X-Ray: An Effective Homeopathic Medicine for Radiation Exposure

An X-ray here, and an X-ray there. One at the dentist. One at urgent care after a severe wrist injury resulting from a fall. One at the chiropractor because of chronic back pain.

What’s the harm?

Well, we all know that damage from repetitive X-rays can accumulate and cause deleterious effects in the human body. We’re not designed to experience medical radiation exposure over and over again.

Most of the time, as wise medical consumers, we can simply say, “No, thank you.” Yet, on occasion, getting an X-ray seems to be an unavoidable part of receiving a diagnosis.

Can Homeopathy Address Radiation Exposure?

Of course, it can!

I previously wrote about tackling radiation exposure from war in my blog post, The Fear du Jour: Radiation, being prompted by the media’s determination to scare us that a nuclear bomb could be imminent.

At the time, I mentioned that the same homeopathic medicines in that article might also be choices to consider for combatting the side effects of medical radiation but that I would share more information later.

So, let’s get into that promised “more information,” shall we?

First and foremost, I’m not dismissing all X-rays. X-rays can be diagnostically useful, giving us good information. However, we should think twice about submitting to them often.

Think about it: If an area of the body is already compromised — say, a bone, a joint, or even soft tissue is compromised — do we really want X-rays to be aimed right at the impaired area over and over and over to monitor its progress?

It’s a double-edged sword. Sometimes, we do need that information; yet other times, too much information can be counterproductive and downright costly — financially, emotionally and physically.

However, if an X-ray is necessary, we may consider employing homeopathic medicine to mitigate the potential tissue damage.

**Homeopathic X-Ray for Radiation Exposure**

I think you’ll be able to remember the name of this homeopathic medicine, as it’s straightforwardly called “X-ray.” (How’s that for easy?)

As this is not necessarily a specific protocol, there are many ways to utilize it. However, as a prophylactic, I’ve generally used X-ray 30 once on the night before the appointment and once just after the image is taken. Then, I’d repeat the dosage once a day for a few days afterward.

Do we know whether or not it’s acting? To be honest, I don’t know how we could substantiate its efficacy because, again, we’re using it as a prophylactic.

A Successful Case in Point

However, I will offer this story from my clinical experience: Years ago, I had a case of a woman with chronic fatigue. I had been taking her case for quite some time, using other medicines as indicated. She was improving slightly, but not much.

Finally, I asked, “Just give me your hunch. Is there anything about your life that could have instigated your condition?”

My friends, it’s incredible how often people intuitively know why they’re suffering.

She said, “You know, I’ve thought about the fact that I’ve had lots of X-rays,” and then she went on to tell me this story: She had adopted a child who had multiple health conditions. In order to adopt the child, the child was required to receive X-rays regularly — frequently. (If memory serves, it was once a week or so).

Because the baby was a newborn, this mother held the baby during the tests. So, Mom received the X-rays right along with the baby — X-ray after X-ray. I remember when she told me the number of X-rays she had been exposed to — something like 30 X-rays over a short period. — I said, “Holy cow!” I had never heard of anything like that before.

Well, that was precisely the clue I needed. We used X-ray 30, twice a week for a couple of weeks and her fatigue melted away.

So, homeopathically prepared X-ray has proven effective in my practice for illnesses resulting from X-ray radiation exposure. Consequently, it’s reasonable to extrapolate that it will also serve us well as a prophylactic.

Of course, X-rays aren’t the only radiologic medical procedure. Many cancer patients receive radiation as part of their conventional therapy. To be able to discuss this topic more candidly, I will cover the most likely homeopathic medicine to address that specific type of radiation exposure in my next Memo to Mighty Members.

If you’re not a member yet, what are you waiting for?

Pass on the good news of Practical Homeopathy®!

Warmly,

P.S. If you’re curious to learn more about homeopathic X-ray, including a hint on how it is manufactured, A Materia Medica: Practical Homeopathy® for Busy Families is the perfect addition to your homeopathic library. With entries for over 150 of the most commonly utilized homeopathic remedies, this reference will enhance your ability to choose the most tight-fitting remedy for common conditions. And it’s written in plain English — my English — with stories and illustrations to make learning more accessible for busy families like yours.

Podcast 129 — Overcoming Anxiety and Panic Attacks with Practical Homeopathy®

IN THIS PODCAST, WE COVER:

01:00 Introduction: Overcoming Anxiety and Panic Attacks

01:44 Downside to the Conventional Approach (Pharmaceuticals)

02:52 With Homeopathy, It’s Over

Mindful Homeopathy: Practical Protocols for Mental and Emotional Conditions

04:57 Bam! Aconitum napellus

13:47 Aconitum During Labor

14:50 Fear: Argentum nitricum

19:07 When to Pivot

21:37 Check Your Materia Medica

A Materia Medica: Practical Homeopathy® for Busy Families

Free online materia medicas

24:15 Arsenicum album

26:09 Our “A” for Anxiety Medicines All Start with the Letter “A”

27:00 The Ladder of Learning

A Dog with Anxiety? There’s a Homeopathic Solution

Anxiety: When the Elevator Flies to the Top

You Mean Summer is Over: When Back to School Results in Anxiety and Panic Attacks, Homeopathy Saves the Day

Must-Have Memorial Day Medicines for Hay Fever, Overindulgence and Anxiety

Joette’s Mighty Members

Gateway to Practical Homeopathy®: A Guided Study Group Curriculum

Joette’s Learning Center

The Academy of Practical Homeopathy®

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

Joette’s Study Group, Find Your New Study Group Friends

Joette Calabrese on YouTube

Kate:

This is the Practical Homeopathy® Podcast, episode number 129, with Joette Calabrese.

Joette:

Hi, I’m Joette Calabrese, and I welcome you to our health care movement — yours, mine and the countless men and women across the globe who have re-taken control of their families’ health with Practical Homeopathy®.

So, for the next few minutes, let’s link our arms as I demystify homeopathy — what was once considered an esoteric paradigm — into an understandable, reproducible, safe and effective health care solution available to all.

This is the medicine you’ve been searching for — my unique brand of homeopathy, PRACTICAL Homeopathy®.

INTRODUCTION: OVERCOMING ANXIETY AND PANIC ATTACKS

Kate: (01:00)

Hi, I am Kate, and I want to welcome you to the podcast today. We’re so glad you’re here. I want to thank you for taking the initiative to learn about homeopathy, which will have a big impact on your life.

And if you are new here, we want to welcome you.

