Healing with Homoeopathie

Today I address briefly many of the problems particular to women, since as practitioners, we find that though we’re into the 21st century, women are often silent sufferers. Even though the practice of medicine has advanced tremendously since former times, very few people are aware that our body symptoms have meaning beyond the immediate health problem they are warning us about. We can benefit emotionally, physically and spiritually if we pay attention to our body’s messages.

Emotional factors are usually involved in common gynaecological problems along with diet, heredity and other causes. Women’s problems are often related to the context of their lives. By understanding that these illnesses are often wake-up calls, the first step to healing can begin. Our illnesses often exist to get our attention and get us back on track. With a new outlook about ourselves, women can begin to heal mentally, emotionally, spiritually and physically.

The health of the uterus, ovaries and fallopian tubes depends on a woman’s feeling able, competent and powerful to create financial and emotional abundance and stability, and to express her creativity fully. Feeling good about herself and about her relationships with other people in her life, lead to good internal pelvic health. Stressful and limiting relationships can adversely affect the health of these organs. The health of the uterus is at risk if a woman doesn’t believe in herself or is overly self-critical. In comparison, ovarian health is affected by the quality of a woman’s relationships with people and things outside herself. Ovaries are at risk when women feel controlled or criticized by others or when they themselves control or criticize others.

Chronic pelvic pain sufferers often have complex psychological and emotional histories. The physical pain is often related to unfinished emotional pain in either past or current relationships with partners or with jobs, or emotional or sexual abuse. Emotional stress in a woman’s personal or professional life that she perceives to be unresolvable is a big cause of pelvic pain.

Endometriosis is an increasingly common condition today. The tissue that forms the lining of the uterus which normally grows inside the uterus, grows in other areas of the pelvis and sometimes even outside the pelvis. Endometriosis develops when a woman’s innermost emotional needs are in direct conflict with what the world demands of her.

Fibroids often develop when there are conflicts about creativity, reproduction and relationships. If the underlying energy patterns, life questions, conflicts, and emotional issues are addressed, and changed, the fibroids usually do not grow or cause problems. Whilst we talk about mind-body issues, it is also essential to draw attention to the fact that since the uterus is sensitive to the hormone oestrogen, anything that changes circulating oestrogen levels can affect it. A diet high in partially hydrogenated and saturated fats, high in refined carbohydrates and low in fiber can increase circulating oestrogens. This puts a woman at risk for fibroids as well as endometriosis and breast cancer. Hence it is better to change to a diet rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grain products. Reduce refined sugar, flour products and dairy foods.

As mentioned earlier, ovarian problems result from a woman’s perception that people and circumstances outside herself are preventing her from being creative. Mental patterns of vengeance and resentment also affect the ovaries. Benign ovarian growths differ from cancer only in the degree of the emotional energy involved. Extreme need for male approval while giving her own emotional needs least priority can result in ovarian cancers over a prolonged period of time. Such a woman may feel helpless to change an abusive situation. Ovarian cancer can develop rapidly due to a precipitating psychosocial trauma.

Problems in the vulva, vagina, cervix and lower urinary tract are usually associated with a woman’s feelings of violation in her relationship with another individual or in her job. Chronic vulvar problems like pain and itching may be associated with stress from anxiety and irritation at being controlled either by a partner or a situation.

This article does not provide a complete understanding of the deeper issues involved in such conditions, but the idea of writing such an article is to make women aware of the extent they damage their bodies unknowingly when they give in to the pressures of society and do not value themselves.

Homoeopathy is a system of medicine which takes a holistic view of every problem and learning about the life situation, relationships, working lives and diet as a totality, provides us with clues to the source of the body’s distress. Homoeopathic medicines are not chemical medicine, but energy medicine, and hence work deep in the organism. With the benefits of energy medicine, we can hope to set right wrong energy patterns in the human system. Only with time and a commitment from the patient to seriously look into one’s life patterns as co-operation in the curative process, can real healing take place.

In connection with this topic, there is an interesting book by Dr. Christiane Northrup, M.D. – Women’s Bodies, Women’s Wisdom.

