Direction of cure

In an acute situation, where the complaint is of recent onset and the person has no previous history of chronic disease, homeopathic treatment invariably works with great success (providing the medicine is accurately chosen).

Recent symptoms abate and the afflicited individual is returned to their previous state of good health. The storm that may have been life-threatening passes without trace.

In the case of chronic disease the story of how health is restored is more complex and the duration of recovery usually in direct proportion to the length of time that the illness was present. There is no way of predetermining what this will be as each one of us differs, however we can say that long-term illness requires time to heal. We can also make observations about how cure proceeds. For example, the first symptoms to appear will be the last to resolve, while the most recent symptoms will be the first to disappear. The original symptoms may have manifested a very long time ago!

Cure tends to proceed:
• from more recent to older symptoms
• from vital organs to less vital organs
• from the centre to the circumference
• from above downwards

As well as symptoms disappearing in the reverse order of their appearance, healing often proceeds from within the organism and extends outwards. Improvement may occur on the mental or emotional levels before the physical level. For example, we may be relating in better ways to our partner or job before our inflamed joints improve.

Healing often progresses from more important organs to less important organs, thus the health of the heart or brain improves before that of less vital organs like the stomach or joints, or someone’s asthma clears up before their itchy skin does.

Healing often follows a downward course, from head to foot. This pathway of symptom movement may be understood by remembering that the head houses the brain, arguably the most important organ, so this will be protected above all else and be the first to heal.

If a disease is left untreated it moves in the opposite direction, progressing from surface to centre and from less important to more important organs. New symptoms are seen as it progresses. This allows a clear distinction to be made between disease and healing processes.

Using these principles the homeopath can track the progress of the disease and the health of the patient and can recognise when treatment is progressing successfully.