Sciatica

HOMŒOPATHIC MATERIA MEDICA
by William BOERICKE, M.D.
Presented by Médi-T




RHUS TOXICODENDRON
Poison-ivy

The effects on the skin, rheumatic pains, mucous membrane affections, and a typhoid type of fever, make this remedy frequently indicated. Rhus affects fibrous tissue markedly-joints, tendons, sheaths-aponeurosis, etc, producing pains and stiffness. Post-operative complications. Tearing asunder pains. Motion always "limbers up" the Rhus patient, and hence he feels better for a time from a change of position. Ailments from strains, overlifting, getting wet while perspiring. Septic conditions. Cellulitis and infections, carbuncles in early stages (Echinac). Rheumatism in the cold season. Septicæmia.

Mind.--Listless, sad. Thoughts of suicide. Extreme restlessness, with continued change of position. Delirium, with fear of being poisoned (Hyos). Sensorium becomes cloudy. Great apprehension at night, cannot remain in bed.

Head.--Feels as if a board were strapped on the forehead. Vertigo when rising. Heavy head. Brain feels loose and as if struck against skull on walking or rising. Scalp sensitive; worse on side lain on. Headache in occiput (Rhus rad); painful to touch. Pain in forehead and proceeds thence backward. Humid eruptions on scalp; itching greatly.

Eyes.--Swollen, red, œdematous; orbital cellulitis. Pustular inflammations. Photophobia; profuse flow of yellow pus. Œdema of lids, suppurative iritis. Lids inflamed, agglutinated swollen. Old injured eyes. Circumscribed corneal injection. Intensive ulceration of the cornea. Iritis, after exposure to cold and dampness, and of rheumatic origin. Eye painful on turning it or pressing, can hardly move it, as in acute retrobulbar neuritis. Profuse gush of hot, scalding tears upon opening lids.

Ears.--Pain in ears, with sensation as if something were in them. Lobules swollen. Discharge of bloody pus.

Nose.--Sneezing; coryza from getting wet. Tip of nose red, sore, ulcerated. Swelling of nose. Nosebleed on stooping.

Face.--Jaws crack when chewing. Easy dislocation of jaw (Ign; Petrol). Swollen face, erysipelas. Cheek bones sensitive to touch. Parotitis. Facial neuralgia, with chilliness; worse, evening. Crusta lactea (Calc; Viol tric).

Mouth.--Teeth feel loose and long; gums sore. Tongue red and cracked; coated, except red triangular space at the tip; dry and red at edges. Corners of mouth ulcerated; fever-blisters around mouth and chin (Nat mur). Pain in maxillary joint.

Throat.--Sore, with swollen glands. Sticking pain on swallowing. Parotitis; left side.

Stomach.--Want of appetite for any kind of food, with unquenchable thirst. Bitter taste (Cupr). Nausea, vertigo, and bloated abdomen after eating. Desire for milk. Great thirst, with dry mouth and throat. Pressure as from a stone. (Bry; Ars) Drowsy after eating.

Abdomen.--Violent pains, relieved by lying on abdomen. Swelling of inguinal glands. Pain in region of ascending colon. Colic, compelling to walk bent. Excessive distention after eating. Rumbling of flatus on first rising, but disappears with continued motion.

Rectum.--Diarrhœa of blood, slime, and reddish mucus. Dysentery, with tearing pains down thighs. Stools of cadaverous odor. Frothy, painless stools. Will often abort a beginning suppurative process near the rectum. Dysentery.

Urinary.--Dark, turbid, high-colored, scanty urine, with white sediment. Dysuria, with loss of blood.

Male.--Swelling of glands and prepuce-dark-red erysipelatous; scrotum thick, swollen, œdematous. Itching intense.

Female.--Swelling, with intense itching of vulva. Pelvic articulations stiff when beginning to move. Menses early, profuse, and prolonged, acrid. Lochia thin, protracted, offensive diminished (Puls; Secale), with shooting upwards in vagina (Sep).