Asthma is a respiratory disorder with recurrent episodes of wheezing and shortness of breath. Amongst chronic diseases affecting children, asthma is one of the most common. In asthma, the bronchial airways get inflamed and this results in increased mucus secretion, swelling of the bronchial linings and spasm of the bronchi. (The bronchi are the airway tubes which conduct air from the windpipe to the lungs.) As a result of this inflammation, there is obstruction to the smooth passage of air to the lungs, coughing, wheezing and tightness of the chest, along with difficulty in breathing. Why does this inflammation occur? This inflammation can be caused by allergy, external irritants in the air or by the viruses which bring on the common cold. Childhood asthma is most often dependent on a genetic predisposition to develop allergies and hence overreact to triggers in the environment.

SIGNS & SYMPTOMS

· Chest tightness and shortness of breath.
· Wheezing, though characteristic, is not always noticed.
· Frequent coughing especially at night or during exercise.
· Rapid, shallow breathing that is usually easier with sitting up.
· Breathing difficulty which is noticed as tightening of the neck and abdominal muscles with every breath.
· Children with mild asthma, may not suffer overtly from wheezing or shortness of breath, but may suffer from frequent respiratory infections.

Severe symptoms of an acute attack:

· Bluish skin.
· Exhaustion.
· Grunting respiration.
· Inability to speak.
· Mental changes, including restlessness or confusion.

CAUSES – These could be potential triggers:
· Allergens; such as pollen, dust, fur and feathers from pets or toys, house dust mites which harbour in carpets and beds, cockroaches and even some foods like milk, soya and eggs.
· Lung infections such as bronchitis and flu.
· Air irritants, such as smoke, vehicle exhaust, strong odours and paint fumes.
· Exposure to cold air.
· Exercise – running often triggers an episode while swimming is probably the least-provoking.
· Emotional stress.

It is generally seen that the chance of developing asthma increases if there is a family history of asthma or other allergies. Children with eczema often develop asthma later, esp. if the eczema is suppressed but not properly treated. It is essential that parents do not smoke as even passive smoking increases the chance of developing asthma.

DIET AND EXERCISE – Whilst treatment is on, it is best to avoid the foods which act as triggers. Avoid cold food and drinks; preferably take water warm. Drinking plenty of fresh water helps in keeping secretions loose. Herbal tea made with ajwain, tulsi leaves, pepper and ginger help. A recipe for using ajwain has been sent in by a reader, Mr. Baji Kalwachia – Take ¼ teaspoonful of ajwain seeds, roast them on a tawa/flat griddle till the seeds split, (do not allow them to burn), mix them in half a glass of warm milk, add a pinch of turmeric powder and drink. This is supposed to be very effective for colds, coughs and asthmatic conditions.

Regular breathing exercises including ‘pranayama’ are helpful. Children should be encouraged to participate in normal activities as much as possible.

TREATMENT
Children often outgrow asthma. Without treatment, severe attacks can be fatal. From the point of view of conventional medicine, asthma has no cure and symptoms can only be controlled. However, Homoeopathy provides a holistic approach to the problem by treating the immune system, strengthening it and bringing back correct balance to reduce the oversensitiveness of the respiratory tracts. In this way, the disposition to asthma is modified as the immune system learns not to over-react to stimuli. Homoeopathic treatment will involve going into the detailed history of the patient. Mental and physical characteristics are noted and constitutional treatment is begun, which, over a period of time, modifies the immune system suitably. During acute episodes, medicines are chosen to give quick relief and usually there is no need to resort to bronchodilators or steroid medication.
In this way, Homoeopathy offers a safe and gentle option in the treatment of asthma.

Vitiligo, also known as leucoderma (leuco=white, derma=skin), is a disorder manifesting on the skin which can cause extreme distress to sufferers because of its unusual appearance. There is loss of skin pigmentation in patches due to destruction of the pigment manufacturing cells, the melanocytes. It is usually progressive and over time the white patches may spread to other areas of the body.

In India, it is often called ‘safed kor/kod’. It affects at least one in every hundred people in countries throughout the world. It affects people of both sexes equally, and it affects all races. It can begin at any age, though about fifty percent of people with vitiligo develop it before the age of twenty.

Vitiligo is usually not harmful medically, but it often takes a toll on the psychological well-being and self esteem of the individual. People have to be aware that it is NOT infectious or contagious and cannot be spread to other people by contact. The social stigma attached with this condition needs to be removed.

SIGNS & SYMPTOMS — Small areas of different skin colour or patches with the following characteristics:
· They are flat, white and can’t be felt with fingers.
· They spread to form very large, irregularly-shaped areas without pigmentation.
· They are usually on both sides of the body in approximately the same place.
· Their size varies from 2mm or 3mm to several centimeters in diameter.
· They don’t hurt or itch.
· The hair growing on skin affected by vitiligo sometimes turns white.

