
remedy, one may initially experience a mild, brief worsening of symptoms,
called a healing crisis. This is taken as a sign that the remedy has allowed
the disease to express itself and it is indeed correct for that illness. The
healing crisis is usually followed by a disappearance of symptoms. Hahnemann
felt that the remedy artificially reproduced the illness in the body, to
stimulate the body's natural defenses to destroy the disease, and his
observations of hundreds of patients supported this theory.
Homeopathics are generally
regarded by the FDA as safe, due to their extreme dilution. They are listed in
the U.S. Homeopathic Pharmacopia and are controlled by the Homeopathic
Pharmacopia Convention of the United States, which is responsible for
establishing standards for the industry, in collaboration with the FDA.
Dr. Salar Farahmand
received his M.D. in Iran where he practiced Pediatric and Preventitive Medicine.
He holds a Doctorate Degree in both Homeopathic Medicine and Oriental Medicine,
it a Certified Naturopathic Physician and California Licensed Acupuncturist,
and holds a Ph.D. in Disorders caused by changes in the environment. He
currently works out of his office in Encino, California, specializing in using
mineral salt therapy, traditional and clinical homeopathy, acupuncture and
magnet therapy on acupuncture points to manage pain, treat disease and
rehabilitate the body. You can reach Dr. Farahmand at 818.501.2000
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