homeopathy - Heel

Company
Profile
Healthcare designed by nature

Biologische Heilmittel Heel GmbH
Dr. Wolfgang Kern, Corporate Communications
Dr.-Reckeweg-Strasse 2-4, 76532 Baden-Baden
Germany
Phone +49 7221 501-00, Fax +49 7221 501-480
info@heel.de
www.heel.de, www.heel.com
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Contents
Modern homeopathy
> Homeopathy for all –
modern medicine becomes a reality 5
History
> 70 years of Heel – a success story 6
The present day
> Heel today – the figures speak for themselves 7
The advantage
Headquarters
Biologische Heilmittel
Heel GmbH,
Baden-Baden, Germany
> Benefit for therapist and patient –
“second generation” homeopathy 8
The principle
> Homotoxicology – diseases arise in the matrix 9
Ambitions
> Heel’s vision – building the bridge
between homeopathy and conventional medicine 10
Safety
> Quality as the top priority – naturally with homeopathic remedies too 12
Conviction
> Research and continuing medical education –
important for homeopathy 13
At a glance
> Modern homeopathy in brief 14

Modern homeopathy
Homeopathy for all –
modern medicine becomes
a reality
Homeopathy has successfully found its way into many doctors’ practices and home
medicine chests. In many cases it has done so in the form of Heel’s homeopathic combination
preparations, which are simple, gentle, and effective in use. In many instances,
their efficacy has been corroborated by scientific studies.
Heel’s second trademark is the treatment principle of homotoxicology. It makes possible a
deep treatment aimed at eliminating the causes of disease. This is possible with Heel’s
special medicines which, for example, regulate blocked metabolic processes or stimulate
the detoxification of the body.
However, users who have a penchant for gentle medicine and prefer a simple way are
also well catered for by Heel. Well-known top products such as Traumeel, Zeel,
Vertigoheel, or Gripp-Heel are just as easy to use as the preparations in conventional
medicine. As homeopathic preparations, they are particularly well tolerated.
Good tolerability is a plus which is particularly important with children and the elderly,
but also with all other patients of all ages. Top international athletes, Olympic teams as
well as the doctors looking after them are also increasingly relying on the effectiveness
of Heel medications and their gentle mode of action. Heel thus meets the requirement
for a modern, comprehensive concept for well-being achieved by natural means –
“Healthcare designed by nature.”
So what exactly lies behind Heel?
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History
70 years of Heel –
a success story
Dr. Hans-Heinrich Reckeweg
(1905–1985)
In 1936 Dr. Hans-Heinrich Reckeweg founded the pharmaceutical company Heel in
Berlin. The name “Heel” was formed from the initial letters of the words “Herba est ex
luce” – “Plants derive their power from light.”
The medical doctor and homeopath, who was running his own practice, produced new
and unique medicines, each of which contained several homeopathic active substances.
That is why they are also referred to as homeopathic combination preparations or
“modern homeopathics.” They are available in standard dosage forms such as tablets,
ointments, and sprays and are useful in a large numbers of conditions.
This “second generation” homeopathy was developed from Samuel Hahnemann’s classical
homeopathy. Reckeweg assumed that the healing process produced by his Heel
homeopathics arose mainly from the excretion of the actual causes of disease, the
“homotoxins.” The scientific background to this principle is “homotoxicology,” a treatment
system which is now recognized worldwide and used with corresponding success.
After the war, Reckeweg set up Heel in Triberg (Black Forest), moving to Baden-Baden in
1954 and to Baden-Oos in 1963. Since 1977, Heel has belonged to what is currently
DELTON AG in Bad Homburg. In the late 1970s Reckeweg emigrated to the USA, where
he founded the company that became the Heel subsidiary Heel Inc. Reckeweg died in
Zürich in 1985. On a national and particularly international level, Heel continued to
grow rapidly.
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The present day
Heel today – the figures speak
for themselves
Employees worldwide: ~1.250
Employees at the Baden-Baden site: ~700
Ralph Schmidt,
Chief Executive Officer
Homeopathic ampoule production:
100 million units a year, making Heel the market leader.
CEO of Heel, Baden-Baden: Ralph Schmidt
CFO of Heel, Baden-Baden: Dr. Rainer Hopfgarten
Global presence: In addition to the Heel company in Germany, there are also
Heel companies in Belgium, Brazil, Chile, Canada, Colombia, the Netherlands,
Poland, Spain, South Africa, and the USA. Heel medications are available
through other partners in
50 countries around the world.
Heel Canada Inc.
Canada
Heel Biologische
Geneesmiddelen B.V.
Netherlands
Heel Belgium
Belgium
Laboratorios Heel
España, S.A.U.
Spain