CAUSES —
The exact cause is not yet well understood. It is believed to be the result of autoimmune, genetic and environmental factors. An autoimmune origin implies that the body’s own defence mechanism does not recognize the pigment cells as the body’s own; considers them to be ‘foreign’, and destroys them. As we know, stress often play a major role in adversely affecting the immune system and creating an autoimmune condition. Family history of the condition is found in about 10-30% of the affected patients. Some studies suggest that people with vitiligo inherit a group of three genes that make them susceptible to developing it. Vitiligo may be precipitated by injury or sunburn.

RISK INCREASES WITH —
· Family history of vitiligo.
· Thyroid or adrenal disease.
· Diabetes mellitus.
· Injury.
· It may be associated with some other auto-immune diseases.

PROBABLE OUTCOME AND TREATMENT — It is important to realise that inheriting a vitiligo trait from your parents does not necessarily mean that you will develop the condition. If the body’s immune system remains healthy, functioning to its best capacity, latent predispositions do not become active. To keep your immune defences high, it is important to have a healthy, well-balanced nutritious diet, with plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables; avoid junk food and processed food as far as possible. Get adequate sleep and exercise in fresh air. Learn to handle stress effectively.

Treatment is prolonged but there can be no guarantees for complete and permanent re-pigmentation. It is impossible to predict how much improvement will occur with treatment. Younger individuals (under 30) and those who obtain treatment early usually respond best. Allow one year to evaluate results. Spontaneous re-pigmentation is noted in about 10-20% of patients. Factors indicating good prognosis for regimentation are: recent onset within the past 6 months, in a young individual on the facial area. Conversely, factors which indicate an unfavorable prognosis are: late onset in life, long-standing persistent lesions, located on the extremities and on the lips.

HOMOEOPATHY has a holistic approach and treats a patient with vitiligo as an individual, mind and body together. The physician will inquire into all aspects of the patient’s life; mental, emotional and physical characteristics of the patient, personal and family history. The aim is to set right the immune functioning of the patient and remove the tendencies to illness. Once the body’s immune system is functioning well, there are good chances that re-pigmentation will set in. In this way, homoeopathy offers a safe and gentle approach in the treatment of vitiligo.

This was a case of a 14 year old boy who had received a back injury 6 months previously. He had then developed pain in the lumbar region, on either side of the spinal column. X-Ray had showed oedema of the disc. He had been advised bed rest and pain relieving drugs which had apparently cured him.

When I saw him in early 2006, he had a recurrence of the pain for the last 15 days.
There was back pain with tightness all over the back. It was worse by standing long (about 1/2 an hour), worse on lying down initially for 5-10 minutes. He was better on walking, sitting, lying on his sides and by pressure.
Since about 2 weeks, he had pricking and aching pains in both his heels which was worse on rising after sitting for some time.
He had a tendency to dry lips. His lips chapped all the year round and bled in winter. He also complained of headaches on returning from school. It was located in the forehead and over the eyes and was better by lying down and by pressure. He also had visual blackouts on playing in the sun.

He loved sweets, ice cream, sour foods like lemons and tamarind which he ate with sugar and salt. He was very fond of cheese and loved cold milk. He drank about 10 glasses of water daily and was fresh after 8 hours of deep sleep; he slept mainly on his left side.

He was born during the 7th month of pregnancy and was in an incubator for about 2 weeks. His mother was 17 years old at the time and she went into labour following the exertion of travel on a bumpy road. He had pneumonia at 1 year, typhoid at 4 years and jaundice at 9 years.

He was an obedient boy but enjoyed teasing his younger brother who was 10 years old. He was friendly by nature, mixed easily with others and enjoyed entertaining people with magic tricks. He enjoyed movies and music and was scared of dogs. He enjoyed physical activities like cricket, football, volleyball and wanted to join the National Defence Academy when older.

Considering the old injury, my initial prescription was of Arnica 1M. After a week, he was much better and was asked to see me again after a fortnight. When he came to the clinic again, he still had a backache though his heel pain was much better. Based on his general characteristics, he was given a dose of Phosphorus 200 along with the biochemic Calcarea Phos 6x, three times daily.

