Over the years many schools of homeopathic practice have come into existence. Some adhere strictly to the original principles laid down by Hahnemann, while others have explored different methods of utilizing homeopathic remedies such as prescribing two or more remedies to be alternated or taken simultaneously, testing the compatibility of remedies with patients by electrical devices, or using needles to inject solutions containing homeopathic preparations.
Homeopathy is a rigorous discipline that demands both years of immersion and a commitment to its philosophy. Choosing a single remedy that is the most appropriate in any given situation can be very difficult. It depends on the practitioner's understanding of which symptoms are the most significant.
Remedy selection based on the most distinct, individual symptoms that are truly characteristic of the patient whether or not they are related to the chief complaint is often called "constitutional" prescribing. The emphasis is placed on the nature or constitution of the patient.
As an example, ten patients all diagnosed with asthma could very well be given ten different remedies. Although the symptoms relating to their breathing might seem quite similar, it is the differences which are most important for the homeopath. One person may have asthma attacks in the middle of the night, while another is aggravated on waking in the morning. One person may have developed it after birth, while another after the death of a loved one. One person will feel better in the open air while another is sensitive to drafts of wind.
Likewise, the nature of these patients beyond the asthma will also be different. One person may feel very chilly while another is hot blooded. One person may have a very mild, weepy temperament, another is irritable or abrasive and yet another is withdrawn and depressed. One person may desire very spicy and rich food, another salty and a third sweet.
In constitutional homeopathy, the various bits of information about every aspect of the patient are used as pieces of a puzzle that fit together. The result is a homeopathic picture of their nature and the selection of a remedy that matches the picture.
On the other hand, there are practitioners who only prescribe according to the remedy that best fits the chief complaint. A variation on this method is to prescribe remedies to strengthen a particular organ or system in the body. Although these practitioners employ homeopathic remedies, their model is more akin to a conventional medical approach. They are less concerned with the manifestations and movements of the vital force than with the symptoms themselves and the physical structure of the body. This type of method often leads to the variant forms of homeopathy mentioned above.
