A Kennebunk, Maine-based social worker specializing in adult case management, Jill Lamontagne has worked as assistant supervisor of adult case management at Waypoint since 2022. As an advocate and hands-on supporter for adults with disabilities, she helps clients meet their individual goals, monitors their health and safety, and coordinates community support and services. Jill Lamontagne also regularly reviews case managers’ records and notes to ensure they are providing quality support services to clients. Moreover, she helps case managers plan meetings and develop goal attainment practices, assists them with budget planning when representative payee needs are required, and conducts monthly Maine Integrated Health Management Solution checks. Ms. Lamontagne holds a master’s in education from the University of New England and a bachelor’s in science and health sciences from the University of Southern Maine, and she studied nursing at the University of Maine. She volunteers hundreds of hours each year with nonprofits committed to protecting the environment and providing care for people in need.

Homeopathy is a healthcare strategy that involves using small amounts of natural substances that would create symptoms of disease in a healthy person. Developed in Germany more than two centuries ago, the premise driving homeopathy is the belief that the body can heal itself and that humans can use these small doses to trigger powerful responses from the immune system.

A basic example of the homeopathic philosophy can be seen in anti-allergy treatments. Almost anyone who has spent time in a kitchen knows that red onions trigger an automatic response in the body, which causes tears to well up in the eyes. With this property in mind, many homeopathic remedies for allergies use red onion. Other anti-allergy treatments might feature small doses of poison ivy or white arsenic. More harmful ingredients are diluted via water or alcohol during a process known as potentization.

More than 200 million people around the world use homeopathic remedies, including over 6 million Americans. According to the National Institutes of Health, about 2.1 percent of America’s adult population has used homeopathy within the past 12 months. Homeopathic remedies are provided by homeopathic doctors, or homeopaths. Remedies may take the form of pellets, liquid drops, or topical applications, among other forms.

During a person’s initial meeting with a homeopath, the doctor will assess the individual’s health from a physical, mental, and emotional perspective. Homeopaths believe in using as little medication as possible to help the body heal itself, so they will tailor each treatment to a patient’s specific needs, attempting to address as many issues as possible with a single homeopathic remedy. Individuals also have the option of purchasing over-the-counter homeopathic medicines from drugstores, though they should thoroughly research these products and manufacturers to ensure a product’s quality and effectiveness.

Homeopaths can guide individuals through some of the more common issues that respond well to homeopathic treatments. In addition to allergies, conditions treated by homeopaths include persistent migraines, chronic fatigue syndrome, irritable bowel syndrome, and rheumatoid arthritis. Homeopathic remedies can also help treat mental health conditions like depression. More common ailments that respond to homeopathy range from toothaches to the common cold.

Not all medical conditions can be treated with homeopathic remedies. Life-threatening illnesses such as asthma and cancer require comprehensive medical care from a multidisciplinary team. Any person who has suffered blunt force trauma or a serious wound should seek emergency medical services. Homeopathic medicine cannot function in the place of vaccines. This includes “nosodes,” a treatment often marketed as a vaccine alternative despite the lack of clinical evidence supporting this assertion.

Individuals should be aware of a few potential risks associated with homeopathic treatments. Critics of homeopathy attribute any positive impact to the placebo effect, which involves the body improving or fully healing after taking a medication but not as a direct result of the medication. Individuals must also be careful with homeopathic treatments that carry large amounts of the active ingredient. For instance, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a warning regarding infants and teething tablets in 2016. Numerous children experienced seizures, along with other symptoms, which the FDA linked to active ingredients such as calcarea phosphorica, chamomilla, coffea cruda, and belladonna.