Paola Brown first turned to homeopathy, a form of alternative medicine based on the principle of “like cures like,” after many years of suffering from unbearable bladder pain. She had been diagnosed with interstitial cystitis, a disease with no known cure.

She jokes that homeopaths are called “the doctors of last resort,” and for her, they were exactly that.

When she went to see one for the first time, among the first things she asked her doctor was: “‘Do I need to believe in this? Because I don’t.’ And my homeopath says: ‘No, you don’t have to believe in this. I just need to find the right remedy.’”

During the interview, she breaks down what homeopathy actually is, where it originated, and why it’s faced regulatory barriers.

In the United States, homeopaths are nationally accredited through the Council of Homeopathic Certification. But the FDA has increased restrictions on homeopathic remedies over the last decade, just at a time when many Americans are starting to seek out new treatment options.

“We are so sick that we are looking for alternatives, and when we find those alternatives, we’re finding that those alternatives are harder and harder to get access to,” Brown says.

Earlier this year, lawmakers introduced the Homeopathic Drug Product Safety, Quality, and Transparency Act. Supporters say it would protect access to homeopathy by creating clearer rules.

Views expressed in this video are opinions of the host and the guest, and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.