Today’s podcast: Joette is going to share some tips on how to overcome anxiety and panic attacks. So, let’s get started.

Hi, Joette!

Joette:

Hi, Kate.

Kate:

It’s so exciting. This is a huge topic because I know anxiety can be so debilitating. So, I’d love to hear your thoughts on how to address this homeopathically. It’s really the only way that I know of that can really calm down anxiety and panic attacks. What are your thoughts?

DOWNSIDE TO THE CONVENTIONAL APPROACH (PHARMACEUTICALS)

Joette: (01:44)

Well, there are psychotropic drugs that someone could use, and that can calm down a certain amount of anxiety, but then you pay for it in another way.

There’s no such thing as a synthetic drug of commerce that is as simple as, “Oh, just take it and you’ll be just fine.”

No, there’s always a downside, and the downside can be pretty sobering. We don’t want to get into a situation where someone depends on a synthetic drug.

So, one of the ways that we can look at this — or actually the main way to look at this — is that, with homeopathy, the homeopathic medicines correct the problem. They don’t just cover it up for the next opportunity that the panic or the anxiety attack presents again.

Whereas, with conventional drugs, you are assigned to those drugs for months, years, decades.

In homeopathy, after using the homeopathic medicine — sometimes only a couple of doses, sometimes only a couple of doses here and there over a period of weeks or months — it’s over.

WITH HOMEOPATHY, IT’S OVER

Joette: (02:52)

Now, what do I mean by “over”? It means there are no more panic attacks. They simply don’t occur. And it’s not because it’s been suppressed or stuffed down into the person only to come up (like pressing down on a water balloon) so that it bulges up somewhere else.

No, it uproots the condition. It stops it. It ends it so that then it becomes a mere memory — even a dim memory in your thinking — so that you can get on with your life.

So, I talk about this all the time — a problem with anxiety or panic attacks, either one. I mean, we’re going to be talking about both today. But I talk about them in my blogs, which you really ought to take advantage of. They’re free. You can access them on a regular basis anytime you’d like.

In my courses, we have a course called Mindful Homeopathy in which I go into greater depth of exactly how to utilize these medicines. Although, I’m going to give you good information today, even without perhaps taking an entire course.

Because here’s the thing: When someone has anxiety, it is such a huge roadblock that it seems as though nothing else can be taken care of in that day. Nothing else matters. It doesn’t matter that you have to tend to the children. It almost doesn’t matter that you’re supposed to be sleeping. It almost doesn’t matter that you’re supposed to be having fun with your family. It takes such precedent over your life that it colors everything. It’s as though you’re putting on a pair of glasses that give you a completely different perspective. But that’s the downside of life.

The upside is we have homeopathy, and homeopathy is the only medicine that I’m aware of that has the ability to resolve this.

BAM! ACONITUM NAPELLUS

Joette: (04:57)

So, let’s start with one medicine that I’ve talked about so many times because it was such an influence in my life and in many others’ lives. And it’s so ubiquitous. It’s a common medicine that is used in so many people’s lives … that’s what I mean to say. And that medicine is Aconitum napellus. The short version is Aconite, but it’s Aconitum napellus.

Now, here’s the thing. I don’t leave home without it. I keep it in my little makeup bag in my purse at all times. I would never leave home without it. Why? Not because I get panic attacks. I used to, many years ago, until I started to use this medicine (and another one we’re going to be talking about). Those years, those times are over for me. I can live a very comfortable life because I don’t have to worry about anxiety or panic or over-worry, et cetera.

So, I keep it in my purse because the thing — and this is what I want to make clear to you today — the thing about Aconitum is that it’s often one minute, you’re fine, and the next minute, it’s BAM, and you’re hit with this terrible panic or this terrible anxiety.

And the reason I keep it in my purse is because if I’m in an automobile accident or someone else is in some kind of an accident, one minute, everything is just fine. You’re just running through life, and then, all of a sudden, BAM, you’re hit with something. It could be an automobile accident. It could be falling off of a bicycle.

It could even be — it doesn’t have to be — an injury. It could be you’re feeling just fine and all of a sudden, BAM, it feels like you’re coming down with something. “Oh, my gosh, my chest feels very full. Two minutes ago, I didn’t even notice this. Now, it’s all of a sudden.” So, it’s a quick onset, a fast onset of a sense of impending doom: that sense of, “Oh my gosh, something really bad has just happened.”

Sometimes it’s because something bad really did happen, but many other times, we can’t even put our finger on it. “Why do I feel like this? It’s only a cold.” Or “Why do I feel like that? I don’t even have a cold. There’s nothing going on except that I feel this sense of impending doom, this panic like I’m really in serious trouble here.”

And years ago, when I was poking through materia medicas, which is, of course, the material of our medicines, which is an anthology of our homeopathic medicines and a description of them. (We have many materia medicas authored by many great homeopaths.) I came across this sentence that really struck me.

In fact, it struck me so strongly that I wrote down the date that it really hit me. Because someone I know — as well as myself — had suffered a shock earlier in life and found that ever since that time, it’s as though it was stuck.

And so, this is what I wrote. Actually, I wrote, “Joette discovered this particular line, August 14th, 1996.”

It took me a few years to actually embody this idea. And this is what this sentence read (and I’m reading from “The Desktop Guide” by Roger Morrison). This author has a way of putting things eloquently. He says, “Aconite can release a shock or fright that has been held in the body or mind for a lifetime.”

That’s a powerful statement, my friends.

If the person has had panic attacks for the last 15 years of their life, for example, or anxiety —even low-level, background music (“Musak” as I used to call it when I used to have it years ago) — ever since a specific event.

They were caught in an earthquake. They got stuck in an elevator for several hours. Somebody attacked them and they were fearful of their life. They had a very frightening experience during birth.

Aconitum can uproot that.

So, we’re not going to just guess that that’s what happened. But if we could say, “Oh my gosh, yes, there was a significant event in my life 15 years ago. And just around that time, it seems as though I’ve had this anxiety for no apparent reason … or for an apparent reason.”

And so, what do we do with that?

Okay, Aconite fits the picture. Now, what do we do? Well, we use the remedy Aconite napellus. I prefer 200C, although a 30 could be used — 30C could be used, 30X could be used, 200X. But my preference, because it’s so readily available in today’s world, is Aconitum napellus 200C.

And during an event of panic or even just simple low-level anxiety, the person takes a dose.

Now, some people may say, “What do you mean during an event? I have this all the time!”

Okay, then you just take it. It’s often best used before bed. Doesn’t have to be. What if it’s a true anxiety attack at noon? Does that mean we have to wait to take it before bed? No, we take it as needed.

