​I have a confession to make: I’m always amazed when somebody says they don’t experience headaches. As someone who has been known to experience headaches, it’s unfathomable to me that people exist who have never experienced such a thing. We headache sufferers assume everybody knows what we’re talking about. 

According to Stovner (et al. 2022), 52% of the world population experiences headaches. 14% experience migraines. Up to 1 adult in 20 has a headache every - or nearly every - day (World Health Organization 2014). Wow.

Painful. Disabling. Disruptive. Exhausting. Boring. Troublesome. Worrisome. Irksome. Annoying. I don’t think there are any pleasant words to use for headaches because having a headache is a thoroughly unpleasant experience.

I have written previously about headaches and homeopathy (see: “The Road Less Traveled” and now let’s take a look at how the cell salts may help. 

Headaches are well indicated in most cell salts with the exception of Calc fluor and Kali mur. But, as we have learned previously, my headache is not like your headache and your headache is not like your neighbor’s headache, and so on, and so on, and so on… (See “Garbage In, Garbage Out”.) 

So let’s break down the cell salt headaches, shall we?

Location, causation, pain quality and concomitant (accompanying) symptoms all play an important role in landing on the “right” cell salt for headaches.

Calc phos may be worse near the region of sutures (a seam-like immovable junction between two bones; where the skull bones meet). The pain may be burning or throbbing and may be brought on by over-study, watching television or after receiving sad or bad news. Gut issues may be involved, like: diarrhea, flatulence, and nausea. Musculoskeletally speaking, these headaches may accompany trembling hands or rheumatism.

Calc sulph has pain around the whole head. It may be caused by injuries or blows or sinusitis and may be accompanied by vertigo and nausea.

A Ferr phos headache may feel as if a nail has been driven into the head with throbbing in the temples or over the eyes. These headaches could be caused by weather (cold, sun or heat) or a rush of blood to the head and may be accompanied by fever; photophobia; red eyes and face; a tender scalp or vomiting. Motion and noise may make it worse. 

Kali phos headaches may be described as “nervous headaches” with what feels like a weight in the back part of the head. Students or others who are worn out and exhausted may need this and may find an empty feeling in the stomach or vomiting with weariness and yawning. These headaches might be worse in the evening or in a heated room and extraneous noise may be unwanted.

Kali sulph may feel like the head has been placed in a vice or as if a metal band has been put around the head. These headaches often begin in the evening and may result from becoming heated. Accompanying chills, dizziness or nausea may be present.

Mag phos headache pain may be described as darting or excruciating, pounding, shooting, sharp, stinging or spasmodic. These headache sufferers may be irritable with possible sparks in their vision before or during the headache. 

Nat mur is a big headache remedy — for hammering, throbbing, dull, or periodical headaches with a lot of mucus and/or lachrymation and profuse saliva. Vision may be disturbed. There may be chills or constipation or eye pain. These headaches may be before, during or after a fever. Becoming heated, over-exertion of the eyes, injuries, walking or running, sun exposure or sinusitis may bring this headache on. The person may feel depressed or dull; the headache may be worse in the mornings. 

Nat phos headaches may be felt on the top of the head, especially on waking in the morning. These headaches are felt as pressure, intense with heat and nausea; the skull feels too full and there is a tight feeling in the head. Drinking wine or milk, as well as eyestrain may bring on this headache which may also be accompanied by gastric issues or sour vomit.

Nat sulph is well known for its use in head injuries. These headaches may be felt as a pulsation on the top of the head and may be described as a “sick” headache and be accompanied by nausea and a bitter taste in the mouth with salivation. Dizziness and the vomiting of bile may be worse in damp, warm weather.

Silicea headaches may be chronic and experienced as coming up from the nape of the neck. These headaches may be brought on from heat, eyestrain, fasting, overdoing it physically (lifting/straining of muscles), study or sex. The person may be oversensitive. The pain may be accompanied by chills, fever, insomnia, vomiting or weakness. Vision may be disturbed or dim and they may experience noises in the ears, a roaring, as well as being sensitive to noises.

Generally speaking, headaches in children respond well to Ferr phos or Calc phos; Calc phos especially if the headache occurs during dentition. 

Students may respond well to Nat mur, Calc phos or Silicea.

