Bach flower remedies were developed by Edward Bach, an English homeopath, in the 1930s. Bach believed that dew found on flower petals retain healing properties of that particular plant. The remedies are intended primarily for emotional and spiritual conditions.
Each remedy is used alone or in conjunction with other remedies, and each flower is believed by advocates to impart specific qualities. Bach flower remedies are also used on pets and domestic animals. Remedies are usually taken orally.
Unlike homeopathy, Bach flower remedies are not dependent on the theory of successive dilutions, and are not based on the Law of Similars of Homeopathy. The Bach remedies are all derived from non-toxic substances, with the idea that a “positive energy” can redirect or neutralize “negative energy.
While systematic reviews of controlled clinical trials of Bach flower remedies tend to find no efficacy beyond a placebo effect, we use them at The Bresler Center for they often seem to be effective alternatives to prescription psychotropic medicines, even if their benefit is due solely to the placebo effect and the patient’s faith in it’s effectiveness.