What is homeopathy?
Homeopathy is the use of a small amount of a substance that would cause the symptoms one is trying to cure if given in a large dose.  Like a vaccine, anything in nature can be used to stimulate the body’s ability to respond and bring balance to one's system. In cancer, homeopathy is used to increase the body’s ability to respond to the tumor.

Homeopathy has been used for hundreds of years in Europe and the Americas by physicians and lay practitioners alike. The U.S. Pharmacopeia of homeopathic medicines was created in the early 1900's, even before that of conventional medications.  In Europe, all pharmacies carry homeopathic medicines and often suggest their use for common symptoms prior to resorting to antibiotics or other drug therapies. 

 How can it help?
In breast cancer care, acute homeopathic remedies are used to help prevent trauma during surgery and reduce aches and pains, edema, nausea, a bad taste in the mouth, and the  toxic effects of chemotherapy and radiation. Homeopathy is also used in a more comprehensive way to address the entire experience of the patient and help not only balance the physical body but the mind and emotions as well.

 Homeopathy can be delivered in different forms. It is often dispensed as small, white pellets in a little tube, but may also be given as a liquid in drop doses. Most remedies are taken one to four times a day or week based on their strength and purpose. 

 What happens in an appointment?
This depends on the type of practitioner prescribing the homeopathy. Naturopaths, some medical doctors, and lay homeopaths are all trained to use this modality, yet all have different ways of working with patients. Some practitioners use homeopathy exclusively, while others use it in conjunction with other natural remedies as part of a larger treatment plan.