Homeopathic terms explained

Homeopathy comes from the Greek and means "similar suffering". It implies the law of similarities, to treat like with like.

Allopathy comes from the Greek. It means the treatment with the opposite measures, e.g.. treating a burn with something cooling. The term is used for conventional medical treatment.

Initial aggravation. Sometimes at the beginning of the homeopathic treatment a brief flare up or aggravation of the existing symptoms might appear. This is calls an initial aggravation or first reaction. It is initiated by the strengthened self defense mechanism or immune-system and indicates that the right remedy has been chosen. It is best to stop taking the remedy until this healing reaction has subsided and then resume.

Potency. Indicates the strength of the remedy. A homeopathic remedy is not only diluted, but also vigorously and rhythmically shaken after each stage of dilution. This has a peculiar effect on the remedy: far from weakening it, as you might expect, this method releases the potency of the substance step by step and makes its healing effects gentler, longer lasting and more powerful. Hence this method is called "Potenziation". Common potencies in the UK are C6 and C30.