For short term conditions that come on quickly such as ear infections, bee stings or the common cold to chronic conditions such as arthritis or insomnia, homeopathic medicines are recommended by more than 100,000 physicians and used in 85 countries.

Originating in Europe more than 200 years ago and amassing a history for safety, these over-the-counter drugs offer many advantages. They work safely and naturally without causing side effects and do not interact with conventional medications or herbal remedies, allowing you to complement other treatments. There’s no risk of overdosing.

Homeopathic medicines are regulated as drugs, not dietary supplements, by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)1 and are clearly labeled for specific indications. They are manufactured according to the highest standards, complying with specifications of the Homeopathic Pharmacopoeia of the United States (HPUS) and Drug Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP).

Homeopathic medicines use natural substances in micro-doses to relieve symptoms by stimulating the natural ability of the body to rebalance and heal itself.

For example, take Allium cepa, a homeopathic preparation of an onion. What happens when you cut up an onion? You might sneeze a few times and your eyes and nose may become watery or start to burn. When diluted homeopathically, Allium cepa can treat these very same symptoms; therefore, it is commonly prescribed at the start of a cold or bout of hay fever. 

As with many treatments, the exact mechanism of action in homeopathic medicines is not known. However, clinical research is providing evidence of the efficacy of homeopathic medicines, and basic laboratory research is confirming the biological activity of highly diluted substances and helping the scientific community to better understand their mechanism of action.

Parents can take comfort that homeopathic medicines do not contain any of the ingredients questioned by the FDA for young children. An FDA panel questioned the safety and efficacy of decongestants, antihistamines and cough suppressants in children younger than 6 years of age. While the FDA takes time to investigate how these ingredients affect children of all ages, manufacturers of these products have voluntarily relabeled the medications, instructing parents not to use them in children younger than 4 years of age. Homeopathy fills a void for safe cough, cold, flu and allergy treatment options for little bodies.

Instead of working against the body as a suppressant, a homeopathic cough syrup, like Children’s Chestal® for example, acts as an expectorant, helping the body do what it does best to help itself. That’s why it’s not dangerous to combine homeopathic medicines with other substances, in case parents decide to administer a cold medicine on top of cough syrup.

During flu season, it’s important to have a homeopathic medicine like Oscillococcinum® on hand in the family medicine cabinet. Oscillo® is one of the most popular homeopathic medicines worldwide. It can be used in children over age two to seniors. Clinical studies show that it shortens both the duration and the severity of flu-like symptoms such as headache, body aches, chills and fever.

The sooner you start treating flu-like symptoms, the better chance you have for a quicker recovery. Oscillo should be taken when you start to feel run-down and achy. You can find it easily at your local supermarket, pharmacy or drugstore.

Homeopathic medicines are available in different forms, just like their traditional counterparts. You can find them in pellets, tablets, gels, ointments and creams, syrups, eye drops, and suppositories. They are available in natural product supermarkets, health food stores and independent pharmacies.

A 2008 study in Pediatrics reports a significant increase in drug prescriptions for our children. From 2002 to 2005, prescription medicines to treat Type 2 diabetes in kids doubled, children’s asthma drugs rose by over 46 percent, medicines offered for attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder increased by more than 40 percent, and controversial prescriptions for cholesterol-lowering meds for children rose 15 percent.

Hippocrates’ dictum, “First, do no harm,” is especially crucial when treating infants and children. Most drugs have not been adequately tested among these age groups, so could mainstream medicine be committing “medical child abuse” by overprescribing powerful drugs for our precious youngsters? Homeopathic medicines (minute, diluted doses of natural substances) offer a safer alternative.

Homeopathic Kids’ Kit

• Arnica

  Homeopathic Arnica is one medicine that belongs in every household. Mothers may take Arnica during labor because it’s helpful for the shock and trauma of childbirth. This use conveys a safe remedy to the baby through the umbilical cord and then through the mother’s milk.

  Arnica is also important to have around for the minor accidents and injuries that are a normal part of growing up. Consider homeopathic Arnica for bumps, bruises, and muscle sprains or strains.

• Chamomilla

  Chamomilla is the leading homeopathic medicine for teething and colic, especially when the infant is extremely irritable, demands something only to push it away once it’s offered, and desires to be held and rocked. Chamomilla can also be used for common ear infections when the infant or child is easily upset and when being held and rocked provides only temporary relief.

• Belladonna

  Belladonna is another important homeopathic medicine to have available because it’s useful for the sudden and sometimes high fevers of infants and children. Belladonna is made from deadly nightshade—a dangerous plant in whole, herbal form—but is safe in exceptionally diluted homeopathic doses. In homeopathic form, it may help little ones who experience nightmares or who have night terrors. Homeopathic Belladonna is also useful during ear infections where the ear is very red, the face is flushed, and the child experiences fright.

• Pulsatilla

  Pulsatilla is commonly used for a wide variety of complaints, ranging from ear infections and digestive problems to respiratory ailments. The infants and children who benefit from this important homeopathic medicine tend to have gentle, mild, and yielding personalities and often seek sympathy; their weeping beckons parents to hold and cradle them. Little or no thirst accompanies a fever, but children tend to desire open air; they may be warm enough to prefer few clothes and even throw off covers at night.

