Homeopathy [Greek: homoeos=similar + pathos=suffering; Wikipedia] is a medical system based on nature's law of cure "similia similibus curentur" which means 'like cures like'. Fundamentally, it is based on the principles of Holistic care, Individualized treatment, and Minimum dose. It believes in the 'Vital Force', which when deranged, leads to dis-ease that is manifested in the form of various signs & symptoms. Homoeopathic physician tries to restore the balance of this 'Vital Force', to achieve Cure in a Rapid, and Gentle manner.

The origin of this 'law of cure' can be traced back to Hippocrates (460-370 BC), but it was Dr Samual Hahnemann (1755-1843), a German physician, chemist, and linguist, who worked on this theory to develop it into a complete system of healing, which is currently practiced in every major country around the world.

Homeopathy treats the patient as a whole, and not mere organs or systems. Homeopathic treatment, based on the psycho-somatic analysis of the individual patient, is aimed at stimulating body's natural healing process, so as to treat and prevent diseases. Homeopathy does not treat the patient superficially by masking the symptoms but heals from within, in a gentle way, without any adverse drug effects. To give an example, What do we do if we find a dried-up plant? We do not moisten each and every leaf, but water the roots of the plant so that it nourishes the plant from within.

Yes, Homeopathic medicines are fully regulated as drugs by the United States FDA, governed by the 'Homeopathic Pharmacopoeia of the United States'.
Homeopathy has been available on the NHS since 1948. There are 5 NHS funded homeopathic hospitals in the UK. The largest, the Royal London Homeopathic Hospital, treats around 2,000 patients per week.

Homeopathic medicines are highly diluted. Therefore, they do not have the toxic effects associated with many conventional treatments. They are, however, powerful energetic stimuli and must be used under professional guidance. Sometimes, as part of the curative process, a person may experience a temporary intensification of symptoms for a very short duration.

Homeopathic treatment does not call for any kind of 'strict' diet-restriction for its effectivity. The only restriction I suggest is in cases of food-allergy, where I ask my patients to avoid the allergens till the medicine starts working. Once the medicinal effect settles, we cross-check it by having the food to which the patient was previously allergic.
Finally, what is the use of any treatment if that takes away certain things from your life? My patients have been taking coffee, onion and garlic, without affecting the medicinal effect. Though, it is advisable not to take any stimulants [like coffee or tea] or strong-smelling food immediately before or after taking the dose. One can take water [since its odourless and non-stimulating] along with the medicine.

Homeopathy is safe for all ages and can be safely taken even during the crucial period of pregnancy or lactation. I myself have given Homeopathic medication to my 40-days old daughter. Children love to take Homeopathic medicine since it’s sweet and easy to take. In fact, they remind their parents for the doses, making it a 'Kids-Friendly' therapy.

Homeopathic treatment can act as quick as any other medicinal system [at times, quicker than all]. For acute conditions [like common cold, influenza or hay fever], couple of visits may be all that is necessary; while for the chronic ailments, treatment duration can be in few months, depending on the pathological progression of the presented disease.

Yes, its true that the Homeopathic tablets [but not pills] are made up of lactose, but in a very small amount. The quantity of lactose in these tablets is substantially less than the one that leads to symptomatic manifestation after ingestion of lactose in people who have 'lactose intolerance'.
Since these tablets are one form of the drug-vehicles, the medicine can also be given in dilution form [water-based], thus completely avoiding the lactose-content, if needed.

Constitution, which is defined as a psycho-somatic makeup of an individual, is a unique combination of various qualities and characteristic features. The assessment is based on the comprehensive analysis of the individual disease-manifestations as well as the lifestyle, seasonal responses, food-preferences, as well as emotional and mental reactive patterns. This unique combination makes each of us different than the rest of the world. A Homeopath needs to individualize a patient from the rest and base the remedy selection on that.

For any particular disease, Homeopathic drug repertoire indicates hundreds of remedies to chose from. It is a skill of a Homeopath, through the training s/he has received, to select an appropriate remedy out of the enormous choices. Only the most similar remedy can provide a rapid and permanant cure. Thus it is wiser to take a professional consultation instead of trying out the health-products that are available in drug-stores, which are primarily a mixture of 3-8 commonly indicated remedies for the complaint, since your condition may require a more specific remedy. Apart from the selection of a remedy, a prescription also involves deciding the correct potency [strength] and the number of doses to be taken within a day's time. An error in assessing either of these will not give the desirable result.

There has been a wide variety of research done in past to assess the efficacy of Homeopathic medicines in various diseases. Numerous studies are currently ongoing to prove the clinical utility of Homeopathy. Here are few representative studies:

1. A Randomized Equivalence Trial Comparing the Efficacy and Safety of Luffa comp.-Heel Nasal Spray with Cromolyn Sodium Spray in the Treatment of Seasonal Allergic Rhinitis [Link].

2. Homeopathic Oscillococcinum for preventing and treating influenza and influenza-like syndromes [Link].

3. A randomized, controlled clinical trial of the homeopathic medication TRAUMEEL S in the treatment of chemotherapy-induced stomatitis in children undergoing stem cell transplantation [Link].

4. Click here for the list of ongoing clinical trials registered in the U.S. Clinical Trial Registry.