If you feel a cold or other minor ailment coming on, your first instinct might be to run to a natural health store and pick up a homeopathic remedy.

Made from minute amounts of plant, mineral or animal substances, homeopathic medicines stimulate your body’s innate ability to heal. Over-the-counter remedies can result in immediate calming of specific symptoms, but Kristine Honda, ND, who supervises homeopathy Team Care appointments on Saturday mornings, says you can achieve more long-term results through a constitutional homeopathic appointment.

“Homeopathic remedies available in retail and food stores are low-dose homeopathic remedies that can be helpful for acute and chronic symptoms,” she says. “But at the constitutional level, we concentrate on treating the whole person holistically.

“We take into account a person’s physical symptoms as well as their mental and emotional characteristics and other traits to select a highly individualized remedy.”

An initial homeopathy appointment at Bastyr Center for Natural Health can take up to two hours, giving clinicians ample time to get to know the patient’s medical and emotional history, as well as their life story. Follow-up appointments last one hour.

“There are thousands of different constitutional remedies, so we want to really understand each patient so that we can select the best remedy to help them,” Dr. Honda says.

Your First Constitutional Homeopathy Appointment

At your first appointment, you should expect to answer questions typical for a naturopathic medicine or other natural health appointment, including:

• How’s your digestion?
• How do you sleep?
• How’s your stress level?

Then expect more detailed questions that delve deeper into how you became the person you are today, such as:

• Do you prefer to have company or to be alone?
• How do you react when you’re upset?
• Do you like hot weather?
• Are you always cold?
• How would you describe your childhood?

“Perhaps there was a particular situation that really affected you and caused you to be in a certain state,” Dr. Honda says. “We try to find a remedy that treats the cause and helps you attain a more healthy state.”

Relief from Chronic Conditions to Minor Complaints

Homeopathy, which is practiced within the scope of naturopathic medicine at Bastyr Center, is a natural, nontoxic therapeutic system of healing that assists in the inherent ability of the body to heal itself. As a form of naturopathic medicine, homeopathy rests on the concept of vis medicatrix naturae — the healing power of nature.

Because the medicines don’t interact with other medications, homeopathy is appropriate for all ages and all types of conditions, including chronic conditions that lead many patients to Bastyr Center.

“We often have patients who have been struggling and say they have tried everything else,” Dr. Honda says. “Then they come to homeopathy and are able to find relief.”

It’s an ideal complement to other naturopathic therapies to help promote immunity and improve overall wellness, or to address more specific complaints such as lack of libido, allergies and digestive illnesses, or emotional issues including grief, anxiety, depression and concentration issues.

“It’s also great for kids because the remedies are so gentle,” Dr. Honda adds. Many parents bring their children in for acute symptoms that they hope to prevent from turning into lifelong issues, such as hyperactivity and skin complaints. “It can really help children lead much healthier lives,” she says.

The Price is Right

Whether it’s an over-the-counter remedy or one prescribed by a doctor at Bastyr Center, Dr. Honda says one of the perks of homeopathic remedies is their low price. The cost is generally about $7 to $10 at the Bastyr Dispensary.

For more information or to make a homeopathy appointment, please call (206) 834-4100.