Headaches are terrible. Chronic headaches are nearly unbearable. If you are a chronic headache sufferer, click here for a free introductory chat to see if homeopathy may be helpful to you.


Julia Coyte, CHom
Classically Practical homeopath


#wellnessawaits

Reference list

Stovner, L. J., Hagen, K., Linde, M. and Steiner, T. J., 2022. The global prevalence of headache: an update, with analysis of the influences of methodological factors on prevalence estimates. The Journal of Headache and Pain [online], 23 (1). 

World Health Organization, 2014. Headache disorders: How common are headaches? [online]. www.who.int. 

On the 7th day of cell salts… Kali sulphuricum.

Kali sulph is the cell salt for the skin, helping to build new skin cells. It also works in conjunction with Ferr phos to help blood carry oxygen to all the cells.

Think of Kali sulph for active inflammatory conditions. Inflammation of the mucous membranes: bronchitis and whooping cough, for example, where discharges are thick, stringy, ropy and tough. Inflammatory skin conditions such as eczema, psoriasis and dandruff.

Conditions which may benefit from Kali sulph:

• Respiratory
  • allergies
  • sinusitis
  • colds
  • coughs
  • flu
  • mucus/catarrh
    • Mucus/congestion build up
      • which may cause problems with smell and taste
  • bronchitis
• Conjunctivitis
  • with yellow or greenish discharge from the eyes
• Head
  • dandruff
  • falling of hair
  • cradle cap
• Mouth
  • dryness and flaking of the lower lip
  • bad taste in the mouth
  • painful gums
• Skin — any skin issues, really
  • eczema
    • crusty
    • yellow/green discharge
  • psoriasis
  • poison ivy
  • nettle rash
  • ring worm
  • dry skin
• Constipation, chronic

Mentally and emotionally, those who may benefit from Kali sulph may be irritable and unpredictable moods.


Julia Coyte, CHom
Classically Practical homeopath


#wellnessawaits

​This topic is near and dear to me… Arthritis (this article focuses on osteoarthritis). Every time I have had an x-ray done over the last 10 or so years, they came back and said there is arthritis in there. Why would I have so many xrays? Cuz I had pain, that’s why. I have x-ray evidence of arthritis in my hands, (fingers and wrists), feet, ankles, knees and following an injury as a teenager, I was told the left side of my jaw was “bone on bone.” I’m pretty sure that were I to have further imaging on my hips and low back and neck that arthritis would be seen in those places, too.

Now, I would like to point out that in that last paragraph I used the past tense. Since using homeopathy to address my arthritis, my pain levels have absolutely plummeted. It’s a rare day when my hands ache. I walk about 3 miles a day and while I do sometimes have some stiffness afterward, it is short-lived and soon forgotten. I’m not going to say all my joints are in perfect working order, but compared to where I was (and, definitely as compared to where I was headed), I have very few complaints at the age of 55. I had way more pain and discomfort 10-20 years ago. 

(I credit homeopathy for the bulk of my relief, but in addition to exercising regularly, I also eat a good, healthy whole foods diet, including plenty of bone broth and I also credit rolfing, too.)

Once we hit age 65, nearly half (47.4%) of Americans have been diagnosed by a doctor as having arthritis (Brooks et al. 2018). If we want to add in people who have not bothered to get an official diagnosis, I’m willing to bet that number is considerably higher. Dr. Andrew Lockie (1993) estimates that 90% of people over the age of 40 have some degree of osteoarthritis in one or more joints.

Along with the physical discomfort, osteoarthritis and all its limitations can lead to depression and sleep disturbances (Brooks et al. 2018). Additionally, anxiety and depression can lower your pain threshold and then the chronic pain aggravates the anxiety and depression — resulting in a vicious circle. See? It’s a good thing to try and get a handle on as soon as possible!

What exactly is arthritis and who gets it?
“Arthritis”  is painful inflammation and stiffness of the joints. (Joints, as a reminder, are places where two bones meet.) Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease. Degeneration is structural or functional breakdown. Common symptoms include pain, redness, heat and swelling. The most commonly affected joints are: hands, knees, hips, neck and lower back. In addition to the breakdown, small bone growths (osteophytes or bone spurs see also: The Importance of a Proper Diagnosis) may grow on the edges of the joint. Or, a bit can break off and float inside the joint space. (I had this as a kid when I chipped my patella). Did I mention that I have had more than my fair share of injuries? I was a busy kid, playing hard and getting hurt! The receptionist at the orthopedist’s office once said to me, “you really do love us, don’t you?”

