Homeopathic Medicines for Traumatic Head Injury

Wednesday, April 15, 2009 by: DanaUllman
Tags: homeopathy, health news, Natural News

(NewsTarget) Natasha Richardson recently passed away as a result of a seemingly mild traumatic head injury, and the world mourns. Now, every mother and father and concerned friend will worry when anyone near and dear to them suffers from any head injury. The good news is that research has confirmed that homeopathic medicines can be used to treat people who suffer from head trauma.

Homeopathic medicines can be used preventively to avoid complications from acute head injury, and they can be used to treat people when complications from head injury are experienced. One study that was conducted at a Harvard-affiliated hospital showed the benefits of homeopathy in treating people who have suffered from a mild traumatic head injury.

A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of 50 patients, with a four-month follow-up, was conducted at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital (Chapman, et al, 1999). Patients with persistent mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI) whose injury resulted in symptoms lasting on average for almost 3 years were randomly assigned to receive an individually chosen homeopathic medicine or a placebo.

As is common in homeopathic practice, each patient with a head injury was prescribed an individually chosen homeopathic medicine because each person tends to experience slightly different symptoms from head injury. A total of 18 different homeopathic medicines were prescribed for the 50 patients, though 8 were more commonly prescribed (see below for a summary of these 8 medicines, and the unique syndrome that each is known to be effective in treating).

The researchers found that a significant improvement in the "Ten Most Common Symptoms Scale" of mild traumatic brain injury and a highly significant improvement on the "Difficulty in Situations Scale." These results indicate important improvements from the homeopathic treatment and translate into clinically significant outcomes.

One of the challenges to people who experience head trauma is that it is common for them to be in shock, and by its own definition, "shock" reduces a person`s ability to think clearly. Natasha Richardson was known to have gotten up on her own and to have joked with others about her fall...and yet, she died within days of her injury.

Below are the eight homeopathic medicines that were most commonly prescribed to people who suffered from a mild traumatic brain injury.

* Arnica (mountain daisy): This is the first remedy to consider to help deal with the shock and trauma of a head injury and to prevent long-term problems from it. Even if the person experiences trauma to the head and doesn`t think that there`s a problem, it is still worthwhile to take this remedy because people with head injury commonly experience shock and don`t realize the extent of the problem. This remedy can also significantly reduce swelling, pain, and complications from a head injury. This remedy is indicated if significant bruising has already occurred.

* Belladonna (deadly nightshade): When there is much heat, redness, throbbing, and fullness in the head after an injury, consider this remedy. The person may become delirious, frantic, and may bite or strike at those around him or her.

* Hypericum (St. John`s wort): Consider this remedy if there are sharp and shooting pains or if there are spasms or seizures after a head injury or spinal cord injury.

* Cicuta (water hemlock): If the person experiences seizures after a head injury or if the head injury is severe enough to suggest mental retardation, consider this remedy.

* Natrum sulphuricum (sodium sulphate): This remedy is useful when a person has long-term symptoms after a head injury, even when the symptoms may not be in the head. This remedy is also indicated when the person becomes depressed and develops suicidal thoughts after a head injury or when the person`s personality significantly changes after the injury (i.e., the person becomes noticeably more irritable or confused).

* Hellaborus (white hellebore): If a person develops severe mental dullness and very slow talking after a head injury, think of this remedy. People who can only respond slowly to questions, who have difficulty understanding others, and have difficulty communicating may benefit from this remedy. These people have a tendency to stare into thin air and become indifferent to their surroundings and even to loved ones.

DOSE: Use the 6, 12, or 30th potency every other hour during the first day after an injury and four times a day after then. If improvement is not obvious after 48 hours, consider another remedy.

REFERENCE:

Chapman, E, Weintraub, R, Milburn, M, et al., Homeopathic Treatment of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury: A Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Trial, Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation, 14,6, Dec, 1999, 521-542.

Stephen Cummings, MD, and Dana Ullman, MPH. Everybody`s Guide to Homeopathic Medicines. New York: Jeremy Tarcher, 2004.

Dana Ullman, MPH. Homeopathic Family Medicine: Evidence Based Nanopharmacology (an ebook). http://www.homeopathic.com

About the author

DANA ULLMAN, MPH, is one of America's leading spokespersons for homeopathy. He has authored nine books, including The Homeopathic Revolution: Why Famous People and Cultural Heroes Choose Homeopathy, Homeopathy A-Z, Homeopathic Medicines for Children and Infants, and (the best-selling) Everybody's Guide to Homeopathic Medicines (with Stephen Cummings, MD). Dana has served on advisory boards of alternative medicine institutes at Harvard, Columbia, and University of Arizona schools of medicine. He is the founder of Homeopathic Educational Services (http://www.homeopathic.com), America's leading resource center for homeopathic books, tapes, medicines, software, and correspondence courses.