Week 5: Homeopathy: Shoulder Pain, Adhesive Capsulitis

what are the 2 classifications of disease?

• Disease

  • Physical/external trauma - homeopathy cannot help

  • Dynamic - there is a dynamic cause, homeopathy can help

what are the types of dynamic disease?

• Dynamic disease

  • Acute → self limiting, either pt recovers or pt dies

    • Epidemic

    • Sporadic

    • Individual

  • Chronic → body sometimes stops recognizes it as a condition, stops responding to treatment

    • Miasmatic

    • Non-miasmatic

what do Hahnemann’s aphorisms 82 and 104 say?

• In this section of the Organon, Hahnemann gives the basic steps for the homeopathic interview.

• He talks about acute and chronic diseases, and adds that his outline is only partly applicable to acute diseases.

when does case taking start?

• In homeopathy, it is important to understand that case-taking starts right from the time the patient enters the clinic and continues until they exit the clinic. This is even more important in acute cases.

• Every interaction 

  • Their environment or clothing even if virtual 

  • What your receptionist says 

  • If they shake hands: are they clammy? Cold?

  • Agitated? impatient?

what are the important factors in case taking?

• Observation skills

• Detailed history taking of the symptoms making sure to take "complete symptoms"

• Physical examination: it is very important to touch and check local symptoms such as warmth, coldness, tenderness, perspiration, etc.

• Identifying any emergency, making sure that patient's safety is the priority and referring them to an emergency setting whenever necessary.

how is observation used in homeopathy?

• The most essential skill for a homeopath is being an unprejudiced observer!

• Be in observer mode to discover what is going on with the patient before taking the role of a homeopath in order to eliminate any bias.

what does aphorism 83 say?

• The interview must be conducted with professionalism, discretion (provide a safe environment), and using active listening.

• The attitude of the physician matters a lot, and Hahnemann pointed out that this individualizing examination of a case of disease demands of the physician only:

  • Impartiality

  • Sound senses

  • Attentive observation

  • Faithfulness in recording the disease picture

what are some examples of objective symptoms we need to pay attention to?

• Partial heat / partial coldness / partial sweat

• Position of amelioration (lying / sitting / carrying / rocking in particular position)

• Gait - Different gaits are characterized by differences in limb movement patterns

how can you get subjective information?

• Case taking starts with open-ended questions such as:

  • What brings you to homeopathy?

how should silence be used in the interview?

• Let the patient speak uninterrupted and start asking questions when the flow stops. Unless the patient is going out of topic.

• When patient stops, still encourage them with open-ended questions such as:

  • What else? Tell me more.....

what does aphorism 85 say about notetaking?

• Notetaking:

  • Ask them to speak slowly, so that you can write down all the essential information.

  • Write verbatim what they say and what you see.

  • Separate the symptoms one per line, leave room to add details if they move on too early to the next thing.

in the interview, when do you ask direct questions?

• You can ask more direct questions only at the end, once the patient is not able to give you more information, or if some information is missing, or the patient needs some probing or examples or other motivations to give you more information.

in the interview, what do you do when remedies pop in your head?

You may have some ideas of remedies that will pop up in your head while you listen. Write them down in the margin and return your attention to the patient. At the end, you can ask direct questions about these remedies (about their keynotes), to try to rule them out...

what are the components of the COMPLETE SYMPTOM

• Make sure to get THE 'COMPLETE' SYMPTOM. Obtain at least the S-M-I-L-E or C-L-E-M-S of the symptom:

  • Sensations, Modalities, Intensity, Location (precise location or tissues involved), and Etiology (if applicable).

in acute and first aid cases, what are the 2 questions you need to ask?

• What has happened?

• What has changed since this happened?

what should be noted about the state of the pt?

• After observing and ascertaining the diagnosis and cause of disease, the state of the patient (the changes seen in the patient physically and mentally since being unwell) is examined.

• It is important to note that there can be both subjective as well as objective changes displayed by the patient in an acute state.

how should you go about getting informatin for an acute case?

• Get complete symptoms: ask S-M-I-L-E questions.

• Keep in mind that acute diseases tend to have severe, more intense and clear symptoms than chronic diseases do.

• In an acute case, limit the inquiry to the acute state only, do not dip into what has been the chronic state.

• Record the "recent" changes that happened due to the acute state (whether related to the cause or not...).

what does arnica montana toxicity cause?

• Produces conditions upon the system quite like those resulting from injuries, falls, blows, contusions or bruising.

what are the common uses for Arnica?

• Shock or trauma of injury; surgical shock; muscle injuries.

• ARNICA is the most common medicine used in first aid. 

• It helps reduce shock, relieve pain, diminish swelling, and begin healing.

• ARNICA is also an excellent medicine before or after surgery since the body experiences a state of shock from these medical procedures.

• It is used as well before and after dental surgery, and before, during, and after labor to help the mother and infant deal with the shock and stress of birth.

what is the mental picture for Arnica?

• Fears touch, or the approach of anyone

• Wants to be let alone

• Feels bed is so hard

• After mental strain or shock

what are the physical symptoms of arnica?

• Pain in back and limbs, as if bruised or beaten

• Sprained and dislocated feeling

  • Soreness after overexertion

  • Everything on which he lies seems too hard.

  • Symmetrical distribution of eruptions (if they have eczema or something like that it will be bilateral)

what are the worse modalities of arnica?

• Worse:

  • Least touch, motion; rest; wine; damp cold.

what are the better modalities of arnica?

• Better:

  • Lying down, or with head low.

what are the affinities for Natrum Sulphuricum (Sodium Sulfate

• A liver remedy

• Hydrogenous constitution (feels every change from dry to wet)

• Head symptoms from injuries to head, mental troubles therefrom.

what is the Natrum Sulphuricum (Sodium Sulfate) mental picture?

• Lively music saddens

• Melancholy, with periodical attacks of mania

• Suicidal tendency; must exercise restraint

what are the phyical symptoms of nat sulph?

ulph. - Physical Symptoms

• Hepatitis; icterus and vomiting of bile

• Liver sore to touch, with sharp, stitching pains

• Bruised pain and urging to stool

• Loose morning stools, worse, after spell of wet weather

• Rheumatism, worse in damp cold weather

what are the worsening modalities of nat sulph?

• Worse:

  • Music (makes her sad), lying on left side, dampness of basement, damp weather.

what are the bettering modalities of nat sulph?

• Better:

  • Dry weather, pressure, changing position.