Just remember, higher is not always better. Homeopathy's founder, Samuel Hahnemann, only used potencies under 30X and his record is impressive. But everyone has their own opinion on this one. As a plan, we like to always leave somewhere to go, so it is best to start at the lowest potency that fits the problem - especially if the symptoms are mostly physical.

Things to know: Low potencies include 6X, 12X and sometimes 30X and 30C, anything above 30C is high potency. The lower the potency, the more general the application, so if you do not have quite the right remedy, you have a better chance of a response with lower than with high potencies. Low potencies can be repeated much more often, and are less likely to provoke strong healing aggravations. The higher the potency, the more precise the selection needs to be and the deeper it can resonate - especially into the mental/emotional realm (though some say that with the right repetition, lower potencies can go pretty deeply). We recommend that potencies above 200C should be the exclusive domain of licensed professionals and 'constitutional' case work, as they should not be repeated often and their effects can be subtle and are not always measurable to the untrained eye. Another general rule for potency is that the faster, more severe the onset of a problem, the higher the potency you can use. You can knock out a sudden severe very restless flu quite quickly with a few doses of a fast acting remedy like 30C Nux or Belladonna repeated every 15 minutes, whereas a slower moving flu like Bryonia's is generally better off with 6X--30X taken 3-4 times a day or as needed when symptoms flare up. A blow to the head obviously needs the highest Arnica on hand whereas a stubbed toe can be mended with a simple 6X dose. As Hering's Law says: the faster the onset, the faster the exit.