Heel Polska Sp. z o.o.
Poland
Biologische Heilmittel Heel GmbH
Germany
Heel Inc.
USA
Top preparations:
Traumeel
Zeel
Neurexan / Nervoheel
Heel Colombia Ltda.
Colombia
Euphorbium compositum
Vertigoheel
Gripp-Heel
Engystol
Lymphomyosot
Detox-Kit
Heel do Brasil Biomédica Ltda.
Brazil
Productos Farmacéuticos Heel Chile Ltda.
Chile
Heel South Africa (Pty.) Ltd.
South Africa
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The advantage
Benefit for therapist and
patient – “second generation”
homeopathy
Microcirculation:
a blood vessel in
vital microscopy
The number of people who put their trust in homeopathic treatment is growing constantly.
It is already an established part of treatment in many practices. In hospitals and
university establishments, too, there is growing acceptance of the gentle way to health.
People worldwide want a form of medicine that has as few risks as possible.
Heel’s modern homeopathics fit this picture perfectly. They combine efficacy with good
tolerability. They also gently activate the body’s self-healing powers, which are often the
best means of dealing with diseases.
Not only doctors and therapists use Heel preparations. People with less serious conditions
can also use them for self-medication. Whether prescribed or self-administered,
modern homeopathics can help with many health problems. For example:
- acute conditions such as the common cold, gastrointestinal complaints, sports injuries
and dizzy spells;
- chronic conditions such as allergies, hay fever, joint wear and tear,
cardiovascular symptoms, sleep problems;
- as a measure to fend off colds, improve the circulation
(“microcirculation”), reduce stress, and for detoxification.
In a number of countries, Heel’s homeopathics are also successfully used in
veterinary medicine.
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The principle
Homotoxicology –
diseases arise in the matrix
“Everything comes from the cell,” say many conventional medical practitioners when
discussing the causes of diseases. Naturopathic practitioners often reply, “The cell is
Connective tissue (matrix)
in electron microscopy
nothing – the milieu, the tissue surrounding the cells, is everything.”
Reckeweg did not regard this as a contradiction. The two sides are connected by
“homotoxins.” Homotoxins are poisons which can be deposited in both the milieu –
now called the “matrix” – and other structures. The matrix consists of a fine mesh of
connective tissue and contains tissue fluid. All cells are embedded in the matrix, like in
a damp sponge.
Homotoxins can clog the “pores” of the matrix and thus obstruct the exchange of substances
and information. Diseases occur, which ultimately spread to the cells themselves.
“Clogging” by homotoxins plays a role particularly in “lifestyle diseases” such as allergies,
cardiovascular problems, and rheumatic disorders.
The active substances in modern Heel preparations are combined in such a way that
diseases as it were recede as a result of the homotoxins being ejected from the matrix,
thus moving the patient back in the direction of health. At the same time, the organs
and the immune system are strengthened. Healing, and the improvement and alleviation
of symptoms can, depending on the severity of the disease, be achieved by stimulating
the body’s own healing processes. Heel thus offers a modern treatment concept on a
natural basis – “Healthcare designed by nature.”
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Ambitions
Heel’s vision – building the
bridge between homeopathy
and conventional medicine
Classical homeopathy based on the Law of Similars was founded by Samuel Hahnemann
(1755-1843). In it, a homeopathic remedy (“single remedy”) is used in patients with
precisely those symptoms which the substance can cause in the healthy body. To find
out what symptoms a remedy produces, a test (“drug proving”) is performed in healthy
subjects. Hahnemann tested many remedies on himself. The result is the so-called “drug
picture.” Users of classical homeopathy then have to match a drug picture to the
patient’s symptoms in order to find the right remedy.
Homeopathic combination preparations contain several active substances in one preparation.
This type of homeopathic medication and homotoxicology together form Heel’s
core area of expertise. A separate research department uses studies to provide proof of
efficacy. In addition, basic research is used to produce further scientific support for
homotoxicology and to ascertain the action mechanisms of Heel preparations. Reckeweg
himself characterized Heel’s unusual practice of producing homeopathic medicines on
a demonstrably scientific basis as building a bridge between classical homeopathy and
conventional medicine.
Today, the analogy of “building a bridge” is firmly anchored in Heel’s vision. What Heel is
saying is that the best way to health is to rely on the healing powers of nature, but also to
use research to obtain the necessary scientific knowledge.
10

