Sciatica - The Homeopathic Treatment
Dr Francesca Swainston, homeopathic doctor, author and well-known pioneer of natural medicine talks about sciatica, a crippling condition that has confounded conventional medicine.
Living with chronic, intense pain ends life as it is know. Only blackness and despair faces the stricken patient, or a life of dependency on ever-increasingly strong doses of poisonous pain killers.
However, it is especially in these kinds of conditions that Homeopathy shows its excellence. In conditions where conventional medicine cannot diagnose the cause, and, in may cases, telling the patient that the pain is psycho-somatic, which deepens the patients' despair because they know very well that there is nothing psycho about the fact that they are unable to sleep, walk or go about any semblance of normal daily function.
The only way that homeopathy works is by selecting the correct remedy. The remedy is selected on the unique symptoms of the individual patient, not the 'diagnosis':
Aconite: Intense unbearable pain, with tingling, coldness and numbness. Hip-joint and thigh feel lame, especially after lying down. Cracking in joints. Worse lying on painful side. May also have a pain in the left shoulder with palpitations or pressure in the left chest with difficulty breathing. Great fear and anxiety. Increased need to urinate. Tongue coated white. Thirsty and drinks in sips.
Arsenicum album: Sciatica. Pain feels like burning needles and accompanied by nausea and cold sweat. The person is very tidy and concerned about germs, cleanliness and contamination. Marked by general exhaustion and lethargy, yet with a sense of inner restlessness. Deep despair of getting better. Can be caused by the flu or allergies with lots of sneezing and watery nose, or by eating too many vegetables and fruit. Likes coffee and acidic drinks, drinks in sips.
Belladonna: Throbbing pain,. Shooting pains along legs, with swollen red joints. Thirstless. No fear or anxiety. Very irritable, bad tempered with pain, can get furious. Flushed heat in face with cold feet. Can have fevers, swollen glands and infections with pus skin eruptions. May have thyroid problems. Feels like escaping. Moaning with limping, unsteady walking.
Bryonia: Worse on any movement, just wants to lie still as a log.Very dry mucous membranes and constipation, dry cracked lips. Thirsty for big glass of water which is drunk in one go. pain in stomach, feels like a stone in stomach after eating. Pain is better by pressure. Suited to busy business people, and feels like going home.
Calcarea carbonicum: Sciatica due to overuse of the joints, or abscesses and growths in the hip joint/groin area. Hormonal imbalance due to thyroid or pituitary dysfunction. Suited to fat people that tend to sweat easily on the face. Has a tendency to swollen glands or a history of tonsilitis. Difficulty breathing when walking up stairs. Forgetful. Concerned about possible misfortune or illness and often suffers with nightmares.
Calcarea phosphoricum: Stiffness and pain, with cold, numb feeling, worse any change of weather. Feels as if hip is broken. Sighs a lot. Has a lot of flatulent wind and craves smoked salty meat like bacon and ham. May snore due to enlarged adenoids.
Causticum: Chronic rheumatic, arthritic and paralytic pain. Suited to very sympathetic people. An unusual symptom is biting the inside of the cheek when chewing (also Ignatia). Unsteady walking and falls easily. Restless legs at night. Tendency to have warts.
Chelidonium: Paralytic lameness in leg, with liver problems. Pain at the edge of the right scapula. Yellowish tinge to whites of eyes. Flabby yellowish tongue with imprint of teeth. Feels better when drinking very hot drinks.
Cocculus: Painful contracting pain, often due to staying up late for too many nights, not enough sleep. Trembling with paralytic pain in legs worse after sleep. Feels as if the leg had gone to sleep. Very sad.
Colocynth: Cramp-like pain in hip; lies on affected side as the pain is better from pressure and heat. Pain from hip to knee. Sciatic pain with numbness, muscles and tendons feel too short. Anger with indignation. Can suffer from abdominal pain so that bends over in agony.
Conium: Muscular weakness with trembling unsteady walk. Dizziness. Suited to people suffering from ageing with existing or potential development of cancer, atherosclerosis, glandular swellings and hardening, and general nerve pain such as sciatica. Apathetic.
Gelsemium: Feels so weak almost paralysed, often after the flu. Can also be due to fear or excitement such as an upcoming event such as an exam. Urinates more frequently. Loss of power or muscular control from weakness and lethargy. Feels dull. Thirstless. Can have headaches at the back of the head with stiffness of neck.
Hypericum: Sciatica due to nerve or spinal injury. Neuritis, with tingling, burning pain, numbness and a feeling of something crawling over feet. Also for spinal concussion, or a fall on the coccyx with the pain moving up the spine. Feels better from wine.
Kali carbonicum: Sciatica with feeling of paralysis and swelling from water retention in the leg. Sharp stabbing pains in various locations. A history of lung problems like chronic bronchitis and pneumonia. Weakness in the lower back with some kidney troubles. Hip joint disease with pain in the buttocks, hip and thighs, pain extending down to knee. Pain in knees. Can also suffer from indigestion. Worse from pressure and also while lying on the left side.