His backache cleared up along with his other constitutional symptoms and he didn’t show up again for 6 months after which he returned since the dryness of his lips was recurring. One more dose of Phosphorus 200 was repeated. I presume he has been fine since he hasn’t visited the clinic again.

This post is more for homoeopaths who analyze the remedy reaction carefully before making the next prescription. Remedies relate to one another in different ways; a remedy may be complementary or inimical or antidotal to another. This is an important aspect to consider for successful prescribing.

The relationships of remedies is given in the form of a table at the end of Boericke’s Materia Medica (mainly in the Indian editions) and also in certain other books. This table has been compiled by Dr. Gibson-Miller and is one of the best ones around.

I needed to pass on this information to a family friend who is also a keen homoeopathic enthusiast. I could not find a downloadable version of Dr. Gibson-Miller’s Relationship of Remedies despite hunting on the Net. Finally on the suggestion of another keen homoeopath, I scanned the relevant pages from Boericke and decided to upload it to this site for the use of anyone else who may want to download it. Shall be uploading it to hpathy.com as well, one of the best sites on homoeopathy.

Thanks to Boericke’s Materia Medica being a big book, the scan is not great, but its usable!

Here is a pdf file of the scanned table for Relationship of Remedies.

This 70 year old gentleman, a retired plumber, came to me in July 2003. He had been suffering from what had been diagnosed, with the help of an MRI, as lumbar canal stenosis and disc herniation since 2000. There had been a sudden onset whilst on a visit to Kuwait. There was difficulty in walking, with veering to the left side. There had been a history of prior lumbosacral pain.

He came to me with the symptoms of pain in the lumbosacral region above the buttocks. The pain was worse on walking even 5-10 minutes and was relieved by sitting down, lying on the left side, pressure and hot fomentations. There were cracking sounds in the hip joint during the act of rising and sitting. There were sudden electric shock like sensations from the calf up to the hip, extending along the back of the lower limbs, worse on the right side. The thigh muscles would twitch on initial motion and there was great weakness of the lower limbs. The soles felt numb and cottony in the morning on rising. He had difficulties in maintaining his balance while walking and often fell and injured himself.

He had knee pains for 10 years, worse on bending the knee and relieved by stretching. There were cracking sounds and a history of swelling of the knees. He also suffered from cramps in the calves at night in winter and from a draft of air.

He was hypertensive and diabetic for over 15 years and was on medication. He had a myocardial infarction (heart attack) in 1993. He used to be an alcoholic but said he’d reduced his drinking after developing hallucinations and suspiciousness.

One of his brothers had tuberculosis and another brother had died of tongue cancer.

His appetite had reduced and he would feel ‘full’ on eating a small quantity. Flatulence troubled him and passing gas would relieve. He was constipated and stools were hard, compelling him to strain initially. He never felt satisfied after passing stools. He took the occasional laxative. He loves fish and meat but avoids red meat on medical advice. He enjoys sweet things and dislikes sour. He used to eat heavily spiced food earlier.

He lives alone whilst his family is in Kuwait. He suffers from sleeplessness due to thoughts of his sad past. He feels guilty about his alcoholism and the troubles he put his family through. He cannot fall asleep until 1-2 a.m. He used to get nightmares of someone, usually some animal, coming to hurt or bite him. He said that he had a forgiving nature and did not like to hurt anyone. He likes to make treat his friends and make them happy, esp. when he was under the influence of alcohol. There is a great weakness; he would like to exercise but was not motivated enough for it. He had 2 sons, both were married and abroad and had no love for him.

An MRI of the spine showed posterior disc herniations with peridiscal osteophytes. Lumbar canal stenosis maximum over L3-4 to L5-S1 level. MRI of the brain showed mild cerebral and cerebellar atrophy with narrowing of several arteries and a lacunar infarct.

