Many people in Amador County are turning to homoeopathy

People are turning to homeopathy because they want choices. They want a gentle cure.

Many people in the Sierra Foothills are looking to homeopathic medicine as an alternative to traditional health care. One person who has found success with homeopathic care, both as a patient and a practitioner, is Fiddletown resident Gloria St. John.

St. John explains that homeopathic medicine usually comes in a pill form and works by taking small doses of natural substances that come from plants, animals and minerals, and uses them as healing agents. All of the products are made in laboratories approved by the Federal Drug Administration. "This is not an herbal medicine," St. John points out. "This is a complete system of medicine that's curative."

Before settling down in Amador County, St. John worked in the health care industry for 20 years as a hospital administrator, consultant and fund-raiser in the Bay Area. Along the way, she developed a particular interest in natural medicine. When she started suffering from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome 20 years ago, she was told her problems were untreatable with traditional medicine, so she looked into homeopathy for help. "I went from being on the couch and not being able to get up to being completely cured in two months," St. John said.

At first, St. John studied homeopathy informally and practiced on friends, family and herself. Eventually, she went to Hahnemann College of Homeopathy in the Bay Area where she built on her education that includes a bachelor of arts degree in English literature, a master of business administration and a masters degree in psychology. She has been practicing the alternative medical technique professionally for 10 years - six in Marin County and four in Amador County, where her Gold Hills Homeopathy practice is located at 270 Hanford St., Suite C in Sutter Creek. She claims she has had success treating people with chronic conditions, most of which are considered incurable by conventional medicine. The conditions can be physical, emotional or mental. Some of the ailments she treats include depression, post traumatic stress disorder, diabetes, allergies and learning disabilities.

In 1998, St. John co-authored a book with Robbie Davis-Floyd titled "From Doctor to Healer: The Transformative Journey," which discusses in detail the paradigm going on in medicine these days. "Natural medicine has been suppressed because most of our medicines cannot be patented," she explained. "(Homeopaths) look at the whole person - what makes you sick, what makes you better. Our approach is to strengthen the person as opposed to fighting the germ."

When she came to Amador County, she found that a lot of people had never heard of homeopathy, so she decided to start teaching classes. She now leads an ongoing study group and offers training sessions that focus on acute conditions and finding retailers that sell homeopathic products. In Amador County, homeopathic remedies can be found at CVS Pharmacy and Gold Trail Natural Foods.

Kathleen Stark, one of the sales staff members for Gold Trail Natural Foods, has seen many of St. John's patients walk into the store. "Usually she'll have a specific recommendation for something they should take," Stark said. "She'll write it down so they know what to get and how much they should take."

Stark notes that one of the most popular homeopathic medicines sold at the store is arnica. "It's used for bruises, people who have just had surgery to help them heal faster, pain relief and arthritis." Other big sellers include cold remedies and sleep aids.

St. John herself does not usually sell products, but she has put together a flu kit in response to the growing concern in the community about influenza. "My patients and students have said 'I don't want to get the flu but I don't want to get a flu shot,'" she commented. According to St. John, the homeopathic flu kit can be used on any strain of influenza, including H1N1. The kit, which sells for $20, contains informational literature, a box of Oscillococcinum pills and a coupon for another product called Influenzinum. The products not only prevent the flu, but can help patients overcome side effects - fever, malaise, and muscle pains - of the flu shot. The information in the kit offers suggestions for how to make the medicine last longer. "You can make (one box) last for two people, two seasons or two bouts of the flu," she explained. St. John also sells a kit designed for children under 2.

St. John has given talks at the Holistic Health Fair in Jackson, the Parkinson's support group and Plymouth Rotary. The lectures focus on the differences between conventional medicine and natural medicine. "I like to talk about the models of medicine," she said, "who I've helped and how I've helped them."