SEARCH
SEARCH DIRECTORY
logo
The UK’s integrative cancer care charityHelpline 0870 163 2990
menu
This window has opened in a new tab in your browser. Your Search Results can still be seen in the original tab. You can keep several tabs open if you wish, or simply close each one as you finish reading it.
Important Information:
Yes to Life's website content is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, nor is it intended to be used for medical diagnosis or treatment. The information is for educational and informational purposes only and has not been reviewed by medical doctors or oncologists. Cancer is a highly complex group of diseases, and it is known to manifest differently in different people, often responding more favourably to individualised approaches to treatment and care. Yes to Life advocates that any person diagnosed with, or suspected of having, cancer, consults with a suitably qualified and experienced medical professional before initiating any type of therapy or supportive treatment. Click here to read our full Disclaimer.
Homeopathy
Summary:

Homeopathy is a system of medicine which involves treating the individual with highly diluted substances, given mainly in tablet form, with the aim of triggering the body’s natural system of healing. Based on their specific symptoms, a homeopath will match the most appropriate medicine to each patient. Homeopathy is based on the principle that you can treat ‘like with like’, that is, a substance which causes symptoms when taken in large doses, can be used in small amounts to treat those same symptoms.

Description:

Homeopathy takes into account the unique mental, emotional and physical traits of the individual concerned, giving a holistic approach to health and treating the whole person, rather than looking at the illness in isolation. Homeopathic remedies are prescribed by matching the presenting symptoms at the consultation to a particular remedy. Homeopathy can generally be used at any time before, during or after cancer treatment due to the dilute nature of the preparations, which do not interact with drugs. However it is best to consult a qualified homeopath to know when particular remedies are safe and appropriate to take.

In the first session, the homeopath will spend around an hour finding out about your current and past health, the health of immediate family, any likes or dislikes you have, your diet, emotions and mood. Homeopaths use reference texts and careful consideration to decide which remedy is most appropriate for you. The remedies are usually either in the form of pills or tablets, a powder, or as a water-based or alcohol-based liquid, and are from a variety of animal, vegetable, mineral and synthetic sources.

The homeopath will advise on how to take the remedies. The number of follow-up sessions will depend on the severity of the symptoms or condition being treated. Over the course of treatments, different homeopathic remedies at differing doses may be prescribed to meet any changes in presenting symptoms that may occur.

History:

Homeopathy is a form of energetic medicine, developed by the German physician Dr Samuel Hahnemann in the late 18th century, based on his doctrine of ‘like cures like’. Hahnemann came to believe that all effective drugs produce symptoms in healthy individuals similar to those of the diseases that they treat, in accordance with the law of similars that had been proposed by ancient physicians. Hahnemann based his work on the scientific understanding of the time that health and disease were mediated through the body’s vital force. Homeopathic remedies can be made from any substance, including plants such as foxglove and poison ivy, minerals such as silica or sea salt and animal extracts such as snake venom and squid ink. Hahnemann prepared highly diluted doses of these substances using a process called potentisation, which involved rhythmic shaking and striking thought to distil the vital healing essence of the preparation. He theorised that his potentised remedies could stimulate the vital force to act against the disease, much as immunisation stimulates the immune system. Hahnemann gave his theory the name homeopathy (from the Greek words homoios, meaning the same, and pathos, meaning disease, suffering). Homeopathy was originally developed in the late 1700s to manage conditions in which the conventional medicine of the day failed. Remarkably successful in dealing with contagious disease, and quite without some of the horrific side effects of the most widely used medical cures of the time, such as bloodletting and vigourous purging, homeopathy was at the time used by many of the monarchs of Europe, who readily appreciated its effectiveness. At that time, medical practice relied on ineffective and often dangerous treatments, so patients of homeopaths often had better outcomes than those of the doctors of the time.

Homeopathic remedies, even if ineffective, would almost surely cause no harm, making the users of homeopathic remedies less likely to be killed by the treatment that was supposed to be helping them. The relative success of homeopathy in the 19th century may have led to the abandonment of the ineffective and harmful treatments of bloodletting and purging and to have begun the move towards more effective, science-based medicine. One reason for the growing popularity of homeopathy was its apparent success in treating people suffering from infectious disease epidemics. During 19th century epidemics of diseases such as cholera, death rates in homeopathic hospitals were often lower than in conventional hospitals, where the treatments used at the time were often harmful and did little or nothing to combat the diseases. Homeopathy was brought to the UK in the 1830s by Dr F H F Quin, who met and travelled with the originator of homeopathy, Hahneman.

