Homeopathy is a system of medicine, which is based on the tenet "like cures like," i.e., substances that cause certain symptoms in a healthy person can also cure those same symptoms in someone who is sick. Homeo means similar and pathy means disease. It was founded by a German physician Samuel Hahnemann around 1800.

Homeopathy bases its cures on the fact that every person in the world has a different mental, physical and emotional setup. So you can't cure a person unless you find out his/her constitution. The uniqueness of this form of treatment lies in the fact that it believes in treating the whole person rather than the illness alone.

So a homeopathic practitioner typically begins by taking detailed note of the patient's medical history, temperament, family background, family history of diseases, diet preferences, lifestyle, and emotional state. Based on these findings, the homeopathic practitioner builds up a profile of symptom and then prescribes suitable homeopathic medicines. This is a highly personalised form of treatment, so patients who apparently suffer from the same illness may be prescribed different medicines.