Anyone can get it, though generally speaking, it’s not a problem until we age — especially women when it develops after menopause. Though young people can get it as a result of an injury or a genetic defect.

Why is osteoarthritis so common? Joint injury, obesity, genetics and anatomical factors affect joint mechanics (Shane Anderson and Loeser 2010). But, wear and tear takes its toll and “age remains the single greatest risk factor for the development of OA in susceptible joints.” 

So, how can homeopathy help arthritis?

It’s very important to remember that conventional medicine doesn’t have a lot to offer in terms of helping osteoarthritis. The first line treatments are pain relievers, according to Mayo Clinic: Tylenol, Advil and Duloxetine (Cymbalta). (I highly recommend looking into the side effects of any medicines you plan on putting in your body. Drugs.com is a quick way to do this.) Other therapies which may be helpful include: physical therapy to strengthen the muscles around the joint; occupational therapy, and Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS*) — low-voltage current to relieve pain. Beyond these, then we’re looking at more serious interventions, including cortisone injections and surgery to replace damaged joints.

Homeopathy is not the absolute answer to every problem (though I think it's pretty close!) What homeopathy can do is to assist your body to wellness. When I began using homeopathy to treat my arthritis, as much as I was wanting an overnight success, that’s not how it works. The first few remedies I used went a long way at relieving my immediate discomfort, taking the edge off, so to speak. There is a lot to undo after a lifetime of wear and tear. It wasn't until I got into some deeper remedies that the daily pain disappeared.

Let’s start with some support remedies: cell salts, (also known as tissue salts/remedies or biochemical medicine or Schüssler’s tissue salts). Cell salts are derived from substances that are naturally present in the human body, intended to nourish and balance our bodies; they are our building blocks. Dr. Schüssler “worked by the theory of deficiency. The idea of deficiency is that, if we can ascertain exactly which mineral salt or salt the body’s cells are starving for, and if we can give the body those salts in a manner in which it can absorb and digest them, then the cells will be nourished and the balance needed for function, form and good health will result.” “The cell salts are, therefore, a strange balance between allopathy and homeopathy, or, better put, a balance between homeopathy and nutritional medicine.” (McCabe 2009).

Dr. Carey (1894) recommends three cell salts** for arthritis:

Ferrum phos for an acute attack with very painful joints which are worse on movement. Tenalgia crepitans, (inflammation of a tendon sheath in which movement of the tendon is accompanied by a cracking sound).

Natrum phos “is indicated in all cases of rheumatism of the joints.”

Natrum sulph should be given alternately with Ferr phos in acute cases, but in chronic cases, Nat sulph alone may be helpful; especially in joints of the fingers.

Other cell salts which may be helpful:
Kali mur: in acute arthritis may be alternated with Ferr phos. Movement makes the pains worse; tenalgia crepitans.

Natrum mur: for chronic arthritis; the joints crack; synovitis; rheumatic arthritis, especially of finger joints; hot, painful swellings of the knee joint.

Mag phos is useful for the (violent) pains; excruciating pains which are spasmodic in character.

Kali sulph: for pains which shift from one joint to another and are worse by heat. Shifting and wandering rheumatic pains in the joints.

Calc phos for bone health, in general.

Calc fluor for enlargements of the finger joints.

Cell salts are generally given in a 6x potency and they can be combined in the mouth at one time as one dose and taken twice daily.

(Martin & Pleasance*** makes a Comb M for rheumatism with equal parts Calc phos, Kali mur, Nat phos and Nat sulph.)

On to homeopathy itself.

For dealing with the acute pain of arthritis, a quick go-to remedy is T-Relief*** or T-Relief Arthritis***, both are available in either a cream or a tablet. Medinatura*** also makes/sells BHI Arthritis Pain Relief***. All three of these combos are made of slightly different remedies.

The individual remedies which are shared between these combinations are worth investigating.