Respiratory.--Tickling behind upper sternum. Dry, teasing cough from midnight until morning, during a chill, or when putting hands out of bed. Hæmoptysis from overexertion; blood bright red. Influenza, with aching in all bones (Eup perf). Hoarseness from overtraining voice (Arn). Oppression of the chest, cannot get breath with sticking pains. Bronchial coughs in old people, worse on awaking and with expectoration of small plugs of mucus.

Heart.--Hypertrophy from overexertion. Pulse quick, weak, irregular, intermittent, with numbness of left arm. Trembling and palpitation when sitting still.

Back.--Pain between shoulders on swallowing. Pain and stiffness in small of back; better, motion, or lying on something hard; worse, while sitting. Stiffness of the nape of the neck.

Extremities.--Hot, painful swelling of joints. Pains tearing in tendons, ligaments, and fasciæ. Rheumatic pains spread over a large surface at nape of neck, loins, and extremities; better motion (Agaric). Soreness of condyles of bones. Limbs stiff paralyzed. The cold fresh air is not tolerated; it makes the skin painful. Pain along ulnar nerve. Tearing down thighs. Sciatica; worse, cold, damp weather, at night. Numbness and formication, after overwork and exposure. Paralysis; trembling after exertion. Tenderness about knee-joint. Loss of power in forearm and fingers; crawling sensation in the tips of fingers. Tingling in feet.

Fever.--Adynamic; restless, trembling. Typhoid; tongue dry and brown; sordes; bowels loose; great restlessness. Intermittent; chill, with dry cough and restlessness. During heat, urticaria. Hydroa. Chilly, as if cold water were poured over him, followed by heat and inclination to stretch the limbs.

Skin.--Red, swollen; itching intense. Vesicles, herpes; urticaria; pemphigus; erysipelas; vesicular suppurative forms. Glands swollen. Cellulitis. Burning eczematous eruptions with tendency to scale formation.

Sleep.--Dreams of great exertion. Heavy sleep, as from stupor. Sleepless before midnight.

Modalities.--Worse, during sleep, cold, wet rainy weather and after rain; at night, during rest, drenching, when lying on back or right side. Better, warm, dry weather, motion; walking, change of position, rubbing, warm applications, from stretching out limbs.

Relationship.--Complementary: Bry; Calc fluor. Phytol (Rheumatism). In urticaria follow with Bovista.

Inimical: Apis.

Antidotes: Bathing with milk and Grindelia lotion very effective. Ampelopsis Trifolia-Three-leaf Woodbine--(Toxic dermatitis due to vegetable poisons-30 and 200. Very similar to Rhus poisoning). Desensitizing against Ivy poisoning by the use of descending doses of the tincture by mouth or by hypodermic injections is recommended by old school authorities, but is not as effective as the homeopathic remedies especially Rhus 30 and 200 and Anacard, etc. Anacard; Croton; Grindelia; Mezer; Cyprip; Plumbago (eczema of vulva); Graph.

Compare: Rhus radicans (almost identical action); characteristics are, burning in tongue, tip feels sore, pains are often semilateral and in various parts, often remote and successive. Many symptoms are better after a storm has thoroughly set in, especially after an electric storm. Has pronounced yearly aggravation (Laches). Rhus radicans has headache in occiput even pain in nape of neck and from there pains draw over the head forwards. Rhus diversiloba-California Poison-oak (antidote to Rhus; violent skin symptoms, with frightful itching; much swelling of face, hands and genitals; skin very sensitive; eczema and erysipelas, great nervous weakness, tired from least effort; goes to sleep from sheer exhaustion); Xerophyllum (dysmenorrhœa and skin symptoms). Compare, also; Arn; Bapt; Lach; Ars; Hyos; Op (stupefaction more profound). Mimosa-Sensitive Plant--(rheumatism, knee stiff, lancinating pains in back and limbs. Swelling of ankles Legs tremble).

Dose.--Sixth to thirtieth potency. The 200th and higher are antidotal to poisoning with the plant and tincture.



Copyright © Médi-T 1999

It's quite a lot about sciatica in Kent's repertory:

PAIN, lower limbs, sciatica, hang down agg.

