A trip to Helsinki

I have just returned from a homeopathic seminar in Helsinki.This comprised of 2 days of teaching on autoimmune diseases in not only small animals but horses and cattle(and humans)too.Common autoimmune diseases I see in practice include Immune Mediated Haemolytic Anaemia (IMHA) certain inflammatory bowel conditions including colitis,thyroid disease,some respiratory problems and many of the common skin conditions to name only a few.
The group organising the seminar comprised of veterinary surgeons but also lay homeopathic practitioners who were not vets but have studied homeopathy for both humans and animals.In Finland it is legal to treat animals if you are a lay practitioner with the relevant qualifications However that is not the case in UK as only vets can treat animals regardless of what type of medicines are used
The main emphasis on Day 1 was looking at the conventional understanding of these diseases and explanations as to why the numbers of cases of autoimmune disease continues to increase every year.Theories extend to dietary factors,chemical exposure vaccination,genetics and in breeding (especially in some susceptible breeds),environmental pollutants,overuse of antibiotics and disinfectants.In this latter case it is thought that the immune system may not get enough to do early in life and therefore starts to turn on itself instead.
Day 2 looked at this group of diseases from a homeopathic perspective and how changes in diet exposure to toxins and good case taking to establish the triggers that may have pushed a susceptible individual into autoimmune disease can give insights into ways of treating that animal which didn't always require suppressive conventional medicines.In a lot of cases these same medications often ultimately cause the animal more problems and would usually be lifelong with associated long term side effects.The use of dietary manipulation,supplementation especially with omega 3's and in some cases herbal preparations can be successful in the support of autoimmune conditions
Day 3 was completely different with the emphasis being on the human-animal interface,what makes us as a species relate to animals(and animals relate to us),our roles in their development and our relationships with animals in food production,competition and day to day life
I however did manage to find a little bit of time on the last day to see some of the city of Helsinki A charming city easy to get around with Western and Eastern influences excellent food and some lovely shopping districts-who said it has to be all work!