Arnica for soreness all over the body. Worse for touch, pressure, cold or cold, damp weather. Worse for motion.

Bryonia for excruciating, often stitching pains. Worse for the slightest motion (they just want to be still) and heat. Even though they are worse for moving, they feel restless. Better for pressure and warmth on the painful part, lying still, especially lying on the painful side. Joints may be hot and swollen. May seem irritable.

Dulcamera is worse especially in damp weather, and cold damp autumn and the change of weather in general. Better for motion and warmth.

Ledum may have some swelling and coldness in the affected joint. Worse for heat or becoming over-heated and motion. Though they may be chilly, they feel better for cold applications or cold bathing. Pain in the small joints, especially the toes and joint pains seem to progress up the body. Ledum is particularly good for the feet and lower legs. The soles of the feet may be painful. Ledum can also be helpful for the after-effects of steroid injections.

Rhus tox (see also: Rhymes with Box) is a good remedy for all forms of rheumatism. Worse in the morning on waking, cold, sitting still (resting) and when first moving. Better after getting up and going, continued motion and hot baths or showers. They may be restless and feel better if they keep moving.

All of these remedies listed are primarily to address the acute pain of osteoarthritis. Alan Schmukler (2006) mentions that Bryonia or Rhus tox will bring relief in a majority of cases.

This is just a small sampling of the most common (and readily available) remedies which may help arthritis pain. I could keep writing on homeopathic arthritis remedies for hours! There's a lot to say and a lot of individual remedies which may be further tailored to specific arthritic symptoms.

I highly recommend working with a professional homeopath to try and get to the root of the issue. In the meantime, try one of these above listed remedies and see if you can get a little relief.

Life is just way too short to be in constant pain and discomfort. Try some homeopathy and see if you can get back to doing things you love.


Julia Coyte, CHom
Classically Practical homeopath


#wellnessawaits


* I have and am very pleased with ireliev’s wireless TENS unit (though, I must say, I really don’t use it very often any more). Again, I have no affiliation with this company, I just like their product. 

** It is possible to purchase a mixture of all 12 cell salts. However, I have found better results when choosing just the best indicated cell salts rather than using the full complement. 

***I have no affiliation with this company, I just like their products.

Reference list:
Anon., 2023. tenalgia crepitans [online]. TheFreeDictionary.com. 

Arthritis Foundation, 2016. Arthritis and Mental Health [online]. Arthritis.org. 

Brooks, J. M., Titus, A. J., Polenick, C. A., Orzechowski, N. M., Reid, M. C., MacKenzie, T. A., Bartels, S. J. and Batsis, J. A., 2018. Prevalence rates of arthritis among US older adults with varying degrees of depression: Findings from the 2011 to 2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry [online], 33 (12), 1671–1679. 

Carey, G. W., 1894. The Biochemic System of Medicine. F. August Luyties.
Kansal, K. and Kaushal, R., 2015. Textbook of practice of medicine with homeopathic therapeutics. New Delhi: B. Jain.

Lockie, A., 1993. The family guide to homeopathy : symptoms and natural solutions. New York: Simon & Schuster.

Mayo Clinic, 2021. Osteoarthritis - Diagnosis and treatment - Mayo Clinic [online]. Mayoclinic.org.

McCabe, V., 2009. The Healing Echo. ReadHowYouWant.com.

Morrison, R., 1998. Desktop companion to physical pathology. Nevada City, Calif.: Hahnemann Clinic Publ.

NIAMS, 2019. NIAMS Health Information on Arthritis [online]. National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. 

Rath, L., 2022. What Is Arthritis? [online]. www.arthritis.org. 

Schmukler, A. V., 2006. Homeopathy : an A to Z home handbook. Woodbury, Minn.: Llewellyn Publications.

Schüssler, W. H., 2003. Schüssler’s twelve tissue remedies : comprising the theory, therapeutic applications, materia medica and a complete repertory of tissue remedies. Sittingbourne, Kent: Homæopathic Book Service.

Shane Anderson, A. and Loeser, R. F., 2010. Why is osteoarthritis an age-related disease? Best Practice & Research Clinical Rheumatology, 24 (1), 15–26.