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hang down agg. : Valer.

hang over sides of bed, letting leg : Verat.

heat agg. : Led., verat., zinc.

heel, becomes localized in : Anan., sep.

hip to knee : Coloc., elat., lach., plan.

hot weather : Kali-bi.

injury, after : Arn., hyper.

jarring agg. : Bell., nux-m., tell.

laughing agg. : Tell.

lifted, when : Nux-v.

living in cold damp house : Ars., nat-s., rhus-t.

lying : Coloc., ferr., gnaph., kali-i., meny., nat-m., ruta., sep., tell., valer.

amel. : Am-m., bar-c., bry., dios., lach.

back, on : Kali i., rhus-t.

amel. : Phos.

on left side : Kali-c., phos.

on right side : Rhus-t.

amel. : Phos.

on painful side : Dros., kali-c., Kali-i., Lyc., nux-v., phos., Rhus-t., sep., tell.

amel. : Bry., coloc.

stretched out, with limb : Cham.

mental exertion : Mag-p.

motion agg. : Acon., Bry., calc., chel., cocc., coff., coloc., dios., eup-pur., gels., gnaph., guai., iris., kali-c., lac-c., lach., led., mag-p., merc., mez., nux-m., nux-v., pall., phos., phyt., plb., puls., ran-b., sep., staph., syph.

amel. : Acon., agar., arg-m., caps., cham., coc-c., dulc., eupho., Ferr., gels., indg., kali-bi., kali-i., kali-p., kreos., lac-c., lyc., meny., nat-s., puls., rhod., Rhus-t., ruta., sep., sil., sulph., ter., valer.

continued, agg. : Coloc.

slow amel. : Ferr., kali-p., puls.

move, on beginning to : Gels., Rhus-t., ruta., thuj.

numbness, with : Coloc., gnaph., nux-v., phyt., rhus-t.

overheated, from being : Zinc.

pain in spine all over, with : Petr.

periodical : Chin-s., lyc., lyss., rhus-t.

every 4 days : Lyc.

regular intervals : Carb-s.

pressure agg. : Coloc., dros., kali-bi., kali-c., kali-i., lyc., phyt., plb.

amel. : Ars., coff., coloc., Mag-p., meny., phyt., rhus-t.

pulsating : Coloc., lact-ac.

rising from seat : Cham., coloc., ferr., kali-p., lach., lyss., nat-s., rhus-t., ruta., sep., staph., sulph., thuj.

sitting agg. : Am-m., berb., bry., coloc., dios., ferr., indg., iris., kali-bi., kali-i., lach., Lyc., lyss., meny., merc., ruta., sep., staph., valer.

amel. : Gnaph., guai., kali-i.

sleep, after, agg. : Lach., led.

sneezing : Sep., tell.

standing agg. : Aesc., agar., bar-c., ferr., kali-bi., kali-i., nux-v., sulph., valer.

amel. : Bell., mag-p., meny., staph.

stepping agg. : Asar., bar-c., gnaph., nux-m.

stool, pressing at : Nux-v., rhus-t., sep., tell.

stooping agg. : Agar., card-m., dros., nat-s., tell.

stretching the leg agg. : Arn., berb., caps., cham., guai., valer.

suddenly, come and go : Bell., Kali-br., mag-p., sulph.

summer, with cough in winter : Staph.

tonic contractions, chronic : Nat-m., tell.

touch agg. : Bell., berb., caps., Chin-s., cocc., coloc., ferr., gels., guai., kali-c., Lach., led., mag-p., mez., sulph., verat.

turn over on the well side before he can rise from bed : Kali-c.

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EXTREMITIES p. 1066

PAIN, lower limbs, sciatica, turning in bed agg.

