BLUE EARTH - Have an ailment that traditional medicines can't seem to fix? Or maybe you're taking a medication to suppress side effects of another medication?

Homeopathic medicine is an alternative Marti Yokiel shared Thursday with fairgoers at the Faribault County Fair. New to the profession, Yokiel is a classical homeopath, who spent the last four years studying homeopathy at the Northwestern Academy of Homeopathy in the Twin Cities.

Yokiel's interest in this particular form of medicine stems from several things, including her husband's occupation as an organic farmer. Yokiel has been interested in alternative medicines for several years and is a nurse. When her children were young, she went into massage therapy so she could help children. A friend whose son was severely depressed and wasn't responding to traditional medications asked Yokiel if she knew anything about homeopathic remedies.

The family ended up going to a homeopath in Sioux Falls, and the treatment he received there gradually worked for him.

Yokiel told another story of a young woman who came to visit her. The woman was high strung and obsessive compulsive about every little detail. Yokiel found a remedy for her. She was slightly surprised when a week later the woman talked to her and said, "I've never felt this way before." Normally, remedies take a bit longer to have a significant effect.

Yokiel described homeopathic medicine as a journey. The homeopathic medications she recommends are regulated drugs, with the remedy essentially coming from the energy of the plant, mineral or animal from which it came, via succession. Succession is a method of "pounding" a substance into a medication that is supposed to leave none of the actual substance in it. Yokiel admitted she didn't know how the process scientifically worked, but the intent of succession is to transfer out the natural energy of the substance. The number of successions affects the drug's potency.

After a lengthy consultation - Yokiel's run from 2 1/2-3 hours - a remedy for one of the symptoms is selected.

"We go through their whole health picture," she said. "I listen to all of their symptoms: their mood, history, dreams. (Homeopathic medicine) strengthens that vital force inside of you - your vitality. It's not like I give you a remedy to cure a disease."

The medication is supposed to strengthen the the body so it can naturally fight off problems.

A point of concern brought up in a video presentation was that in traditional medicine, antibiotics are being used too much, and people may develop immunities to them.

Supporters of homeopathic medicine say that's why their method is needed. Homeopaths don't totally discount traditional medicine - in fact they say it is sometimes needed. But they also disagree with the way many treatments assume people's ailments can be cured the same way. Critics of homeopathy, on the other hand, say that patients who use the remedies are experiencing a placebo effect and call it nothing more than a sugar pill.

Homeopathy is far from new, as it began in the 18th Century with a German man, Dr. Samuel Hahnemann. At the time, he felt "modern" medicine was ineffective and harmful to patients. He stopped his traditional practice, and by the end of his career had proven more than 100 remedies, according to the Yokiel's presentation. While it grew in popularity, it has always faced harsh criticisms.

There was a time in traditional medicine where people thought that illness was a result of either too much or too little blood. Blood letting or mercury treatments were used. George Washington suffered from such treatments to the point where his doctors bled him to death. The video used that example as a point for why traditional medicine may not always be the best route - even though it may be more popular.

Yokiel said the homeopathic system works particularly well with acute illnesses, like colds, back pain, migraines, sudden headaches and ear aches.

She charges $180 for an initial visit, and $60 for follow ups. She usually has patients come in every couple months for a check up. Insurance programs, however, do not cover homeopathy.

"If you can get off one medication, depending on your situation, ... you can reduce the costs," she said. "It's a wonderful way for very holistic healing. I really feel like I was called to do this for my living."

Yokiel's office is in Wells, and she can be reached at (507) 553-3196.