Homeopathy at Primrose
The Complementary Therapies we offer does not offer a cure, but can bring relief for some specific symptoms, and side effects of medications or medical treatments for people living with life-limiting illnesses. It can also provide vital emotional support if someone is experiencing a bereavement.
Today we’re chatting to Shelia one of our volunteers who offers homeopathy to patients and clients being supported at Primrose Hospice.
We started off by asking – what is homeopathy?
Homoeopathy is a system of medicine which helps the body to heal itself. It uses the principle of “like cures like”.
It’s the second most widely used medicine in the world and it works on the principle of the body healing itself, because we’ve got tremendous healing powers. If we break a bone, you go to hospital to have it set in the right shape, but it’s the body that does the healing. We see a similar process when your body recovers from things like flu or colds.
So homeopathy can awaken the body’s natural healing.
The remedies we prescribe are made from naturally occurring substances like; animals; Plants; Minerals (& mineral salts) and the products of disease. Homoeopathic remedies come in the form of tablets, powders, creams and liquids with tablets being the most common.
I often treat Primrose Patients, and they have found homoeopathy has been beneficial in dealing with the side effects of both Radiotherapy and Chemotherapy and many more symptoms. Note that the remedies must be prescribed by a fully trained and qualified homeopath because we always take into account the individual patient and not just the symptoms.
What to expect when someone comes in for Homeopathy?
We have a consultation with them, we listen to the symptoms, and then we prescribe on the basis of the symptoms. So, for example, people could come in with a skin rash, and we want to know all about the type of rash and what makes it better or worse.
Do you tend to see people over quite a long period of time?
Yes, I usually tell people, we review at monthly intervals, we give the remedy, and we wait for it to stimulate the healing, and that takes time. So we normally review, not always, but we normally review at monthly intervals, and then see how they’ve improved.
How long have you been treating people with Homeopathy?
I’ve been a Homeopath for 30 years next year and I’ve been volunteering at Primrose Hospice for over 15 years.
Why is volunteering at Primrose Hospice important to you?
A lot of people in my family have died of cancer, and my mother died in a hospice, and she had the most wonderful care, and I just feel I want to give something back, and it gives me a sense of purpose.
What is one thing that you wish people knew about this treatment and about complementary therapy?
That it’s something that can work alongside Western medicine, that can benefit them tremendously and fill in the gaps that Western medicine possibly can’t deal with. So I treat people for everything under the sun, digestive upsets, irritable bowel, allergies, and at this time of the year, particularly, see people with pollen allergies. So I do allergy testing and find what they’re allergic to, and we can actually give them a homeopathic preparation of whatever they’re allergic to and this can remove the symptoms of the allergy.
What would you say to somebody that’s maybe feeling a bit apprehensive about coming to Primrose?
I would say that this Coppice building is the most wonderful facility and it’s such a happy, lovely atmosphere. Everybody is just so lovely here, both the employed people and the volunteers, is the most wonderful place. There is everything to be gained by using our facilities.
Our Complementary Therapists are qualified and experienced practitioners, who volunteer their services for free at the hospice.
Find out more about the free support we offer by visiting this page.
