I love treating women’s problems with homeopathic remedies because I know they will instantly understand my approach to prescribing. Usually I start by explaining that the remedy is made up by considering three aspects of someone’s complaint; how theyare mentally/emotionally, how they are physically and how they are generally affected when they are unwell.

Here’s the sort of things women tell me about themselves. “Just before my period I want to hide away form everyone and everything. Don’t ask me to leave my room! For a start, I look hideous. My skin and hair get so greasy I positively shine. And I just have to have Pringles. The cheese and onion flavoured ones are best. As soon as I reach for the Pringles I think oh, no, here we go again! My period’s quite heavy and painful and that makes me want to stay in, too. It’s awful if I’m at work. By the third day everything’s changed and I’m back to being me again.”

Most women readily recognize that they are altered in many ways and may feel unstable premenstrually. They often produce very strong symptoms and these are what the homeopath focuses on. The way in which they change, for example wanting to be solitary when they’re normally sociable, combined with the physical symptoms of greasy skin and hair plus the craving for a salty snack are the clues we need to make a homeopathic prescription.

During times of hormonal fluctuation, whether it’s at puberty, during pregnancy, post-natally or at the menopause, our bodies may struggle to adapt. We may be thrown off our usual harmonious balance and feel quite unlike our usual selves. Homeopathic remedies can help ease the passage through these transitions and restore good health. There are plenty of remedies for other women’s complaints such as endometriosis, cystitis and fibroids, which often arise as we pass through the different phases of our reproductive lives.