Notes:

Homeopathy is considered a safe therapy when given by a qualified therapist who is experienced at working with people with cancer. There are very few reports of serious adverse effects of homeopathy. It has been noticed that, for some people, homeopathic remedies can make less important symptoms worse as more serious symptoms get better. This is known as a healing reaction or homeopathic aggravation and is a recognised phase of the treatment. No one is sure exactly how homeopathy works, and there is a great deal of controversy surrounding homeopathy and its effects. The extreme dilutions used in homeopathic preparations often leave none of the original substance in the final product. Some homeopaths explain the actions of homeopathy with a relatively new scientific theory that water may have a memory. The theory is that during mixing and succussion, the substance leaves an enduring effect on the water, perhaps a vibration or the energetic footprint of the original substance, and this produces an effect on the patient. However, this theory has no scientific support and the debate is ongoing.

Research into homeopathy for people with cancer is still in its early stages. However, a high quality review of randomised controlled trials in 2009 found that there is promising evidence for the homeopathic mouthwash, Traumeel S, to treat inflammation of the mouth (stomatitis) induced by chemotherapy, and for the use of calendula ointment for preventing dermatitis during radiotherapy. These studies need to be repeated in order to confirm these findings. There is some evidence that homeopathy can be used for other side effects of cancer and its treatments and to improve the quality of life in patients touched by cancer, although there is mixed or too little evidence to draw any firm conclusions.

There is a clear need for further clinical trials to investigate the use of homeopathy in cancer care.

Science:

The International Academy of Classical Homeopathy (IACH) is an educational institution which presents academic Courses in homeopathy for the effective clinical practise of Classical Homeopathy.



Last Updated:07/02/2024
Report An Error
Practitioners
+
Andrea Dell
UK - England (South West)

Andrea works as a Classical Homeopath in Bath, Somerset and Wiltshire, supporting patients with a wide range of conditions ...
Dr Sean Devlin
Dr Sean Devlin, DO, HMD Integrative Medicine & Integrative Oncology, is one the founders of the International Organisation of Integrative Cancer Physicians (IOICP) ...
Prof Sarper Diler
Prof Sarper Diler is specialised in The Gonzalez Protocol® seeing patients at Ovital Institute in London, Istanbul and Brussels ...
Dr Damien Downing
Dr Damien Downing MBBS, MRSB practises Ecological Medicine, allergy (or immune dysfunction), the identification and treatment of damaged or disordered immunity ...
Dr Michael Evans
Stroud, UK

Dr Michael Evans is an Anthroposophic Medical Doctor and was a co-founder of an NHS GP based at St Luke’s Medical Centre Stroud ...
Dr George Georgiou
Larnaca, Cyprus

Dr George Georgiou is a naturopathic doctor and holistic expert in Larnaca Cyprus and created the IDEL Diagnostic Programme ...
Dr Peter Gruenewald
London, UK

Dr Peter Gruenewald is an Integrated Physician and General Practitioner with a special interest in anthroposophic, homeopathic, herbal and functional medicine ...
Dr Stephen Hopwood
Totnes, UK - England (South West)

Dr Stephen Hopwood M.B.ChB Lic.Ac (M.B.Ac.C) a medical practitioner, is the Clinical Director of the Arcturus Clinic with specialty in treating people with cancer to support their health and wellbeing ...
Dr Charles Innes
Dr Charles Innes MBBS BSc (Hons) MNIMH MFHom RSHom is a London-based medical doctor, practicing complementary medicine, medical herbalism, homeopathy and healing ...
Dr Ray Lendvai
Vernon, Canada

Dr Lendvai practices Naturopathic Medicine, Homeopathy, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Acupuncture, Nutritional and Lifestyle Counselling and Chelation and IV Therapy ...
Dr Kandis Lock
Ottawa, Canada

Kandis Lock is a Naturopathic Doctor, registered with the College of Naturopaths (CONO) and is a member of the Ontario Association of Naturopathic Doctors (OAND) and the Canadian Association of Naturopathic Doctors (CAND) ...
Dr Sally Moorcroft
Dr Sally Moorcroft is one of the most highly trained Integrative and Functional Medicine doctors in the UK and the co-founder of the Northern Centre of Integrative and Functional Medicine (NCIFM) ...
Christine Pyatt
Dorchester, UK