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turning in bed agg. : Nat-s.

uncovering limb : Mag-p.

urination amel. : Tell.

vexation : Coloc.

walking agg. : Bar-c., berb., chin-s., coff., coloc., ign., lach., led., nat-a., nat-s., psor., sulph., zinc.

amel. : Agar., am-m., caps., coc-c., Ferr., indg., kali-bi., kali-i., kali-p., Lyc., ph-ac., Rhus-t., ruta., sep., syph., valer.

warm room agg. : Puls.

warmth agg. : Guai., Led., verat., zinc.

amel. : Ars., bell., caust., coloc., kali-c., kali-p., Lyc., Mag-p., nat-m., nux-v., pall., phos., Rhus-t., sil., staph., thuj.

of bed agg. : Coloc., led., merc.

amel. : Ars., caust., Lyc., mag-p., nux-v., phos., sil.

washing in cold water : Calc., Rhus-t., sulph.

wet weather : Phyt., ran-b., Rhus-t., ruta.

amel. : Asar.

wind, before a heavy : Berb.

winter, in : Ign.

sitting, while : Agar., am-m., ant-c., Arg-m., aur-m-n., calc., cham., chin., cob., croc., ham., indg., iod., led., Lyc., mag-m., nit-ac., olnd., paeon., ph-ac., plat., sep., staph., sulph., valer., verat.

standing, while : Aesc., agar., phyt., ptel., stann., valer.

upright, while : Agar., bry., graph., puls.

amel. : Bell.

stepping out : Berb.

stool, before : Bapt.

during : Coloc., nux-v., rhus-t., tell.

touch, by : Bell., berb., bry., chin., guai., mez., nux-v., plat., puls., ruta., sulph.

ulcerative : Benz-ac.

undressing : Nat-s.

vexation, after : Sep.

walking : Ambr., anac., ant-c., arn., asaf., berb., bry., calc-p., coloc., gels., hep., hyos., led., lyc., merc., nit-ac., nux-m., nux-v., ol-an., petr., phos., phyt., plb., ran-b., sep., stann., stram., sulph., tab., tarent., thuj., viol-t.

amel. : Agar., am-c., am-m., arg-m., ars., bell., chin., dig., dulc., Ferr., indg., kali-i., kali-s., Lyc., puls., Pyrog., Rhus-t., seneg., sep., tub., valer., verat.

in open air, after : Phos.

wandering : Aesc., ars-h., caul., iris., kali-bi., kalm., lac-c., lach., mag-p., sang., vib.

warm, when : Hell., Lac-c., led., puls., verat., zinc.

amel. : Ars., bar-c., caust., graph., lyc., nat-c., ph-ac., phos., stront., sulph.

warmth of bed : Coloc., ferr., guai., led., Merc., plb., sulph., syph., Verat.

amel. : Agar., ars., bell., caust., dulc., Lyc., mag-p., Nux-v., ph-ac., phos., Pyrog., Rhus-t.

weakness, with : Plb.

weather, changing : Berb., kali-bi., lach., ran-b., rhod.

wet : Bor., ran-b., rhod., rhus-t., ruta., ter., Verat.

windy : Lach.

extending to foot : Apis., colch., lach., merc-i-f., phyt., sang., zinc.

downward : Aeth., aloe., am-c., am-m., apis., arg-n., ars., bar-c., berb., bry., calc., cann-s., caps., carb-an., carb-v., card-m., caust., cham., cocc., coloc., crot-h., dios., elat., eup-pur., ferr., gnaph., guai., hyper., Ind., iris., kali-ar., kali-bi., kali-c., kali-i., kali-p., Kalm., lac-c., Lach., lyc., mag-p., mur-ac., nat-m., nit-ac., nux-m., nux-v., ph-ac., phyt., plb., puls., rhus-t., ruta., sep., staph., still., sulph., tell., ther., thuj., verat., zinc.

upwards : Acon., agar., cimic., eup-pur., guai., kali-p., lach., Led., nux-v., phyt., plb., podo., rhus-t., ruta., verat., zinc.

I should have explained:

agg=aggravates=makes worse

amel=ameliorates=makes better

eronvica,

Astra's post gives you enough to go on to work it out manualy, and there's nothing wrong with that.

But if you just type sciatica into the Remedy Finder, you'll get the same options, if not more, and it'll be much easier because you just have to tick boxes

I was sure I posted that one too-well, I'll do it now.

