Homeopathy Plus!

Homeopathy and Fractures

An interesting facet of homeopathic medicine is that the more intense and acute the complaint, the more rapid the improvement is; short term afflictions can improve greatly almost immediately, with chronic long-standing complaints improving more slowly over a longer period of time. The two cases featured here show the amazing effect that prescribed homeopathic remedies can have on broken bones and other types of injuries which would normally keep the patient out of action for prolonged periods of time.

Case 1: Brett's Broken Jaw

Brett looked dreadful and felt just as bad. He was a 23 year old man who had been involved in a fight at the local pub two days earlier. He had been temporarily discharged from hospital and Brett's mother asked if I would call and see him.

Brett's face was black and blue from bruising and was grotesquely swollen, distorting his facial features. His jaw had been broken in two places by the punch that had landed on it and several of his teeth were missing. The doctors at the hospital had stitched the split at the corner of Brett's mouth and then, after an overnight admission, decided to send him home with some analgesics to wait until the swelling had reduced so they could then operate. This was expected to take at least a few days. Once the swelling was down Brett was to return to the hospital to have his broken jaw wired together under anaesthetic so that the fractures could heal. Missing teeth would have to be the dental surgeon's problem at a later date.

As you can imagine, Brett felt very sore and sorry for himself. Talking was almost impossible and he could only drink liquid foods through a straw. Looking at Brett and listening to the story from his mother, it was obvious he needed a dose of homeopathic Arnica. Arnica is the chief remedy for bruising and soft-tissue damage resulting from blows or falls. It is also a very useful remedy for the early stages of fractures. When given in such instances it will relieve pain, halt bleeding in the tissues, and reduce swelling, promote healing, and lessen the risk of infection.

I prepared a bottle of Arnica, gave Brett an immediate dose, and left instructions with his mother on how to repeat the dose. A few minutes later, as Brett accompanied me to the door, he mumbled, "Can the medicine work this quickly?" Already the pain in his jaw was easing. I nodded my head and smiled. I prescribe homeopathic remedies so often but I still feel awe at the speed they can work.

When I heard from Brett's mother the following morning, she was amazed but a little concerned. The swelling had reduced significantly and Brett's face now looked near normal. She was worried, though, that Brett may have taken the Arnica too often. Throughout the night he had dosed about every hour on waking with the returning pain. I reassured his mother that this frequency of dosage was perfectly OK and safe for somebody with Brett's severity of injury. In fact, to repeat the dose only when symptoms start to return is the best way to take homeopathy as one can never "overdose". Regular dosage schedules are not appropriate with homeopathy as everybody responds differently. One person may need to repeat the remedy every hour while another may only require a dose every day or so. For this reason, dosage regimes should be tailored to suit the individual, not standardised for all.

I had no further contact with Brett or his mother following this episode and assume that all went as intended with his surgery and subsequent dental work. If there had been need for me to see him again I would have prescribed the Arnica in a higher potency to produce a longer effect - Brett would not have needed to dose so often during that acute phase. I do wonder, however, how long it took before he was to get back to his pub!

Case 2: Denise Takes a Tumble

Denise was a 46 year-old nurse was leaving work after a late shift, when she slipped on some wet grass in the dark and fell down a rocky embankment. Fortunately, others heard her screams as the accident happened and were quickly on the scene to help. An admission to the Emergency Department of the hospital and a series of X-rays revealed that Denise had broken some bones. Two of her ribs were broken and so was her humerus, the bone in her upper arm. This arm was set in plaster and following an overnight admission, Denise was advised to go home and rest; that the fractures would heal over six weeks. She was discharged with instructions to do deep-breathing exercises and prescribed analgesics to help control the pain as the fractures began to heal.

Denise had used homeopathy frequently before and knew that it could help with fractures and soft tissue damage. She phoned me on the day of her discharge to ask if I could see her. On the visit it was obvious that Denise was in pain, most of which was coming from her broken ribs. Every time she tried to move she would get sharp stabbing pains in her chest. It was difficult enough for her to breathe normally, let alone do the deep-breathing exercises she had been given! Pneumonia is a common complication of fractured ribs because the sufferer can find it so painful to take deep breaths. The shallow breathing they resort to instead does not inflate the bottom of their lungs and so fluid collects, leading to pneumonia. In the elderly especially, this can result in death. It was very important for Denise to do these exercises.

Denise also complained of pain from her broken arm and from the extensive bruising that was developing over her body, though neither of these felt as bad as her ribs. She was also feeling dry in the mouth and thirsty.

I prescribed three separate remedies for Denise to help with her problems: Arnica , Bryonia, and Symphytum. As instructed, Denise took the Arnica several times over the next 48 hours. She was surprised to find that it worked every bit as well as the analgesic she had been given a script for, and usually within minutes of taking a dose. It helped reduce the bruising and the swelling that accompanied the fractures and made it easier for her to sleep and move around. An added bonus was that it produced none of the grogginess or constipation that the prescribed analgesia was inclined to do.

An "Arnica state" is very much about acute fractures, soft-tissue damage and bruising and it will go a long way to easing these issues in their early stages. After two days, and with Denise's pain, swelling and bruising much improved, it was time to progress to the next two remedies. Denise was advised to take one or the other of the Symphytum or the Bryonia, depending on which symptoms were troubling her. The Symphytum was to be used for general fracture pain of the arm, but if she was suffering from sharp sticking pains from the broken ribs on movement, then she could use the Bryonia. This Denise did. At first, the remedies needed to be taken several times a day but as healing progressed with the passage of time, the remedies were needed less and less frequently. By the end of fortnight, Denise was only taking the occasional dose of Bryonia for when she had overly exerted herself and strained her healing ribs.

Arnica montana

Arnica can treat a wide range of conditions but is best known for its use when there has been bleeding and bruising into damaged tissues. The sore and beaten feeling from this type of injury responds well to homeopathic Arnica. For this reason it is also a useful remedy in labour and following childbirth. It can promote delivery, relieve pain, control haemorrhage and speed up healing. People often feel restless with an Arnica type of pain and find it very hard to get comfortable - they are always changing position. Homeopathic Arnica is prepared in ultra-high dilutions and while usually given orally can also be safely applied to broken skin, something that is dangerous to do with herbal Arnica.

When broken bones have been caused by trauma, Arnica is the first remedy of choice in the first 24-48 hours. Following this, one of the other two remedies discussed will usually produce better results.

Other conditions that can be helped by Arnica, when symptoms match (remember the Law of Similars), include: abscesses; angina; arthritis; stokes; concussion; dental procedures; eczema; gastritis; gout; influenza; malaria; meningitis; whooping cough; pneumonia; psoriasis; rheumatism; infections and sprains.

Bryonia alba

Bryonia also treats a wide range of conditions but a keynote Bryonia symptom that will always be present is that the complaint will be worse with the slightest movement and better for being still. For this reason Bryonia is the main remedy we think of when a person has fractured ribs. In attempting to breathe they will always have pain as their rib-cage expands. For this reason people with fractured ribs may even prefer to sleep on the side of the fracture, because this stops their rib-cage moving on this side and so lessen the pain. Unfortunately, as already discussed, lack of movement, can also lead to pneumonia. Thankfully Bryonia will reduce fractured rib pain, allowing the person to breathe more deeply.

Intense irritability, a desire to be left alone and dryness of mucous membranes will also accompany most Bryonia complaints. If you see these symptoms plus the desire to keep still in any ailment, Bryonia could well be the curative remedy. Complaints able to be treated be Bryonia are: appendicitis; arthritis; asthma; bronchitis; bursitis, constipation, connective tissue disease; cough; fibromyalgia; gout; headache; hepatitis; influenza; low back pain; mastitis; meningitis; pharyngitis; pleurisy; rheumatoid arthritis; sciatica; tendonitis and vertigo.

Symphytum officinale

Symphytum is used in homeopathic potencies to ease the pain of broken bones and speed up the rate of repair. Reports are common of fractures healing within one to two thirds of the time normally expected with this remedy. Its common name is Comfrey or 'Knit-bone' because of its herbal fame for "knitting" broken bones together. Unfortunately, it is no longer prescribed in oral herbal doses because it can also be toxic to the liver - something that is avoided when homeopathic potencies are used. Symphytum is also useful for phantom pains following amputation and injuries to the eye-ball and orbit.

Homeopathy and Fractures

As seen from the cases above, homeopathy can have a useful role to play when recovering from injury or fractures. The remedies discussed are the main ones used in fracture treatment but there are also others. Each prescription has to be based on the type of symptoms the person experiences.

As well as fractures caused by accidents, homeopathy can assist in repairing broken bones that result from genetic problems or osteoporosis. In these instances, the fractures are not an acute problem caused by trauma, but something that has come from an underlying chronic imbalance. More long-term treatment and remedies different to those mentioned are likely to be required.

top