We take a dose, and then, we check out how do we feel even two hours later, 12 hours later, 24 hours later. And we kind of test how do we feel. “Oh, my goodness. You know what? I kind of forgot about it.”

Now, sometimes one dose will do it. I know. Sounds strange, doesn’t it? But perhaps, instead, it might need to be used once a day, every day for a few days.

We’re always looking to back off of the medicine because this is not something that I want you to get hooked on.

Kate:

And it’s not a supplement.

Joette:

It’s not a supplement or a vitamin. This is a medicine that is intended to uproot the condition. And over a period of time — it could be just one dose, could be three doses over a period of three days, could be five doses over a period of five days — you should find that you’ve just forgotten about being anxious. It just doesn’t show up.

A lot of times people don’t even realize. Life just goes on, and they don’t think about it any longer. That’s the way this medicine can act.

Kate:

So, if someone was having a panic attack and they took a dose of Aconitum and then it subsided and things felt a little better. And then, in another 30 minutes or an hour, all of a sudden, they started feeling that panic coming back on … could they take another dose of the Aconite?

Joette:

Yes, they could. I would not encourage taking it much more frequently than, say, once every hour or so. But if it doesn’t act in a dose or two or three doses, then over a period of a few hours, it’s likely not the correct medicine. And I’ll tell you what I mean by that in a little while.

Before I go into that — choosing a second-choice medicine — I want you to also think about this as a medicine that is really great when someone has a fear, an extreme anxiety before surgery or after surgery. Because surgery is a shock to the system and the person intuitively knows that they’re about to go through something that’s like a world war on their body.

Surgery is a big deal. People take it very nonchalantly these days, but I disagree. I think they should not be thinking of it that way.

If one is absolutely in need of surgery, then it can be a wonderful thing. Surgery can be very useful in the hands of a good surgeon. However, surgery is often overused. A tonsillectomy — I could keep going — all kinds of skin conditions that are surgically removed, hysterectomy.

Many of these are superfluous. These are conditions that can be treated homeopathically more often than not, and so those surgeries are superfluous.

But let’s say you don’t know that. You haven’t even even thought about the possibility of being able to treat tonsils that the ear, nose, throat doctor is eager to remove. Perhaps you don’t know that you don’t really need a hysterectomy for fibroids. Perhaps you don’t know all that, but yet you’re still afraid.

So, this could be an entrée into the world of homeopathy by simply saying, “I am really scared of this surgery.” Or after the surgery, “Boy, I had this terrible anxiety.” Aconitum napellus 200C before bedtime (often) or during a panic attack for a few doses (meaning could be over a couple of days — three or four days — and see how you feel.

And my guess is, more often than not, if you’re following what I’m saying here and you know that Aconitum is the right medicine (because we have others from which to choose), if you feel pretty confident that this is a good descriptor, then Aconitum napellus 200C often will work very nicely for most people.

ACONITUM DURING LABOR

Kate: (13:47)

How about right during the birthing process: when you’re giving birth, and you have that fear? Would Aconite be the remedy for that?

Joette:

I’m so glad you asked that, Kate. Thank you.

Yes, it’s one of our best medicines for when the mother is going through labor, and she’s saying, “I’m really anxious. I feel like something’s wrong. Something’s wrong with the baby, something’s wrong with me.” And to her, it feels as though she’s intuiting this.

Now, she may be. But it’s more often likely if everything looks proper according to the midwife (or to her family members) that she’s really just fine, but she’s feeling anxious. Then, a dose or two of Aconitum napellus 200C, administered a few minutes apart perhaps, will calm her down, and she’ll be able to move forward and to get to the task at hand. So, it’s a great medicine for during labor and after labor.

FEAR: ARGENTUM NITRICUM

Kate: (14:50)

Let’s talk another medicine. Now, if Aconitum doesn’t act, what might you consider next?

Joette:

Well, there’s a common sense in people — especially women, I don’t hear it from men; I hear this from women — who have this inexplicable fear of going over bridges. They’ve always driven over bridges, but something in their life perhaps changed. Maybe they had an event that was frightening. Maybe they were sick from something or whatever the reason is. We don’t even have to know the etiology. But we do know that now this person (or perhaps all their life) has this fear of traveling over a bridge.

Aconitum is certainly something that could be considered, but I actually prefer to use a different medicine when it is specifically for fear of going over bridges. And that’s Argentum nitricum. Short version is Arg nit, but the long version is Argentum nitricum. Again, I like a 200C. Could we use a 30? Yes, we could. If that’s what you’ve got, then that’s what you use.

So, Argentum nitricum 200C. Perhaps, if it’s not something that this person suffers from regularly, just thinking about bridges will make them quake. Perhaps it’s only when they’re traveling. And they really don’t want to go over that bridge, but they know that it’s the only way they’re going to be able to get to their children’s house, so they must do it.

Then the moment they start thinking about it, and the anxiety starts to build, and the fear starts to quake, then, that’s when they utilize the remedy Argentum nitricum 200C. Right as soon as it begins, because why would you suffer it if it was needless?

So, you use the Argentum nitricum. It may need to be used again that day. Maybe once or twice a day for a few days, perhaps leading up to the road trip that’s forthcoming.

And then, now, we watch and see if they’re better. Then you stop. They’ve gone over the bridge.

What we normally see is that they can still go over the bridge. They still have some angst, but it’s not so overwhelming that it’s incapacitating. And then they can breathe comfortably after having gone over the bridge. And if it remains that they still have the anxiety, another dose of Argentum nitricum might be in order.

But now they’ve finished, and it’s over with. Now, say two weeks later, they’re going to have to go back again, and they start thinking about it again. What we should see is a slight lessening of the condition, meaning there’s less intensity to the anxiety. It’s not nearly as great as it was before taking Argentum nitricum.

It might also — number two — last a shorter amount of time.

And number three, there’s a larger space between each time that it occurs. In other words, the next time they have to go over a bridge, they might not be so anxious. But the fourth time they have to go over a bridge, now it’s happening again.

So, what we’re looking for is any one of those three criteria being met. If two of them are met, or if all three of them are met, then we know we are definitely onto the right homeopathic medicine to treat anxiety from going over bridges.

So, the first rule is less intensity, the second, lasting for a shorter period of time, and the third, a larger space between each time the person suffers from this anxiety.

