From Tendon, Bone and Cartilage Problems to Healing with Homeopathy

Buster, the Bad Office Dog, was running in the fields by our pond a few months ago, when he apparently stepped into a hole or a depression in the ground. He let out a yelp and came limping back to us. He refused to put any weight on his back leg while yelping. Our poor dog was obviously in severe pain.

Now, sometimes a dog will limp for a bit but gradually start using the leg when the initial shock wears off. Not Buster. He was not about to put any weight on that leg for any reason.

As usual, I gave him a few doses of Arnica 200 for the initial pain and trauma, about 3 times per day for a few days.

But by the end of the week, the leg was no better. Buster was not putting any weight on it, and he would nip if anyone touched his hock. Fortunately, we have a holistic vet friend who lives just minutes from us and who is an excellent diagnostician. She said Buster had a torn meniscus.

The meniscus is a “fibrocartilaginous structure,” which is a fancy way of saying that it is like a spongy pad that sits between the bones at a joint. It acts as a buffer between the bones, absorbs energy like a shock absorber and contributes to joint lubrication. Injuries to the meniscus are not uncommon in athletic dogs and are often accompanied by tears to the cruciate ligament. The most common treatment is surgery. Unfortunately, these injuries often lead to the development of arthritis, bone spurs and degeneration in the joint.

Poor Buster!

If we had gone to a conventional veterinarian, we may have been told that surgery was our only option, and it would not have been a surprise if the cost was as much as $5000.

Hence, Buster immediately started to receive Symphytum officinale 200, one of the most useful remedies in our homeopathy kit. By the way, the cost of a bottle of this medicine is anywhere from a few dollars to about $20, so the decision was an easy one to make.

Symphytum is made from comfrey, a perennial flowering plant that is sometimes considered a weed, but herbalists and organic gardeners have cultivated this plant for centuries for its medicinal uses. You may know it as “knitbone” which gives you a clue to one of its main uses.

Symphytum excels at mending broken bones. In fact, we caution against using this remedy until there is a certainty that the broken bone has been correctly set in place because the remedy has been known to quickly knit bone even when it is not correctly aligned.

A common homeopathic response to a broken bone is to first give Arnica 200 (or higher) for the trauma, shock, bruising, blood loss, and pain, followed by Ruta graveolens (30 or 200) for several days to reduce the muscle bruising and tendon damage. After the bone has been properly set, Symphytum (30 or 200) is used to mend the fracture.

But broken bones are just the beginning.

Back problems? Knee problems? Injuries to tendons, cartilage, or ligaments? Eye injuries?

Symphytum 200 answers them all, quite effectively and elegantly.

Symphytum has a sterling reputation for treating mechanical injuries to the eye, especially the orbit, from blunt force trauma.

But perhaps the most useful quality of Symphytum is that it also deals with injuries to the cartilage, tendons, and ligaments that surround the bone. This makes it a useful remedy for many types of injuries, including sprains, strains, pain from overuse of a muscle, bruising and pain from a blow or fall, and arthritis.

Common problems that respond well to Symphytum include tennis elbow, plantar fasciitis, twisted or sprained ankles, knee pain, joint pain, arthritis and bone spurs. It is even specific for osteomyelitis.

So, by giving Buster Symphytum, we address the immediate injury to the joint and reduce the potential for future problems.

The Banerji Protocol is to use this handy medicine in combination with other medicines to aid in many common chronic problems that plague humans and canines alike.

Here are a couple of protocols you will want to tuck away:

For a bulging disc, herniated disc, or back pain from over lifting:
Symphytum 200 mixed with Calc phos 3X, twice daily, and then if there's pain add separately Hypericum perforatum 200C, twice daily.

For arthritis of the knee: Symphytum 200 mixed with Arnica montana 200, taken twice daily. 

For plantar fasciitis and heel spurs: Symphytum 200 mixed with Rhus tox 30, taken twice daily.

And for torn ligaments and menisci, like Buster’s, Symphytum 200 twice daily.

These problems often take time to heal, sometimes many months, but in the meantime, the remedy also eases the pain and stiffness.

Buster is doing much better today. He is using his leg again, although he still occasionally limps. And doctor’s orders: no climbing stairs! He does enjoy being carried around. (We sometimes wonder if he’s faking the limp.)

From athletes to the aging, Symphytum can be a most accommodating remedy in your home.

Just ask Buster!