Alison Hocking RSHom, Lic LCCH, qualified as a classical Homoeopath in 2001 from the London College of Classical Homoeopathy (Lic LCCH) and went on to become a member of the Society of Homeopaths (RSHom).
‘The Homoeopath’ (Homeopathic Clinic) was opened in St Annes in 2002.
This was the first of its type in the North of England, and after a very successful ten years became known as “Holistic Health & Beauty” to reflect the broad range of treatments that had been developed over this time.
Alison specialises in Skin complaints, Asthma, Eczema, Stress, & Allergies, and it has been suggested that she is gaining a reputation as one of the North West’s leading Holistic practitioners.
Did you know that:
Celebrities such as Paul McCartney, David Beckham, Twiggy, Caprice, Susan Hampshire, Tina Turner, Louise Jameson, Gaby Roslin, Jude Law, Sadie Frost, Nadia Sawalha, Jennifer Aniston, Jade Jagger, Roger Daltry, Annabel Croft and Meera Syal, as well as The Queen and Prince Charles, are all users of homeopathy.
What is homeopathy?
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.
Like with like
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. For example, drinking too much coffee can cause sleeplessness and agitation, so according to this principle, when made into a homeopathic medicine, it could be used to treat people with these symptoms.
To read more about safety studies: click here http://www.homeopathy-soh.org/research/evidence-base-for-homeopathy-2/safety-studies/
The science
Homeopathic remedies are prepared by specialist pharmacies using a careful process of dilution and succussion (a specific form of vigorous shaking).
To find out more about the basic science of homeopathy: click here http://www.homeopathy-soh.org/research/evidence-base-for-homeopathy-2/basic-science/
One theory is that during the production of a homeopathic medicine, the dilution and agitation processes cause an interaction between the original material (e.g. a plant such as Belladonna) and the water and alcohol it is mixed with. This creates tiny new structures (nanostructures) which are the ‘active ingredient’ and remain present even when the sample has been diluted many, many times.(1)
There is also a growing body of research evidence that homeopathic medicines have clinical effects.
To read more about clinical trials: click here http://www.homeopathy-soh.org/research/evidence-base-for-homeopathy-2/
Its origins
The principle of treating “like with like” dates back to Hippocrates (460-377BC) but in its current form, homeopathy has been widely used worldwide for more than 200 years.
It was discovered by a German doctor, Samuel Hahnemann, who, shocked with the harsh medical practises of the day (which included blood-letting, purging and the use of poisons such as arsenic), looked for a way to reduce the damaging side-effects associated with medical treatment.
He began experimenting on himself and a group of healthy volunteers, giving smaller and smaller medicinal doses, and found that as well as reducing toxicity, the medicines actually appeared to be more effective the lower the dose. He also observed that symptoms caused by toxic ‘medicines’ such as mercury, were similar to those of the diseases they were being used to treat e.g. syphilis, which lead to the principle he described as ‘like cures like’.
Hahnemann went on to document his work, and his texts formed the foundations of homeopathic medicine as it is practised today. A BBC Radio 4 documentary aired in December 2010 described Hahnemann as a medical pioneer who worked tirelessly to improve medical practice, insisting that medicines were tested before use.