Christine Pyatt has five years counselling experience providing emotional support for the patient, their family, children and friends after the ...
Dr AU Ramakrishnan
Chennai, India

Dr Ramakrishnan is a medical doctor from India and travels around the world giving lectures on homeopathy ...
Dr Rajendra Sharma
Dr Rajendra Sharma is an Integrated Medical Doctor utilising conventional, complementary and functional medicine ...
Wendy Smith
London, UK - England (South East)

Wendy Smith is an experienced Nutritional Therapist specialising in metabolic/inflammatory conditions, most notably cancer ...
Dr Christine Suppelt
Maidstone, UK

Dr Christine Suppelt is a Homeopathic Physician, Medical Acupuncturist and Ophthalmic Surgeon offering Integrated Medicine in Maidstone, Kent ...
Dr Garrett Swetlikoff
Kelowna, Canada

Dr Garrett Swetlikoff, a naturopathic physician, is a 1988 graduate of Bastyr University, where he obtained a degree in Naturopathic Medicine ...
Dr Elizabeth Thompson
Bristol, UK - England (South West)

Elizabeth Thompson set up the National Centre for Integrative Medicine (NCIM) and is passionate about bringing together conventional, lifestyle and holistic approaches ...
Dr Xandria Williams
London, UK

Dr Xandria Williams combines her naturopathic training, and biochemical understanding of nutrition and human health with herbal medicine ...
Dr Peter Wolf
Germany

Dr Peter Wolf is a medical doctor engaged in alternative cancer therapies via his clinic, Hyperthermia Centre Hannover ...
Clinics
+
Arcadia Health Centre (The)
Arcadia, Australia

Established in 1961, the Arcadia Health Centre provides a beautiful setting for unique and personal care. Procedures include fasting, diet, activity, ...
Beter Kliniek
Geldrop, Netherlands

BeterKliniek is an integrated medicine clinic in Netherlands bridging the gap between regular and non-regular medicine ...
Blackheath Complementary Health Centre
London, UK - England (South East)

Blackheath Complementary Health Centre is a multi-disciplinary practice providing complementary and alternative approaches to health care ...
Cancer Options
Nottingham, UK

Patricia Peat, founder of Cancer Options, support people with cancer by looking at their individual needs, taking a metabolic, integrative approach to develop support plans ...
Filderklinik (The)
Bonlanden Near Stuttgart, Germany

Die Filderklinik (The Filder Clinic) provides integrative treatment concepts based on anthroposophic medicine, including holistic therapies to improve the quality of life ...
Five Seasons Health
Scottsdale, United States

Five Seasons Health offer a wide variety of services provided by Robert Ellsworth NMD, Jeffrey Lee NMD and Serena Clark LPN ...
Hufeland Clinic for Holistic Immunotherapy
Bad Mergentheim, Germany

At Hufeland Klinik, a specific symptom of a disease or cancer tumour is not the focal point of their approach. Instead, they focus on reactivating the patient’s self-healing powers ...
Hyperthermia Centre Hannover
Germany

The Hyperthermia Centre in Hannover founded by Dr Peter Wolf and Dr Mohamed Ali Zayen, is a holistic outpatient clinic, focusing on detoxification, immune activation and regeneration. ...
Infusio Center for New Medicine
Frankfurt am Main, Germany

Infusio is a treatment concept designed by the British Naturopath Philip Battiade. He has taken healing out of the doctor’s office and placed it into a spa-like ambiance ...
Kelowna Naturopathic Clinic
Kelowna, Canada

Kelowna Naturopathic Clinic Inc is a complementary, naturopathic medical centre located in Canada, founded by medical director is Dr Garrett G Swetlikoff, ND ...
Klinik St. George
Bad Aibling, Germany

Klinik St George is an integrated clinic offering conventional medicine (surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy) and nutritional supplements ...
Lococo Wellness Clinic
Hannon, Canada

The Lococo Wellness Clinic uses naturopathic medicine to treat the root cause of diseases ...
London Integrated Health Clinic
London, UK

The London Integrated Health Clinic is a private hospital which offers personalised integrated health care based on conventional and complementary medicine ...
Main Street Naturopathic Clinic
Moose Jaw, Canada

Main Street Naturopathic Clinic team we look through the symptoms to find the root cause and then create a personalised treatment plan that will be manageable for you and your lifestyle ...
NHS Centre for Integrative Care Gartnavel Hospitals Glasgow
Glasgow, UK - Scotland