Use and Dosage

These homeopathic medicines are recommended for internal consumption and are generally prescribed in the 6th, 12th, or 30th potency. (Unlike conventional medicines, homeopathic dosages are not dependent on size or weight, and overdose is not a concern.) Ideally, use the 30th potency if you are confident that the medicine is the right one for your child and the 6th potency if you are less confident. The 12th potency falls in between. That said, it’s advisable to use whatever potency you have on hand at the time, rather than delay giving a homeopathic medicine to your child.

Years ago, my friends and I marched on Washington. Arm in arm, we spanned the boulevard, exercising our right to peaceful assembly. Though the heat was oppressive, our hearts were committed—until my sandaled feet stepped on a vent at the exact moment it belched scalding steam.

Arnica to the Rescue

“Owww,” I yelped, staggering and twisting my ankle so daggers of pain shot up my leg. Limping, I suddenly remembered the first-aid kit in my backpack. I popped a few tiny white pills of homeopathic Arnica under my tongue, rubbed Arnica ointment over the already-bruising skin, and soldiered on.

Almost immediately, all pain disappeared. Later, examining my ankle and leg, there was not even the hint of an injury—no sprain, strain, or bruise.

Among homeopathic basics, Arnica montana is an essential. In keeping with the mantra of homeopathy, which uses “like to cure like,” the plant it’s derived from causes skin irritation. But in a safe homeopathic microdose, this remedy is a titan when it comes to soothing skin injuries.

How to Use Arnica

Arnica is the first-response remedy for treating bruising and trauma of just about any kind, from bumps to broken bones.

As a homeopathic medicine, it can be taken internally to initiate healing of everyday injuries. (Follow label instructions.) In topical form, Arnica is useful for bruises and soreness but should not be applied to broken skin.

In the sports world, it’s used to treat sprained ligaments, strained muscles, fractures, and abrasions.

Arnica gel has also proven as effective as ibuprofen gel in treating the pain and stiffness of osteoarthritis. This remedy is also ideal for minimizing pain and bruising from dental work and surgery. (It may be taken orally both before and after.)

Recent studies show that Arnica ointment dramatically reduces bruising resulting from dermatological laser treatments. All good reasons to bring it along on a hike... or a march.

Summer’s warmth leads to more outdoor activities and the potential for bumps, bruises, and burns.

Certain homeopathic remedies stand out for the external treatment of these painful, but superficial, ailments. Many of these conditions will also be relieved by internal homeopathy treatments, but we’ll focus on topical applications here.

You’ll find these remedies in creams, gels, lotions, sprays, and tinctures.

Black and Blue

Arnica is helpful for any soft tissue or muscle that is bruised or sore, but it shouldn’t be used on broken skin.

“Arnica is fantastic for bruises without any cuts,” says Dana Ullman, MPH. He recommends applying it in the form of ointment, gel, or spray.

Calendula is preferred when the bruise is accompanied by a minor wound.

Too Much Sun

First-degree burns such as sunburn respond well to Calendula, the go-to remedy for many minor skin irritations. If using a tincture, dilute it with at least three parts water so the tincture’s alcohol won’t irritate the burned skin.

A gel containing Urtica is particularly good for sunburn when there is no blistering. For a more severe burn, try Hypericum lotion.

Cuts and Scrapes

For minor cuts, scrapes, and other abrasions, apply Calendula cream or ointment, which will promote healing and help prevent infections.

“External applications of Calendula are so effective in closing up cuts and wounds that it is not recommended for deep cuts or wounds because it closes up the outer parts of them so rapidly,” says Ullman.

He recommends Hypericum for deeper cuts.

Homeopathic principles have hardly changed in more than two centuries: First, do no harm. Second, prescribe according to the Law of Similars.

Taking a microdose of a substance that, in a larger amount, would make you sick, will stimulate the body’s natural healing mechanisms. As confirmed by clinical observation, this system of medicine has been used to treat patients effectively and safely.

In the past, a doctor would spend hours developing a patient profile and prescribing a treatment comprised of a single ingredient. These days, modern forms of homeopathy include combining single homeopathic ingredients to treat multiple symptoms or target multiple organs at the same time. First theorized in the late 1920s by Dr. Hans-Heinrich Reckeweg, the founder of Heel, this approach helped him discover that by combining homeopathic ingredients, his patients saw better results.

Homeopathy was popular in the U.S. in the mid-1800s. While its roots began in Europe with the father of homeopathy, Samuel Hahnemann (1755–1843), homeopathy was introduced to America by Hans Burch Gram in 1825. Homeopathy was sought out by many, since the toxic medicines used by conventional physicians of the time offered no response during epidemics like cholera.

During the mid-1800s, bloodletting was common, as well as the use of mercury and arsenic to treat diseases. When people realized that homeopathy was a safe and effective alternative, they turned to it as their primary form of treatment. This is what allowed homeopathy to quickly spread as a safe, effective practice of medicine.

In 1844 homeopathic physicians organized the American Institute of Homeopathy, which became America’s first national medical society—even before the American Medical Association (AMA), which was founded in 1847.

Carefully regulated

Homeopathic medicines are closely regulated by the same federal agency that oversees allopathic pharmaceutical companies, such as Pfizer or GlaxoSmithKline. In the U.S., homeopathic medications have been regulated as drugs by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) since the publication of the 1938 Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.

Pre-market approval for homeopathic drugs is addressed through drug monograph approval by the Homeopathic Pharmacopoeia of the United States (HPUS). Manufacturing, labeling, marketing, and sales of homeopathic drugs are subject to FDA compliance rules. These rules closely match rules for allopathic drug manufacturers.