Now, having said that, Argentum nitricum covers many other conditions that have to do with fear, but I’m just using this as an example. There are many other worries. There’s claustrophobia; there’s a tremendous sense of heights — fear of heights — that’s really big. (Bridges often represent heights, but they also represent being hemmed in.) Anxiety about being alone, anxiety about their health, et cetera.

All of those kinds of conditions can also be related to Argentum nitricum. I just use this one as an example because it’s so common

Kate:

And fear of flying in airplanes, also can be …

Joette:

Yes, fear of flying an airplane. Thank you. Yes, yes. Same idea. In a way, it’s a fear of heights. It’s also feeling hemmed in, feeling as though they have no control over anything. Yes, you’re absolutely right.

Kate:

And it could also be the medicine that helps someone for panic attacks and anxiety attacks as well, in general.

WHEN TO PIVOT

Joette: (19:07)

That’s right.

Sometimes when we use a medicine, let’s say we think this really does sound like Aconitum napellus would be the remedy that would help me the most. And it’s used for a few times, and it works nicely. And then the fifth or sixth time it’s needed — say six, eight, 10 months later — it’s not working so well anymore.

So, what is the person experiencing now? And I’m really emphasizing that word “now” because it might be different.

You might think at first blush that “this is just what I had six months ago, and it’s back again. Oh, no.”

Instead, you might actually say, “You know what? It really isn’t quite the same. It really isn’t panic any longer. It’s more about that fear of heights. I have to get on a flight, and I’m just so uncomfortable about it. I can’t really put my finger on it.”

And then they think something has shifted. What has shifted? The homeopathic medicine, Aconitum, likely shifted this person to a different way of experiencing the panic, but a slightly perhaps milder version of it. And then we can consider going to Argentum nitricum.

In other words, just because Aconitum worked in the beginning — and it helped to a certain degree, but it has now stopped helping — doesn’t mean it’s the only medicine. I mean, if I were to crack open my repertory right now, and we looked under anxiety, we would probably see about 80 to 100 medicines that could be considered.

All I’m doing right now — and what I try to do on a regular basis on my blog and this podcast, in my courses and The Academy, et cetera, et cetera, Joette’s Mighty Members — is to get people to see that there are certain homeopathic medicines that are more commonly found useful, so that it can make it a little bit easier to come up with a medicine that could be of help. It’s not a hundred percent my friends, but it’s a great place to start.

Kate:

What’s interesting, I think about Argentum nitricum is that it can also be used for fear of having a panic attack. So …

Joette:

Yes, “the fear of ….” Absolutely. Fear of being alone, anxiety about even looking at a tall building, even looking at a bridge, just thinking of a bridge — not unlike some people get squeamish and have a sense of “ick” when they look at a snake. Just the sight of a snake on a computer screen can send them into a frenzy.

This is the same idea only this is for heights and flying, et cetera, et cetera.

Kate:

Or before you’re going to the dentist, in your …

Joette:

Yes! Yes.

Kate:

Anticipatory … yeah.

CHECK YOUR MATERIA MEDICA

Joette: (21:37)

Yes. And so, what I always urge folks to do before they even use a homeopathic medicine is to go to your materia medica and read up on the medicine. See how it fits. Look at the medicines that I’ve discussed here and see if they fit properly into this person’s demeanor.

So, what do you do? You simply go to JoetteCalabrese.com or PracticalHomeopathy.com and scroll down to “Shop.” And there, you’ll find my materia medica that you can purchase.

Kate:

Right! It’s under “Books and CDs.”

But also, you had mentioned earlier that Mindful Homeopathy course, and that is located under “Shop” in “Courses.”

So, you’ll find that there, and we’ll put some links, for you who are listening, to all of these different resources so you can access them easily. They’ll be on with the podcast notes on the website as well.

Joette:

That’s right. So, you can go online and just look at materia medicas — old-time materia medicas that are very valuable. They’re authored by the great minds of homeopathy: Dr. Phatak (P-H-A-T-A-K), Dr. Boericke (B-O-E-R-I-C-K-E).

So, these are online free sites where you can read up on the homeopathic medicine that you’re thinking about taking. And I urge folks to do this.

Again, I love that Kate said, “These are not supplements, these homeopathic medicines.” They’re not regulated by Food and Drug Administration under supplements. They’re regulated as medicines — as drugs, even though they’re not synthetic, and they don’t have side effects, and they are not owned by a particular company.

They’re made from natural substances with no additives. And again, no side effects.

So, this is the medicine that you’ve been waiting for. This is the medicine we all thought we were getting when we used to go to a doctor and ask for something to cure us.

Conventional drugs do not cure, my friends. They hold the symptoms down. They hold it at bay, and eventually it can cause more trouble than what was ever intended.

And often people don’t make that connection. The doctor who prescribed the drug — I can guarantee — will not make that connection that the drug he or she prescribed is now causing the newest condition because it seems unassociated. But we know that it is if we simply read what the side effects are of each of the conventional drugs that a person is taking.

ARSENICUM ALBUM

Joette: (24:15)

Okay, we’re going to leave with one last one. So, let’s look at Arsenicum album.

Arsenicum album and Aconitum are very closely related. They are related because it has a quick onset. Arsenicum can also have a quick onset.

But Arsenicum album often has the sense of panic or anxiety related to poison, such as bad food. I mean really bad food, chicken that was tainted. Or a drug that someone took, whether prescribed, over the counter or even street drug.

Arsenicum album can also come about when there’s another kind of poison, such as an animal, poison — if someone has been stung by an insect, and they’re having anxiety or panic.

So, Arsenicum album is similar in that there’s a sense that they’re not going to survive this. They feel as though they’re going to die. Same thing with Aconitum. They feel as though they’re going to die. So, does all of them … feel as though they’re about to die.

But Arsenicum album is different in that the person has a kind of a physical appearance. They get restless. They often pace or they fidget or they’re loquacious. They talk and talk and talk and talk and talk and talk … the anxiety. Others can observe it. They’re also fastidious. If there’s anything untidy about the surroundings that they’re in, they must tidy it up. They cannot stand anything that’s out of order. So, they will try to tidy things up in spite of being anxious.

There can also be a prominent physical aspect to Arsenicum album. There can be diarrhea. There can be nausea. There can be burning — burning in the stomach, burning in the throat. So, that, too, can be very good indicators to help you choose or differentiate between Aconitum, Argentum nitricum and Arsenicum.

OUR “A” FOR ANXIETY MEDICINES ALL START WITH THE LETTER “A”

Joette: (26:09)

And these are our anxiety (“A”) remedies, all starting with the letter “A”: Aconitum, Argentum nitricum and Arsenicum. These are our anxiety medicines.