I'm sure you'll be interested to read it-besides your post came up!


HOMŒOPATHIC MATERIA MEDICA
by William BOERICKE, M.D.
Presented by Médi-T




COLOCYNTHIS
Bitter Cucumber

Often indicated in the transition season when the air is cold, but the sun is still powerful enough to heat the blood.

Develops most of its symptoms in the abdomen and head, causing intense neuralgias. It is especially suitable for irritable persons easily angered, and ill effects therefrom. Women with copious menstruation, and of sedentary habits. Persons with a tendency to corpulency. The neuralgic pains are nearly always relieved by pressure. Cramps and twitching and shortening of muscles. Constrictions and contractions. Cystospasm following operations on orifices (Hyper). Urinous odor of perspiration (Berb; Nitr ac). Agonizing pain in abdomen, causing patient to bend double, is most characteristic. Sensations; cutting, twisting, grinding, contracting and bruised; as if clamped with iron bands.

Mind.--Extremely irritable. Becomes angry when questioned. Mortification caused by offense. Anger, with indignation (Cham; Bry; Nux).

Head.--Vertigo when turning head to the left. Lateral cutting headache, with nausea, vomiting. Pains (better pressure and heat), with soreness of scalp. Burning pains, digging, rending, and tearing. Frontal headache; worse, stooping, lying on back, and moving eyelids.

Eyes.--Pains sharp, boring, better pressure. Sensation on stooping, as if eye would fall out. Gouty affections of eyes. Violent pain in eyeballs which precede the development of glaucoma.

Face.--Tearing, shooting, and swelling of face; left side great soreness. Get relief from pressure (China). Neuralgia, with chilliness; teeth seem too long. Sounds re-echo in ears. Pain in stomach, always with pain of teeth or head.

Stomach.--Very bitter taste. Tongue rough, as from sand, and feels scalded. Canine hunger. Feeling in stomach as if something would not yield; drawing pain.

Abdomen.--Agonizing cutting pain in abdomen causing patient to end over double, and pressing on the abdomen. Sensation as if stones were being ground together in the abdomen, and would burst. Intestines feel as if bruised. Colic with cramps in calves. Cutting in abdomen, especially after anger. Each paroxysm is attended with general agitation and a chill over the cheeks, ascending from the hypogastrium. Pain in small spot below navel. Dysenteric stool renewed each time by the least food or drink. Jelly-like stools. Musty odor. Distention.

Female.--Boring pain in ovary. Must draw up double, with great restlessness. Round, small cystic tumors in ovaries or broad ligaments. Wants abdomen supported by pressure. Bearing-down cramps, causing her to bend double (Opium).

Urine.--Intense burning along urethra during stool. Vesical catarrh, discharge like fresh white of egg. Viscid (Phos acid) fetid; small quantities, with frequent urging. Itching at orifice. Red, hard crystals, adhering firmly to vessel. Tenesmus of bladder. Pains on urinating over whole abdomen.

Extremities.--Contraction of muscles. All the limbs are drawn together. Pain in right deltoid (Guaco). Cramp-like pain in hip; lies on affected side; pain from hip to knee. Spontaneous luxation of the hip-joints. Stiffness of joints and shortening of tendons. Sciatic pain, left side, drawing, tearing; better, pressure and heat; worse, gentle touch. Contraction of the muscles. Pain down right thigh; muscles and tendons feel too short; numbness with pains (Gnaphal). Pain in left knee joint.

Modalities.--Worse, from anger and indignation. Better, doubling up, hard pressure, warmth, lying with head bent forward.

Relationship.--Antidote: Coffea; Staphis; Cham. Colocynth is the best antidote to lead poisoning (Royal).

Compare: Lobelia erinus (violent cork-screw-like pains in abdomen). Dipodium punctatum (Writhing. Twisting like a dying snake. Intractable insomnia). Dioscor; Chamom; Coccul; Merc; Plum; Magn phos.

Dose.--Sixth to thirtieth potency.



Copyright © Médi-T 1999