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Arthritis and Homeopathy
Joan, a 53-year-old woman suffering with
rheumatoid arthritis, decided to take her friend's advice and
visit me. Her friend, who suffered from allergies, had been
quite pleased with her results, and so Joan decided to give
homeopathy a try.
Joan's appointment with me surprised
her, it was much longer than she had anticipated and it focused
not so much on the physical aspect of her condition but upon the
way the pain and swelling in her fingers and hips affected her.
For more than an hour, she described her symptoms in depth,
indicating when they tended to occur, how long they lasted, what
mood they evoked in her, what made them feel better or worse.
She also found herself discussing her personality and in
particular her busy schedule filled with volunteer activities.
It came as a pleasant surprise that she did not have to submit
x-rays or have other expensive and invasive diagnostic tests.
At the end of the interview, I told Joan
of the factors that stood out in her particular case of
arthritis: the symptoms began as Joan entered menopause, she had
had heavy periods, and her need to help others was strong.
Although Joan could not understand how these facts related to
her symptoms, she trusted my judgment. I prescribed a remedy
called Pulsatilla that is particularly effective on
people—like Joan—who are open, gentle, and compassionate.
After a few weeks of taking the remedy,
Joan told me that her flare-ups were becoming less frequent and
severe. Much to her happy surprise, a dry cough that plagued her
on and off for some time, but which she had forgotten to
mention, also seemed to be alleviated. Although her arthritis
has not been "cured," Joan feels better than she has
in several years and is pleased to notice a sharp decline in her
consumption of aspirin and other pain relievers and their side
effects.
Joan’s story is typical of homeopathic
treatment. Homeopaths treat the whole person and not just the
“disease”, thereby allowing the body to heal itself. Many
homeopathic remedies are widely available in local stores but it
is very difficult to treat yourself. Since the remedy is chosen
based on several criteria, it isn’t possible to have a remedy
that treats a certain problem because each person has an
underlying cause of the problem. A homeopath’s years of
experience is needed to discover that underlying cause and
select the proper remedy to “jump start” the body toward
healing.
If you have or think you may have
arthritis, here’s some common sense guidelines to follow:
- Get a diagnosis from
a medical doctor if you have – or even suspect you have
– arthritis. There are more than 100 different types, and
your diagnosis will help determine the proper treatment.
- Don’t try to treat
yourself if you have a systemic rheumatic disease such as
rheumatoid arthritis or lupus. And don’t expect homeopathy
alone to be enough. Consult your regular medical doctor as
well. I am happy to work with your current doctor. If they
are not open to working together for your health, you may
want to look for another doctor.
- Don’t give up your
prescription medications without your doctor’s OK. It can
be dangerous to stop some drugs abruptly.
- Take only one remedy
at a time, and keep detailed notes about what you take and
any effects you feel. This will help you determine if it
appears to help your symptoms or track any adverse effects.
- Don’t continue any
therapy that isn’t working: Homeopaths say remedies show
effects for minor ailments in a few days. For a chronic
disease such as arthritis, it may take up to two months. If
you don’t improve after that period, it’s probably not
the right remedy, let your homeopath know.
- Remember, more is
not better: The whole philosophy of homeopathy is small
doses. Take the remedies as directed, in tiny amounts.
- Side effects are
rare, however, if you develop new symptoms, stop taking the
remedy right away and consult your doctor and/or homeopath.
The basic premise of homeopathy is simple: Homeopathy is based on
the idea that "like cures like," that diluted amounts
of a poison or other disease-causing substance can relieve the
same symptoms that the larger dose causes. This concept is
similar to the desensitizing therapy used to relieve allergy
symptoms, or vaccination, in which we are given a mild case of
the disease to put our immune system on guard and start the
healing process naturally and completely.
Homeopathy is among the most popular alternative therapies in the
United States, and even more popular in Europe, India and Canada
where such "remedies" can be found side-by-side with
conventional drugs in many pharmacies. It’s used worldwide not
only by homeopaths, but by some medical doctors as well as
naturopaths, chiropractors, herbalists, midwives and sometimes
even veterinarians. If you’re looking for a proven alternative
approach, or conventional medicine hasn’t helped your
condition, homeopathy may be for you.
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