Most people who are unfamiliar with homeopathy find it difficult to comprehend how just one single homeopathic remedy can cure all their symptoms – both emotional and physical. When I tell them I am giving you this remedy for all your complaints they will often ask what things do you put in this remedy. I then explain that the remedy is made up of a single substance that is designed to resonate with their body’s energy to stimulate the healing process. We are so use to taking one medicine for upset stomach and another one for headache and another one for depression that we forget the body functions as a whole. And for any deep healing to occur you have to treat the whole person which is exactly what homeopathy does.
As an example, Ruth who is in her mid 50’s came to see me regarding arthritic symptoms in her hands. It had gotten so bad that she could not make a fist and had to take pain medicine because of severe shooting pain if she bumped her hand against something. In addition, Ruth who was normally very bubbly and outgoing, found that before her menses she became irritable and would explode as she put it “like a firecracker” over the least little thing. As there is always a reason for the onset of disease, I asked what was going on in her life at the time the arthritis started. She mentioned that she had found out that her husband was having an affair and with reason was extremely upset.
Based on all her information gleaned from the hour interview I treated her with the homeopathic remedy Phosphorus. This remedy took away her explosive irritability but had no effect on the arthritis. I then tried two other remedies Rhus tox. and Medorrhinum both to no avail. Because her arthritic symptoms were worsening and I was concerned she might incur irreversible damage to her joints I sent her to a rheumatologist who of course put her on a strong anti-inflammatory medicine to suppress the inflammation. Periodically, as she would come to the clinic to pick up some supplements, I could see that she was not doing that much better so I said “lets try again to see if we can’t cure this problem.” After retaking her case, I prescribed Calcarea phosphoricum. This time it worked. Not only did her emotional symptoms clear but also her long-standing arthritis.
Although I look to prescribe the right remedy the first time sometimes it takes several tries and patience on both the patient’s and the physician’s part.
Terry Pfau, DO, HMD