I started him with Rhus Tox 200, twice a day for a fortnight and this gave him considerable symptomatic relief. However, I doubted that Rhus Tox would go much deeper. Analysis of the case brought Sulphur very high though Lycopodium and Nux Vomica were also in the rating. Causticum and Phosphorus were also to be considered. I put him on Sulphur 200, single doses every week and gradually his symptoms relieved. He felt better within himself and promised to quit alcohol completely. His stools were better and he slept better. Within a few months, the cottony sensation in his soles, the shock-like pain and the trembling of his muscles disappeared. I gradually raised the potency of Sulphur and this benefited him further. There were periods of aggravation for which I gave him Rhus Tox 200 off and on in repeated doses. Since Lycopodium was also coming up, I prescribed Calcarea Carb, Lycopodium and Sulphur in their cycle, with gaps of a fortnight between doses. He was much better after a year and did not come for follow ups for quite a while. When he returned after about 4 months, he sorrowfully told me that his son had passed away and to ease the pain he took refuge in alcohol once again. In that phase, he had a fall and fractured his nose and broke off some of his teeth. His back complaints had all recurred. For a while, I put him on Ignatia to ease the shock of his son’s demise. Gradually we moved back to the previous prescriptions and the whole process of slow relief started again.

I last saw him in 2005 when he was very much better and could walk comfortably again. He said he would return if he needed to.

Prescribing for this case took a zig-zag approach. There were deep disturbances and no single remedy covered his case in entirety. In such a case, at the age he was, I was happy to be able to relieve him, if not completely, to a great extent so that he could live a more comfortable life.

In this article, I would like to talk about what a Homoeopath needs to know to be able to help the patient in the best manner possible.

Many patients come to a Homoeopath with a ready diagnosis of the disease obtained from an earlier doctor and expect that once they have given the diagnosis to the Homoeopath, the Homoeopathic doctor should be able to prescribe the required medicine. For Homoeopaths, a diagnosis is important only from the point of view of differentiating peculiar symptoms characteristic to the individual patient, from general symptoms, which belong to the disease diagnosis.

It is important for patients to realize that the Homoeopathic prescription which really helps the patient the most, is one based on the peculiar symptoms of the individual patient, which as a rule, have no direct connection with the diagnosed disease. Hence anything peculiar, queer, rare and strange that the patient has observed (which we call P, Q, R, S symptoms in Homoeopathy) needs to be told to the Homoeopath. Many people refrain from talking about these symptoms, either from embarrassment or from the idea that these symptoms have nothing to do with their main complaint and they want the doctor to focus only on the main complaint. This results in the Homoeopath knowing only part of the problem and makes medicine selection more difficult and usually inaccurate as well. Patients must remember that the Homoeopathic doctor, unlike a conventional doctor, is treating the WHOLE PATIENT, and not just the PART that is ill; hence anything which the patient perceives as ‘not alright’ is important from the point of view of the Homoeopath, even though it may have no logical connection to the main problem which the patient seeks treatment for. It is these very ‘weird’ symptoms that can lead the Homoeopath to a highly successful prescription and rapid cure of the illness.

Patients also need to be very observant about their symptoms and what they suffer from. Homoeopaths need a lot of detail about everything that troubles a patient. For example, if the patient is complaining of backache, the Homoeopath needs to know the exact location of the pain, the type of pain, whether the pain radiates to another location, the factors that increase the pains and the factors that give relief, and also any other symptoms that accompany the pain.

The reason why Homoeopaths need so much detail lies in the fact that the effects of Homoeopathic medicines are tested on healthy human beings, what we call ‘Homoeopathic Proving’. Due to the energy stimulation of the Homoeopathic medicine during a proving, provers develop symptoms (which later when the same symptoms are seen in a patient, the same medicine is capable of curing on the basis of the Homoeopathic law), and because human beings have the advantage of expression (in contrast to animal testing where only gross changes in health can be noted), these symptoms are recorded in great detail, mentioning exactly what the prover is going through. Hence it is clear, that the more completely the complaints are described, the more accurate the ultimate prescription will be and the quicker is the restoration of good health.

“My standpoint is that a tumour is the product of the organism and to be really cured, the power to produce the same must be eliminated, got rid of; cutting it off merely rids the organism of the product, leaving the producing power where it was before, often the operative interference acting like pruning a vine, i.e., the tumour-producing power is increased and the fatal issue is brought nearer.”
— Dr. James Compton Burnett

After I started my practice, I had quite a few cases of cancer coming my way due to my study of the Iscador Therapy for Cancer. Since the use of Iscador is rather expensive by Indian standards, especially since it involves long-term use, I always offer my patients the choice of treatment: either Homoeopathy along with Iscador, or just Homoeopathic medicines.

This was a woman, 66 years of age, who came to me in 2001. In 1994, she had been diagnosed with carcinoma of the ovary with endometrial cancer, which is a cancer of the lining of the uterus. She had undergone a hysterectomy and chemotherapy. In 1996, she developed peritoneal metastases for which she was again operated open and had 3 cycles of chemotherapy. She then remained free of symptoms and monitored the CA-125 tumour marker counts twice a year. She decided to take Homoeopathic treatment because of a steadily rising CA-125.