Teut, M. and Doppler, C., eds. 2019. Homeopathy in Dementia: Materia Medica and Case Studies. Emryss.

Thornton, P., 2022. Duloxetine: Uses, Side Effects, Dosage, Warnings [online]. Drugs.com. 

I’ve been hearing that ringworm is going around. Is it true? I must confess, it’s getting pretty hard to tell what is true these days when you’re looking at the news.

Regardless of all that nonsense, it’s important to be pro-active and know what to do if whatever is going around is coming your way.

With that, let’s talk about ringworm.

Ringworm is a fungal rash, named because of the ring that encircles the rash — no worms are involved. It is related to athlete’s foot and jock itch and it’s important to remember that fungal infections are likely to be contagious. They can spread through contact with the infected skin of others (including animals) or objects like towels, bedding or clothing.

What to look for, according to Mayo Clinic:

• a scaly, ring-shaped area (on the bottom, the trunk, the limbs)
• itching
• slightly raised rings with a round, flat patch of itchy skin
• the rings may overlap

“Ringworm may cause bald patches and consistent scratching leads to oozing and blistering” (Alton and Alton 2021).

Sounds kind of miserable. How can homeopathy help?

My first homeopathic stop would be from the Drs. Banerji who recommend the following protocol:

• Graphites 200c, one dose taken every 3 days
• Kali sulph 3x, taken twice daily
• and, if the itching is really bad, Coffea cruda 200c, every hour until better.

They also caution that if one member of the family has it, it may spread to the whole family (Prasanta Banerji and Pratip Banerji 2013), so be prepared!

Now, let’s look at these remedies individually and see why they might help.

Graphites is a big skin remedy. In this instance, it can be helpful for moist, crusty eruptions and has thick borders. Blisters which itch and ooze. Skin that comes off in scales or flakes. It is well indicated for eruptions which burn or itch as well as “smarting” — they just hurt. Itching skin, with the need to scratch it until it is raw. It’s also helpful for spots of falling hair (bald patches).

Kali sulph is the primary cell salt which is indicated in ringworm, according to Natural Healing with Cell Salts ((Weintraub 1999). I’ll just let George W. Carey, MD sum up the skin conditions noted in his book, The Biochemic System of Medicine (1896):

“All sores on the skin, when exuding a thin, yellow, watery matter, sometimes with dryness and desquamation of the surrounding skin. Skin scales freely on a sticky base… This salt also greatly aids desquamation in eruptive diseases and assists in the formation of new skin.” [author’s emphasis, not mine]

Coffea cruda, a homeopathic remedy made from raw coffee, helps to keep one’s mind off of things. In my mind, I have somehow squashed the squirrel from Hoodwinked with the dog from Up to represent this remedy. The squirrel becomes hyper-focused when he has coffee and Dug the Dog’s attention leaves whenever there is the mention of a squirrel. So, my mind justifies this craziness in this way… when your mind is hyper-focused on the itching (think: squirrel from Hoodwinked) take the Coffea cruda remedy and it can remove the attention of the itching to the “squirrel” over there (think: Dug the Dog). In other words, the remedy removes the hyper focus and allows your mind to go elsewhere.

Here’s to being prepared for the real stuff as well as the (possibly) over-hyped stuff. May we one day be able to easily decipher truth from fiction again.


Julia Coyte, CHom
Classically Practical homeopath


#wellnessawaits

Reference list

Alton, J. and Alton, A., 2021. The survival medicine handbook : the essential guide for when help is NOT on the way : a Doom and Bloom guide. United States? Doom And Bloom Llc.

George Washington Carey, 1896. The Biochemic System of Medicine. F. August Luyties.
Lockie, A., 1993. The family guide to homeopathy : symptoms and natural solutions. New York: Simon & Schuster.

Mayo Clinic, 2018. Ringworm (body) - Symptoms and causes [online]. Mayo Clinic. 

Morrison, R., 1998. Desktop companion to physical pathology. Nevada City, Calif.: Hahnemann Clinic Publ.
​
Prasanta Banerji and Pratip Banerji, 2013. The Banerji protocols : a new method of treatment with homeopathic medicines. India: Pratip Banerji.

Weintraub, S., 1999. Natural healing with cell salts. Pleasant Grove, Ut: Woodland Pub.