The Centre, on the Gartnavel Hospitals site, offers people with long term conditions a wide range of opportunities to enhance their health and quality of life ...
Napiers Herbal Medicine Clinics
Napiers the Herbalists provides original herbal remedies, natural therapeutic skincare, botanical beauty and herbal food supplements and teas, an operates four herbal medicine clinics ...
National Centre for Integrative Medicine
Bristol, UK - England (South West)

The National Centre for Integrative Medicine (NCIM) champions an Integrative Medicine Model, combining conventional, lifestyle and holistic approaches ...
New Hope Unlimited
Phoenix, United States

The New Hope Unlimited cancer treatment protocols include building the immune system, implementing anti-tumour protocols and detoxification and focusing on restoring the powerful immune system ...
New Medicine Group
London, UK - England (South East)

The aim of the New Medicine Group is to offer an effective and unique approach to the treatment of persistent health problems ...
Obitsu Sankei Clinic and Hospital
Japan

Ryoichi Obitsu opened the Obitsu Sankeijuku Clinic, a base for integrative medicine, and wrote over 100 books ...
Optimum Health Centre
Causeway Bay, Hong Kong

Optimum Health Centre was established in 1987 and offers a wholistic natural approach to restoring and promoting health, utilising minimally invasive procedures and nontoxic agents ...
Pacific Centre for Naturopathic Medicine
United States

Dr Rachelle Herdman is Founder & Medical Director of the Pacific Center for Naturopathic Medicine whose approach to treatment is primarily holistic ...
Richmond Alternative Medical Clinic
Richmond, Canada

The Richmond Alternative Medical Clinic is run by Dr Martin Kwok, ND, MSAOM, RAC. Dr Kwok established the clinic in 1997 ...
Somerset Health and Wellness Clinic
Ottawa, Canada

The Somerset Health and Wellness Clinic uses naturopathic medicine to make the health of their patients their top priority ...
St Luke's Therapy Centre
Stroud, UK

The aim of St Luke’s Therapy Centre is to provide a welcoming, healing space, focusing on your physical, emotional and mental wellbeing ...
Tara Health Centre
MT Hawthorn, Australia

Tara Health Centre in Perth follows the biological medicine practices created by Dr Rau at the Paracelsus Klinik ...
The Hale Clinic
London, UK

The Hale Clinic was opened in 1988 by HRH The Prince of Wales, as the first clinic in the UK to combine conventional and complementary medicine ...
The Natural Practice
Dr David Owen, founder of The Natural Practice, provides alternative medicine in a variety of therapies via twelve alternative medical practitioners ...
Urban Wellness Group
Portland, USA

Urban Wellness Group is an integrative medical clinic focusing on the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of disease ...
Vital Health Naturopathic Clinic
Alberta, Canada

Vital Health Naturopathic Clinic provides a broad range of natural services including allergy testing, acupuncture, IV therapy and herbal medicine ...
Woodland Herbs
Glasgow, Scotland

Woodland Herbs have over 100 dried herbs available to buy for UK delivery. Their range of dried herbs and dried herb mixes are sourced from UK medicinal herb suppliers ...
Information & Advice
+
Cancer Information and Support Society (CISS) (The)
St Leonards, Australia

CISS provides information about alternative cancer therapies and support for those who choose to use them ...
Canhelp Inc
Livingstone, United States

CANHELP serves patients and/or family members who wish to take an active part in the healing process and are willing to think outside the conventional medical box ...
Yes to Life
London, UK - England (South East)

Yes to Life is a charity that offers support to people with cancer in the UK who want to take a proactive role in their treatment ...
Organisations
+
Associazione Ricerca di Terapie Oncologiche Integrate
Rome, Italy

The ARTOI is a non-profit and multidisciplinary professional organisation that studies, researches and applies treatments for cancer ...
Gentle Approach to Cancer Association
UK - England (North)

The Gentle Approach to Cancer is a Cancer Support Group based in Preston, Lancashire, offering a holistic approach helping patients look at their own needs ...
Sadie Centre (The)
Letchworth, UK

The Sadie Centre (formerly known as The Letchworth Centre for Healthy Living) represents a holistic approach to life, about health promotion and illness prevention ...
Suppliers
+
Weleda
Ilkeston, UK

Weleda grows plants organically and creates natural health and wellbeing products and cosmetics ...
Woodland Herbs
Woodland Herbs have over 100 dried herbs available to buy for UK delivery. Their range of dried herbs and dried herb mixes are sourced from UK medicinal herb suppliers ...