She came to me with a count of 10.00 U/ml which was well within the normal range (upto 35 U/ml) but had steadily risen from 4.3 U/ml in the previous year. Apart from the cancer and its treatment, she had suffered from typhoid when young and had undergone a coronary bypass surgery in 1996. Her father had died of a heart attack (myocardial infarction) and several of her 6 siblings had heart ailments.

She enjoyed a good appetite, ate quite fast and suffered from hyperacidity if she had to remain hungry. She drank about 2.5 litres of water everyday. She loved sweet things, fruits, ice cream and chocolates. Curd (yoghurt) gave her acidity. She passed motions daily but felt mentally and physically uneasy if she were constipated even for one day. She was always constipated when she was away from home. She had profuse sweat which would occasionally leave a white powdery deposit on the clothes. She slept more on her right side and had sound sleep. She was rather chilly and disliked the fan or A.C. She couldn’t remember her dreams.

Her menopause was at 51 and did not remember having any problems then apart from an increase in irritability. She had been pregnant 5 times, had one pregnancy terminated and one child had died at the age of one. She said she had no interest in sex right from the beginning. She was scared of lifts. She was very fond of perfumes but said that she developed a skin allergy to perfumes occasionally.

For protecting her identity, I will not divulge details of her family situation. She was a talkative woman, very strong-minded. She used to come to the clinic with her husband and it was obvious who wore the pants in the family. She wept very easily and often wept in my clinic while narrating her problems and was much relieved by consolation. She was emotionally very expressive and held a grievance against her husband for not being so and giving her no attention. She was also easily angered and she always wanted things going her way. She had hasty speech and was impatient. She enjoyed cleaning-up and was particular about her things. She enjoyed partying, socialising, dressing-up; she was particular about her appearance and wanted attention from everyone around her. I noticed she was haughty with the clinic staff. She was careful with money to the point of being stingy and wanted a reduction in charges even though she could well afford the fees. She loved travelling and enjoyed doing embroidery when at home. She was a shrewd woman and did not trust others easily. Her greatest grief was the death of one of her children.

My first prescription was that of Lachesis but it did her no good; 2 months later when it was time for the CA-125 count again, it had shot up to 19.70 U/ml.

Since the constipation while travelling was a prominent physical symptom (and it didn’t fit Lachesis), I reviewed her case once again and chose Platina. I repeated Platina about twice a month and inbetween gave her the Bach Flower remedy Holly three times a day. About once in 2 months, a dose of Carcinosin was given. She did well on this regime and 6 months later, the CA-125 levels were down at 7.50 U/ml. She was relieved and so was I.

I kept her on this regime, gradually having increased the potency of Carcinosin, with some placebo treatment off and on. The counts were being monitored and the CA-125 levels were steady at around 4 U/ml. She is now no longer being regularly treated for the cancer, but once in a while, if she wants medicines for an acute problem, she contacts the clinic.

Many of my cancer patients have been treated with only Homoeopathy since Iscador was too expensive for long-term treatment. Many cancer patients arrive for treatment rather late in the course of the disease and by that time, only palliation is possible. Some decide to take Homoeopathic treatment and Iscador only after completing the Allopathic treatments of surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. In most of these cases, this delay proves expensive as the disease usually progresses and the patient’s vitality is also much reduced following strong chemical treatment. It is advisable for cancer patients to begin Homoeopathy and Iscador treatment along with conventional treatments so that no time is lost. Homoeopathy and Iscador can also help in keeping side-effects of conventional treatment to a minimum.

There has been an alarming increase in the incidence of cancer since the last century. This rise in incidence has been explained not only due to sophisticated detection techniques, but also due to an increase in the environmental carcinogens affecting the cell adversely, stimulating it to unlimited growth and multiplication – cancer.

Iscador therapy is a type of treatment for cancer used by doctors trained in Anthroposophic medicine. This therapy was developed in Switzerland by Rudolf Steiner at the beginning of the 20th century. Rudolf Steiner was Austrian-born and he developed the science of Anthroposophy. The word Anthroposophy means ‘wisdom of the human being’. It takes into account spiritual dimensions of the human being and the world. Steiner introduced the concepts of anthroposophy into all aspects of life — education, medicine, pharmacy, agriculture, economics, art and religion. This was how Anthroposophic medicine was born.