Ledum: Suffers with gout and swelling of the big toe joint. Pain extends upwards, or feels like the thigh is out of joint. Generally anti-social. Useful for conditions that began with a wound, bite or infection. Works as an anti-dote to poisons. Feels better from cold which is unusual in sciatica patients. Can also have pimples on forehead or pus eruptions.
Plumbum: Sciatic pain that leads to difficulty lifting leg. Loss of patellar reflex. Symptoms of multiple sclerosis and spinal sclerosis with severe constipation. Progressive muscular atrophy. Mental depression with fear of being killed. Can have ringing in the ears. Better by rubbing and hard pressure.
Pulsatilla: Painful hip joint with pain that lets up with a snap. Feel better when the leg is raised such as putting feet on coffee table. Very weepy and likes company and affection. Generally chilly but likes the open air. Wants the head high on pillows and like to keep the arms above the head. Thirstless but likes tea. Increased need to urinate when lying down. Tends to varicose veins.
Rhus toxicodendron: Pain is better by movement and heat. There has often been a history of fever blisters. Very restless, cannot rest in bed. Anxiety about the well-being of their children or family. Likes to drink milk. Can be caused by overexertion and too much exercise or exposure to cold. Lameness.
Silica: Sciatic pain through hips, legs and feet. Pain in hip may be due to fistulous link to a deeper infection. The part lain on becomes numb. General bone problems, tumours, abscesses, swollen glands with nerve symptoms such as spasms,, and even epilepsy. Good for removing any foreign matter from the body and speeding up suppuration. Tends to have smelly feet. Chilly and sensitive to drafts, likes to be wrapped warmly. Doesn't like meat and prefers cold food, can be lactose intolerant.
Sulphur: Rheumatic sciatic pain with gout symptoms. Hip joint disease when there has been a history of lung conditions. The person is usually untidy and hot blooded, may like to walk around barefoot, or uncover feet when in bed. They like to keep a window open. Lazy and arrogant. Craves sweets or alcohol. Walks with shoulders stooped forward. Cannot stand for long periods of time.
Select the remedy that most matches the symptom picture of the patient and give 30c potency 3 times a day for 2 days, wait 2 days and if no improvement change remedy. If there is an improvement, wait. If the pain returns repeat the remedy once. However, if the symptoms change then you may change the remedy to one that fits the new symptom picture and repeat the dosage as from the start.
Bacillinum 30c is a useful intercurrent remedy, taken once a week.
For more information about homeopathy click here
For more information about Dr Fran Swainston click here
Living with chronic, intense pain ends life as it is know. Only blackness and despair faces the stricken patient, or a life of dependency on ever-increasingly strong doses of poisonous pain killers.
However, it is especially in these kinds of conditions that Homeopathy shows its excellence. In conditions where conventional medicine cannot diagnose the cause, and, in may cases, telling the patient that the pain is psycho-somatic, which deepens the patients' despair because they know very well that there is nothing psycho about the fact that they are unable to sleep, walk or go about any semblance of normal daily function.
The only way that homeopathy works is by selecting the correct remedy. The remedy is selected on the unique symptoms of the individual patient, not the 'diagnosis':
Aconite: Intense unbearable pain, with tingling, coldness and numbness. Hip-joint and thigh feel lame, especially after lying down. Cracking in joints. Worse lying on painful side. May also have a pain in the left shoulder with palpitations or pressure in the left chest with difficulty breathing. Great fear and anxiety. Increased need to urinate. Tongue coated white. Thirsty and drinks in sips.
Arsenicum album: Sciatica. Pain feels like burning needles and accompanied by nausea and cold sweat. The person is very tidy and concerned about germs, cleanliness and contamination. Marked by general exhaustion and lethargy, yet with a sense of inner restlessness. Deep despair of getting better. Can be caused by the flu or allergies with lots of sneezing and watery nose, or by eating too many vegetables and fruit. Likes coffee and acidic drinks, drinks in sips.
Belladonna: Throbbing pain,. Shooting pains along legs, with swollen red joints. Thirstless. No fear or anxiety. Very irritable, bad tempered with pain, can get furious. Flushed heat in face with cold feet. Can have fevers, swollen glands and infections with pus skin eruptions. May have thyroid problems. Feels like escaping. Moaning with limping, unsteady walking.
Bryonia: Worse on any movement, just wants to lie still as a log.Very dry mucous membranes and constipation, dry cracked lips. Thirsty for big glass of water which is drunk in one go. pain in stomach, feels like a stone in stomach after eating. Pain is better by pressure. Suited to busy business people, and feels like going home.
Calcarea carbonicum: Sciatica due to overuse of the joints, or abscesses and growths in the hip joint/groin area. Hormonal imbalance due to thyroid or pituitary dysfunction. Suited to fat people that tend to sweat easily on the face. Has a tendency to swollen glands or a history of tonsilitis. Difficulty breathing when walking up stairs. Forgetful. Concerned about possible misfortune or illness and often suffers with nightmares.