Safety
Quality as the top priority –
naturally with
homeopathic remedies too
Heel’s medicines meet high international quality standards. If a doctor administers a
Heel medicine or the patient buys it in the pharmacy, he can rely on tested quality.
Strict compliance with all regulations, such as the Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP),
Good Laboratory Practice (GLP), or Good Regulatory Practice (GRP), is guaranteed.
Heel’s employees, as the company’s most important resource, do of course have the best
possible qualifications for their jobs. This high level is maintained by means of ongoing
training. Quality assurance also includes the documentation and supervision of each and
every step in production. The magic words here are “validation and qualification.” Over
150 people are employed just to check and ensure quality and to perform further jobs
which need to be performed before, during, and after manufacture.
The high quality of finished Heel medications begins with strict quality controls of what
are mostly plant and mineral starting materials. Heel processes about 500 starting materials
to mother tinctures and single potencies in accordance with the valid provisions
such as the German Homeopathic Pharmacopoeia (HAB), the European Pharmacopoeia
(Ph. Eur.), and of course also the American version, the Homeopathic Pharmacopoeia of
the United States (HPUS). Heel thus ensures that the ingredients are of the top quality
needed for both safety and efficacy.
12

Conviction
Research and
continuing medical education –
important for homeopathy
Homeopathy is often portrayed as being unscientific. That is not true. Heel has, particularly
in recent years, collaborated with experts and internationally recognized institutes in
performing studies. The positive results of which have been published in respected specialist
journals. These served to confirm scientifically, often by comparison with standard
active substances used in conventional medicine, the efficacy of many Heel preparations
which had been known from long experience.
The efficacy studies are supplemented by findings from basic research. Scientists at universities
all over the world are involved in the research and support homotoxicology.
Heel preparations are not only able to do many things that have until now been the
preserve of conventional medicine. Studies also provide evidence of innovative properties
that are extremely important in medicine. Examples are the promotion of blood flow
through the microscopic blood vessels known as the microcirculation, the protection of
liver cells, prevention of secondary damage in diabetes and direct action against viral
pathogens. They have also been proven to successfully prevent and treat certain side
effects of chemotherapy.
The results also inspire the experts in homotoxicology around the world who train
healthcare professionals in this doctrine, which was originally founded by Reckeweg.
Each year, about 10,000 doctors attend continuing medical education programs in
homotoxicology all over the world, some of them at renowned universities.
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At a glance
Modern homeopathy in brief
> Heel is one of the largest manufacturers of homeopathic medications; they are already
available in 50 countries all over the world.
> Heel’s area of expertise are homeopathic combination preparations known as
“modern homeopathics.” They provide gentle and effective solutions for the treatment
of many health problems – both in humans and in animals.
> Heel preparations are backed by the concept of homotoxicology. This special theory
describes how disease occurs, but also how disease can be turned back into well-being
under the influence of modern homeopathics from Heel.
> The efficacy of Heel preparations and the validity of the homotoxicological principle
have been confirmed by many individual research findings. This enables therapists and
patients to use a modern and scientifically-based form of homeopathy – worldwide.
> Diseases such as allergies, osteoarthritis (wear and tear of the joints), circulatory disorders,
cardiovascular diseases, dizziness, stress-related problems, injuries, and measures
to prevent infections are all applications for Heel’s modern homeopathics.
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Biologische Heilmittel Heel GmbH
Dr.-Reckeweg-Straße 2-4
76532 Baden-Baden
Germany
www.heel.de, www.heel.com
Healthcare designed by nature
65137 04/08 Di