Anthroposophic medicine is based on the spiritual scientific view of a healthy human being who is in close harmony and interaction with the different levels of creation and has lost this when in a state of ill health. This involves a holistic approach and hence is compatible with other holistic systems of medicine. Training in Anthroposophic medicine is available only to doctors already trained in conventional or alternative systems of medicine. The substances from which anthroposophical medicines are prepared are essentially natural and taken from the mineral, plant and animal kingdoms. Medicines are prepared according to Homoeopathic principles and hence anthroposophic medicine and homoeopathy easily go hand in hand.

Iscador is the trade name of a group of anti-cancer treatments, all prepared from different types of mistletoe extracts. Treatment with Iscador aims at intensifying the body’s own forces against the cancer cell’s tendency towards autonomy. Iscador is a complementary rather than an alternative medicine. It is frequently prescribed in Europe by medical doctors including oncologists in addition to the conventional cancer therapies, radiation, surgery and chemotherapy. Nowadays in Europe, mistletoe is a key component in conventional cancer therapy. Here in India, following training in anthroposophic medicine, homoeopaths have begun to use Iscador for cancer cases. Iscador is available in the US under the brand name Iscar.

There are about 1400 mistletoe species around the world. One thing that they all have in common is that they do not root in the mineral soil but live on other, generally woody, plants. Only white-berried mistletoe is used to treat cancer.

Mistletoe contains among other things, two groups of toxins: viscotoxins and mistletoe lectins. Viscotoxins and mistletoe lectins are proteins capable of being broken down in the digestive tract. The molecular structure and pharmacological actions of viscotoxins are closely related to those of snake venoms. They have cytolytic action, i.e., they dissolve cancer cells. The mistletoe lectins are related to castor-oil plant lectins. They have cytostatic properties, i.e., they inhibit the growth of cancer cells.

THERAPEUTIC APPLICATIONS

• Early malignancies. Here it has the greatest scope, especially in Stage 0, i.e. Carcinoma-in-situ.
• Advanced malignancies. Here it is of considerable help in inoperable tumours, recurrences, widespread metastases and in terminal cases, it brings about palliation.
• It is used as a prophylactic for malignant lesions in pre-cancerous states, where regression of the lesion takes place.
• Benign neoplasms.
• Surgery. Inoperable tumours become operable through delineation of the tumour by Iscador therapy. During the operation, it helps prevent dissemination of the tumour. Post-operatively, it hastens a smooth convalescence. Early follow-up treatment by Iscador results in a significant reduction in the incidence of recurrences and late metastases by about 30-40 %.
• Concurrent with chemotherapy and/or radiation, Iscador prevents or reduces toxic side effects, promotes tolerance as well as dispersion of the tumour.
• Cancer patients treated with Iscador and followed up for a long time with regular laboratory investigations show no toxic symptoms, apart from the desirable rise in body temperature, transient rise in leucocytes and rise in lymphocytes. No harmful side effects have been reported. Even if Iscador is given intensively for many years, there is no depression of the bone marrow unlike chemotherapy and radiation.
• Iscador therapy stimulates the form-giving processes and forces in the human organism against the tendency to unregulated proliferation of the cell, which is seen in cancer.

Iscador preparations are classified according to the host-tree of the mistletoe used in their preparation. Depending on the localization of the primary tumour and on the sex of the patient, the type of Iscador preparation is selected. Metastases are treated with the same preparations as the primary tumour. Special metal combinations are used to increase and potentiate the action of Iscador on specific organs. Each preparation is available in a number of strengths. The different strengths permit variation in the intensity of the treatment, depending upon the clinical state of the patient. The route of administration is usually subcutaneous; only in the case of intracranial tumours is the oral route usually used. The time of administration is usually in the morning, which is the time of the physiological rise of temperature. The frequency of administration varies according to the type and location of the tumour and the judgement of the physician. The duration of the treatment is quite long, extending over a number of years. The changes in the type of Iscador preparations, dose, frequency, etc., are managed through the assessment of the clinical response and the laboratory data.