Calcarea phosphoricum: Stiffness and pain, with cold, numb feeling, worse any change of weather. Feels as if hip is broken. Sighs a lot. Has a lot of flatulent wind and craves smoked salty meat like bacon and ham. May snore due to enlarged adenoids.
Causticum: Chronic rheumatic, arthritic and paralytic pain. Suited to very sympathetic people. An unusual symptom is biting the inside of the cheek when chewing (also Ignatia). Unsteady walking and falls easily. Restless legs at night. Tendency to have warts.
Chelidonium: Paralytic lameness in leg, with liver problems. Pain at the edge of the right scapula. Yellowish tinge to whites of eyes. Flabby yellowish tongue with imprint of teeth. Feels better when drinking very hot drinks.
Cocculus: Painful contracting pain, often due to staying up late for too many nights, not enough sleep. Trembling with paralytic pain in legs worse after sleep. Feels as if the leg had gone to sleep. Very sad.
Colocynth: Cramp-like pain in hip; lies on affected side as the pain is better from pressure and heat. Pain from hip to knee. Sciatic pain with numbness, muscles and tendons feel too short. Anger with indignation. Can suffer from abdominal pain so that bends over in agony.
Conium: Muscular weakness with trembling unsteady walk. Dizziness. Suited to people suffering from ageing with existing or potential development of cancer, atherosclerosis, glandular swellings and hardening, and general nerve pain such as sciatica. Apathetic.
Gelsemium: Feels so weak almost paralysed, often after the flu. Can also be due to fear or excitement such as an upcoming event such as an exam. Urinates more frequently. Loss of power or muscular control from weakness and lethargy. Feels dull. Thirstless. Can have headaches at the back of the head with stiffness of neck.
Hypericum: Sciatica due to nerve or spinal injury. Neuritis, with tingling, burning pain, numbness and a feeling of something crawling over feet. Also for spinal concussion, or a fall on the coccyx with the pain moving up the spine. Feels better from wine.
Kali carbonicum: Sciatica with feeling of paralysis and swelling from water retention in the leg. Sharp stabbing pains in various locations. A history of lung problems like chronic bronchitis and pneumonia. Weakness in the lower back with some kidney troubles. Hip joint disease with pain in the buttocks, hip and thighs, pain extending down to knee. Pain in knees. Can also suffer from indigestion. Worse from pressure and also while lying on the left side.
Ledum: Suffers with gout and swelling of the big toe joint. Pain extends upwards, or feels like the thigh is out of joint. Generally anti-social. Useful for conditions that began with a wound, bite or infection. Works as an anti-dote to poisons. Feels better from cold which is unusual in sciatica patients. Can also have pimples on forehead or pus eruptions.
Plumbum: Sciatic pain that leads to difficulty lifting leg. Loss of patellar reflex. Symptoms of multiple sclerosis and spinal sclerosis with severe constipation. Progressive muscular atrophy. Mental depression with fear of being killed. Can have ringing in the ears. Better by rubbing and hard pressure.
Pulsatilla: Painful hip joint with pain that lets up with a snap. Feel better when the leg is raised such as putting feet on coffee table. Very weepy and likes company and affection. Generally chilly but likes the open air. Wants the head high on pillows and like to keep the arms above the head. Thirstless but likes tea. Increased need to urinate when lying down. Tends to varicose veins.
Rhus toxicodendron: Pain is better by movement and heat. There has often been a history of fever blisters. Very restless, cannot rest in bed. Anxiety about the well-being of their children or family. Likes to drink milk. Can be caused by overexertion and too much exercise or exposure to cold. Lameness.
Silica: Sciatic pain through hips, legs and feet. Pain in hip may be due to fistulous link to a deeper infection. The part lain on becomes numb. General bone problems, tumours, abscesses, swollen glands with nerve symptoms such as spasms,, and even epilepsy. Good for removing any foreign matter from the body and speeding up suppuration. Tends to have smelly feet. Chilly and sensitive to drafts, likes to be wrapped warmly. Doesn't like meat and prefers cold food, can be lactose intolerant.
Sulphur: Rheumatic sciatic pain with gout symptoms. Hip joint disease when there has been a history of lung conditions. The person is usually untidy and hot blooded, may like to walk around barefoot, or uncover feet when in bed. They like to keep a window open. Lazy and arrogant. Craves sweets or alcohol. Walks with shoulders stooped forward. Cannot stand for long periods of time.
Select the remedy that most matches the symptom picture of the patient and give 30c potency 3 times a day for 2 days, wait 2 days and if no improvement change remedy. If there is an improvement, wait. If the pain returns repeat the remedy once. However, if the symptoms change then you may change the remedy to one that fits the new symptom picture and repeat the dosage as from the start.
Bacillinum 30c is a useful intercurrent remedy, taken once a week.
For more information about homeopathy click here
For more information about Dr Fran Swainston click here
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