If you or anyone in your family suffers from anxiety attacks, panic, et cetera, it is time to get ahold of these medicines and give them a try.

Whatever you decide to do. Whether you decide to take the first, second or the third — there are many others as well, but let’s start with these three — stay with it. Don’t shift around. Don’t flip over from one to the other. “I don’t know if this is working fast enough. Maybe I need to go to the next one.”

There is a tendency to do that when we’re in a state of anxiety, but I urge you to just give the medicine its due and then move to another one, if there truly is no improvement with the first or the second or even the third, for that matter.

THE LADDER OF LEARNING

Kate: (27:00)

Okay, good.

And if you want to know more, there is some blogs that are on your website, Joette. And I just want to mention them. And we’ll, again, put the links in the podcast notes for those who want to read up on the medicines in another format.

One is called A Dog with Anxiety? There’s a Homeopathic Solution. Another is Anxiety: When the Elevator Flies to the Top. And the third, You Mean Summer is Over: When Back to School Results in Anxiety and Panic Attacks, Homeopathy Saves the Day.

Oh, I just remembered one more. The blog is titled Must-Have Memorial Day Medicines for Hay Fever, Overindulgence and Anxiety.

So, there, you can find the information that Joette covered and much more on those blogs.

So, as we finish up the podcast today, Joette, can you tell the listeners what might be their next steps if they are trying to learn more about these medicines? Or maybe they’re new, and they don’t know where to start, what would you recommend?

Joette:

I would recommend that you strongly consider joining Joette’s Mighty Members. It’s a very inexpensive first step.

If you’re already a member of Joette’s Mighty Members, you might want to go to Joette’s Mighty Members Plus, which is even more information. And this is information that I’m not willing to give to the general public. Because you’re a member, and you pay a small monthly subscription, I give you information that I will only tell my dear students who are in my Academy or in my other forums, as well as in the Mighties. I’m not willing to share anywhere else.

Then another possibility is to join a Gateway study group. There, you’re going to learn from someone who guides you through the studies — the methods that I use. And you’ll learn it with other people, and that is invaluable to be able to work with others — other people from all over the world.

You meet on Zoom, or you can meet locally as well. That’s a great way to meet people of like minds.

Then, there are also my courses. And there, you’d go to Joette’s Learning Center, and you’ll find my courses. Scroll down and determine which course is best for you. If you purchase it as a group member, you’ll get a substantial discount.

Now, let’s say you’ve used all of these methods, and you’ve also been on my blog for these 14 years that I’ve been producing the blog, and you’ve been listening to this podcast, and, and, and. I want you to remember that there’s always the Practical Academy — The Academy of Practical Homeopathy® — which is a very specific academy where I personally teach my students for a year-long program. And, should they choose to go to the second year, go into the Mastery™ program where I teach you the methods that I’ve been using for the last 36 years of my professional life and how I’ve been able to help tens of thousands of people.

So, there’s a ladder that you can climb. You can stop at rung one. You can stop at rung four. You can go all the way to the top and go through The Academy and the Mastery™ program.

And so, with that, I wish you the best. I want you to have, my friends, sprezzatura. It’s a beautiful Italian word, which means knowing how to do something or presenting something that is really seemingly quite complex — or is actually quite complex — but presenting it in a way that is with beautiful nonchalance.

I want you simply to know Aconitum for this situation, Argentum nitricum for that situation, Arsenicum album for this other situation. No one will have to know all the time and effort that you’ve put into learning these three medicines. What they will see only is this perfection of this medicine in your hands.

Kate:

Thank you, Joette. That was so helpful.

Joette:

Thank you, Kate. It was great.

It’s my honor to share many lessons on this simple method of using homeopathy for free —without affiliates or advertising — here in my podcasts, but also my blog posts and Monday Night Lives.

But it’s critical that you learn how to use these medicines properly. These podcasts should serve as only the beginning of your training. Peruse JoettesLearningCenter.com to find fun study group opportunities and in-depth courses developed by subject.

So, with the proper training, you can join the thousands of students before you in developing the confidence and competence to protect the health of your family and loved ones with my brand of homeopathy, Practical Homeopathy®.

Kate:

You just listened to a podcast from internationally acclaimed homeopath, public speaker and author, the founder of The Academy of Practical Homeopathy®, Joette Calabrese. Joette’s podcasts are available on all your favorite podcast apps.

To learn more and find out if homeopathy is a good fit for your health strategy, visit PracticalHomeopathy.com.

Stop Biting Me! Preventing Annoying Mosquito Bites with Homeopathy

Insult to injury. There’s no better way to describe it.

After the recent flooding from heavy rains and storm surges in the Southeast, it was only a matter of time before mosquitoes moved in, bringing aggravation, discomfort and other potential ill effects with them.

Eating garlic — lots and lots of garlic — has long been advised to prevent annoying mosquito bites. Does it work? The mosquitos will stay away, but so will everyone else!

Preventing Annoying Mosquito Bites with Homeopathy

While I don’t often teach homeopathy as a prophylactic, Staphysagria 30 has historically been shown to act as a deterrent to bugs.

Now, before you order a pallet of Staphysagria tubes, let me quickly remind you once again: Homeopathy is a medicine, not a vitamin or a supplement. Therefore, we don’t want to take a preventative medicine day in and day out for an extended period of time.

However, if going into a bug-infested area, one might consider employing Staphysagria 30 the night before and in the morning right before entering the fray.

If one is currently living at ground zero of Bug Central, the use of Staphysagria may be continued for up to a week or so.

The great thing about homeopathy is that we know when we are not utilizing the correct medicine by observation. If the medicine helps, we know we’ve chosen correctly. If it doesn’t help at all, then we know we need to go back to our repertory and pivot to another potential choice.

Observe to Recognize if a Proving Occurs

A tipping point occurs if we start to develop symptoms of a different condition than we’ve previously experienced. This is called a proving.

A proving can occur when we use a remedy incorrectly or too frequently, bringing to the fore the symptoms that the medicine is intended to correct. I detail this development more thoroughly in Podcast 49, Shedding Light on Provings and Aggravations. I encourage you to listen because this area of homeopathy can be a bit less straightforward than our usual discussions.

You see, my friends, I try to distill homeopathy down to the simplest terms: If this is the condition, then this is the protocol. However, when a medicine doesn’t act as expected, then case management comes into play. Becoming skilled in case management requires more nuanced education than a mere blog post can provide. I address provings briefly in my Gateway to Practical Homeopathy® study group curriculum. However, my students in The Academy of Practical Homeopathy® and Mastery™ delve deeply into case management and how to deal with potential provings and aggravations.

