Homeopathy was first developed by Samuel Hahnemann, a physician, chemist, and linguist in Germany, in 1796.

Homeopathy involves giving extremely small doses of substances that produce characteristic symptoms of illness in healthy people when given in larger doses. This approach is called “like cures like.” Homeopathy aims to stimulate the body’s own healing responses.

Most homeopathic remedies are derived from natural substances that come from plants, minerals, or animals. A remedy is prepared by diluting the substance in a series of steps. Homeopathy asserts that this process can maintain a substance’s healing properties regardless of how many times it has been diluted. Many homeopathic remedies are so highly diluted that not one molecule of the original natural substance remains. Remedies are sold in liquid, pellet, and tablet forms.

Homeopathic remedies are now required to meet certain legal standards for strength, quality, purity, and packaging. In 1988, the FDA required that all homeopathic remedies list the indications for their use on the label. The FDA also requires the label to list ingredients, dilutions, and instructions for safe use.

In the United States, training in homeopathy is offered through diploma programs, certificate programs, short courses, and correspondence courses. Most homeopathy in the United States is practiced along with another health care practice for which the practitioner is licensed, such as conventional medicine, naturopathy, chiropractic, dentistry, acupuncture, or veterinary medicine (homeopathy is used to treat animals).

Worldwide, homeopathy is the most widely practiced alternative form of medicine, second only to allopathic medicine.