REACTIONS UNDER ISCADOR THERAPY

• Inflammatory reaction with increased flow of blood and swelling in the region of the tumour is seen occasionally with usual subcutaneous injections. This passes off in a few hours.
• Slight increase in body temperature occurs which is desirable as a curative process.
• Transient increase in the neutrophil component of white blood cell count, which persists for some hours.
• Immune stimulation as a whole and consequent inhibition of tumour development which leads to :
  1) improvement in the general condition.
  2) increased appetite.
  3) gain in weight.
  4) improved sleep.
  5) decrease in fatigue and depression.
  6) stimulation of urinary and bowel functions.
  7) reduction or disappearance of pain.
• Increased tolerance to irradiation and/or chemotherapy.
• Relief of pain and subjective improvement in the patient are most striking even in advanced stages of cancer and inspite of the progressive course of the tumour.

COURSE OF TUMOUR UNDER ISCADOR THERAPY

• Stationary for some time.
• Occasional regression of the tumour.
• Slowing down or cessation of tumour growth.
• Reduced incidence of metastases or secondaries, or prevention of extension.
• Reduced incidence or recurrences after operation and/or radiation.

Iscador medications are imported into India and are fairly expensive, though much cheaper than the costs of conventional cancer treatments. It should be remembered that Iscador has to be continued for several years, with few gaps in between as suggested by the treating physician.

Iscador potentiates the action of Homoeopathic therapeutics as both act on the immune mechanism. When understood and practised, these therapies become limitless in their possibilities for development and their power to treat the millions of sick people in the world.

(For more details, see my write-up on Iscador Therapy at http://wiki4cam.org/wiki/Iscador_Therapy_for_Cancer)

Polycystic Ovarian Disease (PCOD), also known as Stein-Leventhal Syndrome, is a common cause of infertility in many young women. In this condition the follicles do not release the eggs normally in every menstrual cycle; multiple cysts are formed in the ovaries.

It is not really known why PCOD occurs. The polycystic ovaries are a sign of hormonal malfunction. Hormones can be affected by a woman’s emotions, thoughts, diet and personal history. A few cases are genetic and run in families, but most cases have no such familial link.

As Homoeopaths are practitioners who adopt the holistic approach, we are aware that when there is a problem with something so complex as the ovulation process, there may be a problem with the regulatory mechanism of the menstrual cycle in the brain. We know that the brain is affected by emotional and psychological factors such as stress and repressed pain in the past. Where ovarian functioning is concerned, it has been found that negative feelings about being female or feelings of inferiority are often present.

SYMPTOMS

• Obesity
• Excess hair growth on face and body (hirsutism)
• Irregular and infrequent or absent menses with infrequent or absent ovulation
• Acne with greasy skin
• Miscarriages
• Infertility

DIAGNOSIS
A diagnosis of PCOD can be made based on the symptom picture the patient presents with, confirmed by blood tests and USG (ultrasonography) of the abdomen and pelvis. The blood tests are done to check the levels of the hormones oestrogen, progesterone, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinising hormone (LH), testosterone and DHEA.

Women with PCOD are at higher risk of developing other illnesses like high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease and uterine cancer.

TREATMENT
Exercise and reducing body weight are important parts of the treatment of PCOD as they can reduce the risk of developing other illnesses. Having regular periods is important for the woman to reduce the risk of uterine cancer.

Since conventional medicine doesn’t know the cause of most of the cases of PCOD, treatment is aimed at quelling the symptoms only. Most women are therefore prescribed birth control pills and anti-androgenic drugs to create cyclic menstrual periods. Women suffering from infertility are prescribed drugs which induce ovulation temporarily. These treatments, though helpful, do not address the lack of ovulation or the hormonal status of the brain.
Homoeopaths believe that treatment should be aimed at setting the basic cause right and not just targeting each individual problem separately in the complex of PCOD.

Patients have to realise that PCOD does not have to be a lifelong chronic condition. Emotions have to be heeded and not suppressed. Going out in natural light as much as possible is beneficial in re-establishing hormonal balance. Diet should be well-balanced and full of nutritious items. Junk food should be avoided. A regular exercise programme should be followed.

Homoeopathic treatment involves a detailed case taking wherein all emotional, intellectual and physical aspects of the patient are considered before the main remedy is chosen. Such a chosen constitutional remedy works at deep levels setting right the basic imbalance in the body. It is seen that patients respond well to such treatment and regular menstrual cycles are soon established. Over a period of 1-2 years, all cysts in the ovaries also disappear and the woman can lead a normal healthy life without further treatment.