**A Testimonial for Staphysagria’s Usefulness Against Bug Bites**

One of my team members recently found Staphysagria helpful in avoiding bug bites by accident. After the recent hurricanes, she and her husband spent days in the yard cleaning up the blown leaves, fallen trees and branches. When the task was finished, my poor team member was practically eaten alive by bugs (mosquitos, chiggers and other anonymous creepy-crawlies).

Her husband, on the other hand, had not one single bite!

That’s when the answer suddenly dawned on her! Her husband had been on a regular schedule of Staphysagria for another condition. She had not. The Staphysagria was not only working to resolve his initial condition but also was protecting him from the critters that had relentlessly made a meal out of her!

Win-win!

How to Deal with Existing Bug Bites

Should this blog post arrive a little late — if you already have bug bites — homeopathy naturally provides answers for that, too! Please see my earlier blog posts, Conquer Summer Pests: Address Most Bug Bites with 2 Homeopathic Medicines, Watch Out for the Chiggers and Emergency Remedy Series: Bites Makes Me Itchy. You Too?

Tomorrow night, in my Monday Night Live for October 21, 2024, I’ll continue this discussion and hopefully answer any remaining questions you may have.

Until then, pass on the good news of Practical Homeopathy®!

Warmly,

P.S. I previously shared my homemade personal bug spray recipe in the Home with Homeopathy Tip #86. If you weren’t a subscriber during that time, I’ve made all my Lockdown Year tips available in my Free Resource Library. Once you sign up for access, scroll down to the “Daily Home with Homeopathy Tips – Email Archive” section and click on Day 86.

Joette’s Mighty Members may also check out Memo to Mighty Members #55 for another recipe from my personal files for Joette’s Bug-Be-Gone — a less toxic way to kill creepy-crawly bugs that sneak into your home. Scroll down the page of your private Mighty Member site to the archives of my previous Memos and search for “Bug-Be-Gone” or “055”. If this recipe works in Florida (the bug capital of the world), I’m relatively confident it will perform well in other locales.

*Claims based on traditional homeopathic practice, not accepted medical evidence. Not FDA evaluated.

Strength in Numbers: Gateway to Practical Homeopathy® Study Groups

We’ve all heard the old adage, “Never swim without a buddy.” Well, I’m going to borrow from that sentiment a bit to say: It’s also best to study homeopathy with a buddy. Indeed, there is strength in numbers!

Certainly, you can study homeopathy by yourself. It’s certainly better than not studying it at all. However, over the course of my four decades in homeopathic education, I have found that the best method to learn more about this powerful yet gentle paradigm is to surround yourself with like-minded study buddies.

How can you do that? Why, by joining one of my Gateway to Practical Homeopathy® study groups.

Strength in Numbers

I recently thought about the concept of strength in numbers, as I noticed that my garden lamb had attracted his own squirrel buddy.

The photo above was taken at my cottage. The squirrels in this area are black, unlike the dishwater brown color they are in most places in the lower 48. In fact, one of our regular furry visitors has a black body and a blonde tail. It cracks me up!

But when I saw this little guy riding on the lamb, I thought of the value of having support from a friend. Sometimes, we need extra strong support … something “concrete.” (Do you see what I mean?)

Now, before you ask (as my neighbors have), I fell in love with that little concrete lamb the moment I saw it at the garden shop. Something about it spoke to me. Perhaps it was because it reminded me of Sicilian graveyards in the U.S. When a baby is interred, instead of a crucifix, sometimes they place a little lamb at the baby’s grave marker to represent the Lamb of God. It’s precious.

That’s what it looked like to me.

But the little squirrel buddy on the lamb’s back beautifully illustrates how much we lean on each other in times of difficulty.

Study Buddies to the Rescue

It’s super-common for our Gateway study group members to contact one of their study buddies for help — someone who might be thinking more clearly at the time.

For instance, one of my Gateway groups has members in both the United States, Great Britain and Australia. When an American mom in that Gateway group panicked in the middle of the night, her British counterpart was already awake—five hours ahead of her—and could provide calming assistance in determining the correct medicine.

I have heard this story countless times. But don’t take my word for it. Listen to a study group member yourself as she explains her experience in Podcast 118 — Moms with Moxie: Freaking Mom Helped by Homeopathy Study Buddy.

Even when you know what to use, sometimes you might not have the medicine you need on hand. Right now, in storm-ravaged areas of the country, Gatewayers are turning to each other to share medicines.

My friends, even though our mantra is health freedom, self-reliance and autonomy, we can’t always do it alone. From time to time, we may need a concrete lamb on which to rest our weary bones. It’s fortifying to have a support system of like-minded friends who are as invested in homeopathy as we are.

Gateway to Practical Homeopathy®

That’s the beauty of the Gateway to Practical Homeopathy® study groups. Join an existing group (check out my Facebook page, Joette’s Study Group: Find your new Study Group Friends) or start your own group. The curriculum explains how to lead a group in detail. Everything you need is right there.

So, what are you waiting for? Join us and pass on the good news of Practical Homeopathy®!

Warmly,

P.S. Speaking for myself, my family and my team, our hearts go out to all those affected by Hurricanes Helene and Milton. If you’ve not yet read my recent blog post, Practical Homeopathy® for Angst and Anxiety in the Aftermath of Hurricane Helene, I hope it can provide some much-needed assistance.

Podcast 128 — Moms with Moxie: The Body Can Repair Itself, Given the Correct Stimulus

IN THIS PODCAST, WE COVER:

01:00 Introduction: The Body Can Repair Itself, Given the Correct Stimulus

03:09 Diving Right In and Going to Classical Homeopathy School

04:02 The Academy of Practical Homeopathy®

05:26 Going into Practice

07:22 Taking Academics into Practice

08:38 A Tincture of Time

11:47 Success Story: Severe Abdominal Pain

16:30 Success Story: Torn Meniscus

Make It Stop! Escape From the Prison of Chronic (and Acute) Pain Using Practical Homeopathy®:

Learn Effective Methods to Uproot Pain, Often for Good

19:00 Success Story: Bee Stings and Hives

22:04 A Homeopath is a Detective

22:27 Closing Advice

A Materia Medica: Practical Homeopathy® for Busy Families

Gateway to Practical Homeopathy®: A Guided Study Group Curriculum

Joette’s Learning Center

The Antibiotic Alternative: Balance Your Bugs Without the Drugs

Skin, the Ugly Truth: Safe, Effective Treatment of Skin Ailments, Chronic or Acute, with Homeopathy

Good Gut, Bad Gut: A Homeopathic Strategy to Uproot Seemingly Unrelated Illness in Body and Mind

The Academy of Practical Homeopathy®

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

Joette’s Study Group, Find Your New Study Group Friends

Joette’s Mighty Members

Joette Calabrese on YouTube

Kate:

This is the Practical Homeopathy® Podcast, episode number 128.

