Dear Phil:

At one time, when I was an apostate who had abandoned the faith in favor of the New Age, I was heavily into things like acupressure and homeopathy/naturopathy.

Homeopathic/Naturopathic medicine has at its core the idea that the body develops imbalances that must be corrected. The "vital energy" theory is the same as the "universal energy" theory in that they both seek a balance between the "energies" in the body with that if the "vital/universal energy." Although there are other aspects of Homeopathy, such as considering the whole person and not just the symptom or disease, this fundamental philosophical presumption behind Homeopathic theory is contrary to the facts of science and the body and to the Christian worldview. 

As for the defining principle of Homeopathy of the "Law of Similars" there is no evidence from appropriately designed studies that the "law of similars" actually operates. This "law", as well as other non-scientific findings in Homeopathy that were made 100-200 years ago, were made before medical science fully understood the nature of health and disease. In fact those were times in which medical science had little knowledge of how to conduct experiments that separate cause and effect from coincidence as well as the placebo effect.
Given the totally anecdotal nature of the so-called "cures", the illogical and lack of even the remotest scientific method in developing homeopathic theories and methods, the lack of understanding and recognition of the law of coincidence and the law of placebo, and the connection with the Eastern cosmology of "energies" and "balances" should lead a Christian to abandon Homeopathy in my opinion.

Thus, any aspect of homeopathy/naturopathy that speaks to "energy flows" (Ch'i), meridians in the body, chakras, etc. should be avoided.

Homeopathic/naturopathic medicine, removed from the oriental cosmology, if properly approached, is not a problem in-and-of-itself. Many of our medicines from drug companies are derived from herbs and other plants. Constant research on these resources is being done by the drug companies.

While homeopathic/naturopathic medicine in itself is not a problem, there are many problems with the people in that movement, most of whom are New Age.

There are some cautions that must be considered:

1) As with any medical remedy or procedure, there is no such thing as a cure-all, a magic bullet, a substance that can cure everything. Some people in the homeopathic/naturopathic movement make claims about various herbs and substances that are scientifically unverifiable and are exaggerated to the four winds. Stay away from such things. Herbs, as with any substance, are effective for a limited number of issues; avoid exaggerated claims. Find out what has been proven to work for a specific condition or issue and limit oneself to those remedies.

2) While there has been much improvement over the last decade, there is still a problem with the quality-control of herbs and substances in homeopathy. One is never sure of the quality, potency, and dose of herbs on the market; there are no regulatory standards which with herbal companies must follow. If buying these products, be sure to do your research to find a company that offers the best quality-control, precise potency and dosage.

3) Herbs are not safe merely because they are "natural". There are contraindications and adverse reactions that can exist between herbs and between the herbs and other "regular" medications. It is possible to do great damage to oneself by homeopathic/naturopathic self-medication when one does not know about overdose limits, contraindications, adverse reactions, and other factors. It is possible to even die from such contraindications and adverse reactions.

It is critically important, therefore, that one know the potency of a herb, what dosage is safe, and what contraindications and adverse reactions that may exist.

The people who publish the PDR (Physicians Desk Reference) now have a PDR the deals specifically with herbs called the PDR for Herbal Medicines. Anyone practicing homeopathy/naturopathy needs to buy this volume and learn how to use it. It is expensive, around $60, but it is a necessity.

Here is brochure description of the PDR for Herbal Medicines

Building on its best-selling predecessors, the new PDR for Herbal Medicines, Third Edition has left no resource unturned to bring together the latest scientific data in the most comprehensive herbal reference compiled.

The third edition goes far beyond the original source, adding a new section on Nutritional Supplements and new information aimed at greatly enhancing patient management by medical practitioners. All monographs have been updated to include recent scientific findings on efficacy, safety and potential interactions; clinical trials (including abstracts); case reports; and meta-analysis results. This new information has resulted in greatly expanded Effects, Contraindications, Precautions and Adverse Reactions, and Dosage sections of each monograph.

• Indexed by common name
• Asian, Indian and Homeopathic Herbs Index
• Safety Guide
• Daily dosage information for unprocessed herbs and commercially available brand name products
• Manufacturers' Index, including name, address, contact information and product list
• Trade names of available products added to each monograph
• Expanded Drug/Herb Interaction Guide
• Therapeutic Category Index
• Clinical Management of Interactions

To buy this volume, Click Here for Herbal-Medicines and here for Nutritional Supplements.

4) When consulting a homeopathic/naturopathic practitioner be very careful. Homeopathy/naturopathy is a major interest in the New Age. A lot of practitioners may also be involved in New Ageism, occult, or even witchcraft activities.

While it may be best to stay with established methods that have a proven track record, "However," as stated by Dr. Rosenfeld in his book Dr. Rosenfeld's Guide to Alternative Medicine : What Works, What Doesn't And What's Right for You, "for symptoms that are not life-threatening, and for which conventional medicine has either no treatment or a potentially toxic treatment, homeopathy may be a reasonable alternative."

Dr. Rosenfeld continues, "If you decide to go that route, consult a reputable practitioner who is also an M.D."

Following these guidelines, one should be able to navigate homeopathy/naturopathy world successfully.

Anyone with an interest in Alternative Medicine needs to read up on what really works and doesn't work. "Testimonials" from the company selling the product, or from your next door neighbor are utterly useless. One needs to have a scientific approach to analyze the claims of various Alternative Medicine claims. 

I highly recommend the book by Isadore Rosenfeld, M.D.

Dr. Rosenfeld is open to Alternative methods, and gives a fair and balanced evaluation of more than thirty alternative therapies. He gives the history of each therapy, explains a little about how the therapy is suppose to work, gives scientific information and research on the topic, and ends with a no nonsense "bottomline".  

Dr. Rosenfeld begins his book with excellent chapters on people searching for hope are lured by alternative methods with clear advice on how to proceed with hopeful alternatives, the nature of the placebo effect, and how to spot a quack.

In terms of Church comments, the Church cautions about any approach that has a New Age or oriental worldview that is hostile to the Christian worldview:

In short, we must take notice when the cosmology (view of the way universe works) and ontology (view of the nature of man) runs counter to our Faith.

In terms of spiritual or theological principles the Vatican Document, A Christian Reflection on the New Age, and USCCB document, Guidelines for Evaluating Reiki as an Alternative Therapy, provides several principles useful in evaluating anything from the new age. Find other documents in our Spiritual Warfare Library.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary