The Homeopathic Treatment of
Rheumatic Disorders
Modalities:
Weather
Applied cold and applied heat.
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Remedies in Related Groups
• Weather: Causticum, Rhododendron
• > applied heat: Bambusa arundinacea, Rhus
toxicondendron
• <: applied heat: Apis mellifica, Ledum palustre,
Bryonia alba, Guaiacum
• Miscellaneous:
Caulophyllum, Formica rufa, Cimicifuga
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Causticum
• << dry weather, >> wet weather.
• Slow onset and relentless destructive progression
in Rheumatoid Arthritis, with early fibrosis,
ankylosis, contractures, ulnar deviation fingers,
shortening of tendons-especially flexor tendons
• Desire: bacon, smoked food, salt.
• Averse: sweets.
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Compassion
Proved by Hahnemann, 1505 symptoms from 10 provers
“Excessively compassionate;
at the relations of others and of the cruelties inflicted upon them,
she is beside herself for weeping and sobbing,
and cannot content herself.”
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Idealism and Injustice
Sympathetic, idealistic, compassionate people
who are sensitive to the suffering of others,
especially injustice done to others (or themselves).
Emotionally expressed in idealistic work for a better world,
working for a cause, to improve the lot of groups of people.
Concern about, and protection of the environment.
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Grief
Ailments form grief, especially affected by prolonged grief,
or the death of many people who were close to them.
They suffer internally, keep their feelings inside.
Slow onset and relentless progression of destructive pathology
Paralysis or Multiple Sclerosis from grief.
Rheumatoid arthritis from grief.
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The Corruption of Compassion
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Compassion
Idealistic
Injustice
Religious fanaticism
Immovable points of view
Indifference to dictates of conscience
Anarchy, violence and terrorism
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Rhododendron
The most marked weather modalities of any
remedy:
<<< change in weather
• can predict change in weather by << joint pains
• <<< before and during thunderstorms
• << change from: dry to wet, wet to dry,
cold to hot, hot to cold.
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Remedies >> applied heat
Bambusa arundinacea
Rhus toxicodendron
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Bambusa arundinaceae
(bamboo)
• Painful stiffness of the spine.
Stiffness from rest. Affects the spine and
proximal joints. Loss of elasticity. Ankylosing
spondylitis. Tension/relaxation. Contains silica
in high concentration in the nodes of the plant.
Remedy made from a bamboo shoot,
a plant "embryo”
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Bambusa arundinaceae
(bamboo)
Stiffness from rest. >> applied heat, >> hot bath
shower. Desires support, feel forsaken.
Weather: < wet, < windy, < stormy, < change of
weather.
Stitching pains.
PMS. Irritable before menses like Sepia but apologize
easier. Desire chocolate. Breasts: pain and swelling.
Related to: Sep, Sil, Calc, Rhus-t, Phos, Puls, Tub, Carc.
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Rhus toxicodendron
Chilly << COLD: cold room, cold weather.
>> HEAT: applied, room, bath, shower
<<<< COLD WET WEATHER, << getting wet
Restlessness: they have to move, rest <<< stiffness
Superstitious. Desire milk.
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Remedies >> applied cold
Apis mellifica, Ledum palustre,
Bryonia alba, Guaiacum
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APIS MELLIFICA
The remedy is made from the honey bee.
The queen has a sting like a scimitar and
can sting many times. The first young queen
to hatch finds the other queen pupae and
kills them before they hatch. Jealousy.
Worker bees are busy, restless, sociable. One third of
the workers continuously fan the hive cool it.
All the males do is have sex and die.
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APIS MELLIFICA
Joint pain >>> APPLIED COLD. <<< HEAT:
<<< applied heat, hot room, hot weather, hot bed.
Joints: hot, red, shining, swelling
as if skin will burst, < wrapping up the joint,
< splinting, < motion.
Pains: sharp, stinging.
Thirstless.
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LEDUM PALUSTRE
• A chilly patient, but joints << by local heat
and >>> APPLIED COLD,
sitting with feet in a bucket of ice water
drinking whisky.
• Joints involved in a progression from below
upwards and from periphery to the centre.
• Never well since insect bite.
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BRYONIA ALBA
• This is a perennial climbing, creeper which grows beside a
support structure.
• Every few inches of growth it sends out 3 tendrils which
twist around any surrounding structures, 2 in one direction
and 1 in the other to secure it.
• It has a huge root system weighing twice that of the crown.
This is a plant which does not want to move
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BRYONIA ALBA
• Joint pain <<< MOVEMENT,
<<< even the slightest movement
• >> rigidly splinted or tightly bandaged
• < applied heat, > applied cold,
• Thirst for big, long drinks infrequently
Desires cool drinks, but > by warm drinks.
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GUAIACUM
Ever living wood, Lignum Vitae.
The cut wood perpetually slowly exudes an oily
resin, traditional use in structures which rotate or
turn continuously
e.g as roller blocks in ships rigging.
Arthritis of rotating joints: radio-ulnar joints of
wrists and elbows; fingers and shoulders.
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GUAIACUM
• Left sided, left wrist especially styloid process
and left carpal tunnel syndrome
• Pains: severe stitching with movement or at rest,
< local heat.
• Dark, hard uncaring anger.
• Desire apples ++.
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Miscellaneous
Cimicifuga, Caulophyllum,
Formica rufa
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Cimicifuga
• Jerking of muscles lain on.
• Fibromyalgia rheumatica, aching in muscle belly
< massage, < touch, < cold.
• Spine and large joints, with marked stiffness,
sharp stitches and drawing pain.
• Loquacious, jumps from subject to subject.
• < menses, menopause.
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Caullophyllum
• Arthritis at times of hormonal upheaval:
after childbirth, at the menopause, before
menses and for the first few days of menses,
> after menses.
• Mainly affects the small joints of the hands
and feet. HEBERDENS NODES ++.
• Wandering arthritis
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Formica rufa (red ant)
Wandering arthritis. Sudden swelling, redness and heat, lasts a day or
2, then disappears and reappears in another joint.
<< before snow but not < before rain. < applied cold, > warmth.
Restlessness, desire motion though it < the pain.
The painful joints are burning and itchy: itching over or inside the joint
Bubbling sensation in forehead like bubbles coming up
and bursting under the skin.
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Coffea cruda
Fresh coffee bean (not roasted)
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Exaltation of the Senses
• Increased sensitivity and sensibility of the
nervous system, excitable and oversensitive.
• Exaltation and ecstatic states.
• Joy and ailments from joy.
• Extreme sensitivity to pain, noise, touch,
odours and motion.
• Sleeplessness
• Spasms and convulsions
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Capricious Hysteria
Alternation of symptoms and states:
capricious, hysteria, sentimental, cry and laugh easily,
weeping from joy; while crying, suddenly laughs,
now joyous now gloomy.
The exceptional sensitivity of the nervous system
eventually leads to overload
and mental and physical exhaustion.
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Pain
Extreme sensitivity to pain,
despair from pain,
fear of death from pain,
confusion or unconsciousness from pain.
The terror induced by the pain of labour can remain
for years.
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Sleeplessness
From joy, from rush of ideas, after delivery,
nursing the sick
(in Coffea everything is exalted, sleepless from
over sensitivity of all the senses, excitement and
anxiety; in Cocculus from care and anxiety about a
sick relative, become exhausted, slow,
and too tired to sleep;).
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Similar to China (Same Plant Family)
Both are fast paced, very quick to perceive and react,
are highly impressionable (overstimulation of the senses).
Coffea is more vivid, vivacious, witty, buoyant
and especially sensitive to joy or pleasurable impressions.
Both have an excessive haste: hurry and haste in eating,
drinking, movement, yet are < from being hurried by others.
Both have a rush of thoughts especially in the evening
and night with theorizing, plans for the future.
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Similar to Nux vomica
Ghegas:
“but Coffea is less irritated, ambitious and malicious.
There is benevolence and remorse:
so that they stay with their partner out of remorse.
(even though abused).”
Stimulation of the nervous system.
Spasms and convulsions << touch, pain, noise.
Sleeplessness.
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Acute Fevers
In both: head and face are red and hot, pupils shining
and dilated, but Belladonna has clouding of
consciousness, drowsiness, frightening delusions,or
deliruim;
and Coffea has heat with loquacity,
increased mental awareness and activity,
and exalted excitement.
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