Joette:

This is the medicine you’ve been searching for — my unique brand of homeopathy, PRACTICAL Homeopathy®.

INTRODUCTION: THE BODY CAN REPAIR ITSELF, GIVEN THE CORRECT STIMULUS

Kate: (01:00)

Hi! I am Kate, and welcome back to the podcast. I’m so glad that you’re here joining us today to learn more about homeopathy. I can’t wait for you to meet our special guest today.

Actually, for those of you who have listened to some of Joette’s podcasts, you may have already heard our next guest on Podcast 60, but she is going to share so much information.

Really, if you are at a desk or somewhere where you can take notes, you want to do that. And if not, you can always catch up later with the podcast on JoetteCalabrese.com where the transcript is also available. So, don’t worry if you’re driving; you can take notes later or read the transcript.

So, with that, I want to get started … dive right in. Lisa, welcome to the podcast.

Lisa:

Thanks, Kate. Lovely to be here once again.

Kate:

Yes. I can’t wait for you to tell us what’s been going on since the last time that we talked. So, tell us a little bit again for those students who may not have heard Podcast 60, who you are, and a little bit about your story.

Lisa:

Love to. My name is Lisa Heinrichs. I am a Practical Homeopath®. I am a wife; I am a mother; and I solely use homeopathy for my family. I am located in Sylvan Lake, Alberta, Canada. And so, my journey began actually with Joette when I was reading in a Weston A. Price magazine years ago.

And she had said, “We need to be the healers in our family. We need to be able to take care of them.” And that resonated with me very deeply because I had always been interested in health and wellness.

I did not have a family at the time, which was … I do have an advantage over some people because I was able to start fresh with my kids and know that I didn’t want to raise them using medications … unnecessarily, of course. Because there’s a time and a place. I always say that. Okay?

So, I listened to Joette. I got all of her recordings and her little books and just dove right in. Got myself a Top 100 homeopathic kit and just was practicing on anybody who would let me.

DIVING RIGHT IN AND GOING TO CLASSICAL HOMEOPATHY SCHOOL

Lisa: (03:09)

So, fast forward a couple of years, I decided that this is what I wanted to do. Loved it. And so I started to research schools. I wanted to go to a Canadian school. I wanted to go to a reputable school, obviously, and found one in Ontario that I went to.

So, I went to this school. It was the only option. Joette did not have her school then. And most of the time I was simply just doing my best to get through it, as we call it. And some of us have mentioned in The Academy, classical school is kind of like busy work. It’s like, why are we doing this? But we have to do it, and I’m sure we’ll get to the meat of it soon.

So, I just plowed through, and I did actually very well because I like school. I like learning. But it was also very slow going, and it was lonely. I had a tutor, sort of, that I can call on if I needed to, but I was essentially by myself.

THE ACADEMY OF PRACTICAL HOMEOPATHY®

Lisa: (04:02)

So, when The Academy of Practical Homeopathy® came out, I put a pause on my classical school, and I went immediately into The Academy to the pioneer year, I think. Hey, is that we’re calling it? The “pioneer year”?

Kate:

I think so, yes.

Lisa:

So, I went into APH. And we were essentially forced — in a very good way — to be in study groups with other students so we could study together and work together, which is great.

And so, a lot of these ladies that I met in the first year, I followed into Mastery™ and then, now, into Mastermind. And these people are my friends and it’s just … I cannot tell you how important it is to stay linked together.

And I’m so grateful for Joette and the team who came up with “You need to have study buddies,” right? What a great concept!

Kate:

Yes. Study buddies!

Lisa:

No, as I was doing — I just got to say this funny thing — because as I was doing my passport renewal, it was like, “Oh, you have to give a couple of references who you’ve known at least two years.” And I’m like, “Oh, these people could be my references!”

Kate:

Awwww.

Lisa:

So, I cannot imagine not having these people in my life because I think no matter how much you think you know, you could always learn more. And these women are in it, right? And are sharing, and it’s … I love it.

GOING INTO PRACTICE

Kate: (05:26)

What is going on in your life now, Lisa? What does it look like? How are you applying all this knowledge that you gained in school?

Lisa:

Well, as soon as I graduated from The Academy, I opened up a practice. And so before, when I was in classical school, you weren’t allowed to see people. You were not allowed to treat people … nothing.

But at the same time, I was taking all these courses from Joette. So, I would secretly be helping people and be learning as I went with taking classical at the same time.

So, when I was ready to go into practice, I already had a network of people who knew me, who knew about me, and so it was quite easy to start up.

So, I see clients Monday to Friday. Also, I’m very active on my social media, so I take a page out of Joette’s book when she just shares the information. She freely gives it away. So, every other day I am sharing a reel. I’m sharing tips. I do a free blog to all my subscribers every other week.

And so, I really stay active. I really try and stay on top of everything. And I really am so passionate about promoting homeopathy, and how you can use it, and how you can exchange it for your OTCs (your over-the-counters). Right?

That’s kind of my focus right now, which I love. It’s like my stress relief. Go check me out.

Kate:

Well, a little tidbit that people probably don’t know about you is that you have a passion for acting, and you’ve done some acting. And so, really, you’re very animated and creative in the social media things that you share. So, I know we enjoy them.

Lisa:

Right. Yes. That was my first love … was theater. So, yeah, I get to be on the stage writing my own scripts. It’s lovely. Okay. And using it for good!

So, yes, that’s what I am doing right now. I’m in practice and balance between home life and work life.

TAKING ACADEMICS INTO PRACTICE

Kate: (07:22)

What are you seeing from what you learned … now, taking that to practice? I know we were talking a little earlier about some things that you’re noticing that Joette taught, and now, you’re seeing it. So, what are those things?

Lisa:

Because I have been with Joette for so long — I would say, like, gosh … 13, 14 years now … something like that — everything that she has said, now, I see in practice with everybody. Things people say; the things people do. It’s like, “Oh, oh, okay, this is just … I’ve “arrived” because …

So, lemme just say, lemme just really stress this because it’s so important to be … you know, we’re all starting out. We’re all learning. But never stop taking classes, taking courses, stay with the people who have taught you. Read! Read, read, read, read, read. Because you need that confidence moving forward because it’s so easy to get knocked off balance.

I would not be the confident prescriber I am if I didn’t have Mastery™, if I didn’t have Mastermind. Right? And learning from my colleagues now is so important. Because when people say to me — and what Joette had always said — people say to me, “I don’t see change.”

A TINCTURE OF TIME

Lisa: (08:38)

“I don’t see change. Really, Lisa. I don’t really see anything.”

It’s water off the duck’s back. “Okay, well, let’s just look.”

And 99% of the time, there is change, but it’s so subtle. It’s so gentle; they don’t even notice it. And human suffering, like Joette says, we forget it. We forget our sufferings as we get better, which is a beautiful thing.

But the homeopath has to be completely in control because they took good notes, took a good case, used the correct remedies because of what we’ve learned. And generally, we see lovely changes just giving it time.

Lemme also say this too, about the time thing … because I will say at the beginning of every case (if it’s a fungal case or if it’s a skin case) I will say, “Give me a year.”

Now, it won’t take a year to see change, but I need a year so that it takes the pressure off of the client; it takes the pressure off of me; and it takes the pressure off of homeopathy.

We have to give it time. What is it? A tincture of time.

Kate:

Yes, that’s what Joette says.

Lisa:

Yes. And I was actually learning about that phrase, too. It’s an old English phrase. (I think so. Somebody’s going to correct me, I think probably. But that’s okay. So, that means they’re listening.)

One of the biggest things that I will always remember in my mind is when I was working with a fellow who had toenail fungus.

I always make sure to get my clients to take pictures. Okay? You need pictures for skin cases, fungal cases, warts. Anything that you can see, take a picture of so we can measure change. Okay? It might be subtle, but it’s there. So, I always say, “Take a picture. Show me these pictures.” And they have it in their files.

He messaged me at two months when we had our follow-up. “I don’t see any changes.”

I’m like, “Okay, well, it does take time. It does take time.”

Now, this is a guy who had been on medications for 20-odd years … trying to deal with this. TWENTY years.

He gave conventional medication 20 years. Now it’s been two months with me. Two months! And I was a student then, too, right? Everything was very cost-efficient. And yet he said, “Okay, I’ll give it another two months.”

Okay.

Gave it another two months, messaged me back before our next follow-up and said, “I don’t see change. I’m going to cancel our appointment.”

And I said, “Okay, I’m sorry that it did not meet your expectations. Would you mind just sending me one picture of your foot now?”

I use this as an example all the time, Kate, because there was drastic change. Drastic.

Kate:

Really?

Lisa:

“Okay,” I said. “I understand, and I’m not trying to get you back, but do you see that there’s a change?”

“Yes.”

And yet, not enough — not fast enough. He left. He stopped.

Kate:

I wonder how much change there was in that 20 years. You know?

Lisa:

Right? They were bad.

Anyway, so that’s the kind of things. It’s just like for me, it’s like … and like Joette said — here’s another thing — “You are going to lose people. You’re going to lose people, and you just got to move on. It’s just how it is.”

Right? Thick skin … rhino skin, right? That’s what you sort of have to have doing this, right? Yeah.

SUCCESS STORY: SEVERE ABDOMINAL PAINS

Kate: (11:47)

So, share some more with us, Lisa. I’m sure you have a lot of stories. Can you share a few more with us?

Lisa:

Oh, yes. I would love to.

Okay. The first story I want to share with you is about a client, and we’ll call him Bill.

Now, I was actually supposed to see Bill’s son first, but his situation was so intense that he asked if I could see him first.

Now, with Bill, he had been suffering with extreme abdominal pain to the point where he had to take time off of work, and he had a very important job. Not only was it an important job, but he’s also providing for his family. So, it’s a big deal if he can’t go to work.

His pain was at a 10 out of 10 every single night, and he had been to every specialist and tried everything. He had been through the wringer to try to bring himself — get himself — some relief. The last specialist he told me about, he said that this specialist … when they were trying, these doctors, they’re trying to help him and going through every single test.

And the last test was about … he told him that we want to do a, oh, gosh, it was an MRI on his stomach, and we want to see if there’s sufficient blood flow to the abdominal area. I’m like, “It sounds a little desperate like they’re grasping at some straws there.”

And he said, ‘Yeah, yeah, he totally is, right? But at least they’re trying. I got to give them that, right?”

So, he comes to me, and so you can imagine there’s a lot of pressure on me. Right? It was Thursday. This is a Thursday I talked with him, okay? And I had his schedule, and I knew exactly what he needed to do. But again, this is a lot of pressure because he’s in excruciating pain; this is his first time using homeopathy; and it’s a Thursday; and he needs it immediately because he is in so much pain.

So, he’s paying for drop-ship like the airplane — which is very expensive from the pharmacy — because he can’t have pellets. He has to have it in liquid, too, right, because he has such an extreme sensitivity to dairy.

So, I called the pharmacy. I make sure — like, if anybody knows me, they know I’m thorough. After the case, I order these right away because — and thank God — I had been studying for so long, it didn’t take me long to figure out this case and what he needed. I immediately wrote it up, immediately made the order, called the pharmacy: “Will it get delivered tomorrow?” Because after tomorrow, we’ve got the weekend, and he’s just, like, he’s in so much pain. This is insane, right?

“Yes, it will be delivered tomorrow, overnight, drop-shipped.”

Awesome.

And so, then he gets them the next day. “I got them.”

Great.

I don’t hear from him over the weekend, and it’s like …

Kate:

You can’t see her right now, but she’s making a face like thinking, “Oh my goodness, what’s going to happen? What’s going to happen?”

Lisa:

Right? He messages me … ‘cause he is so polite. He messages me over the weekend … after the weekend … Monday, and said, “As soon as I started taking them, I felt immediate relief.”

I was like, “Oh, thank God.” Like, I was so grateful.

And I’ve worked with him since, now, because it was a long way back. It was a long way back because of the drugs … because of the drugs that he had to be subjected to for years and years and years and years and years. And we can talk about that ad infinitum … how it’s the drugs that is causing this.

But anyway, I digress at this moment.

And he wrote me a testimonial, and I was just telling you, Kate, that I’ve yet to read it. But when people write test…

I only ask for testimonials when it’s been kind of an extreme case. And the people who give me the testimonials, it’s very lovely. And it’s when they’ve been through something that everything else failed them. But homeopathy.

Homeopathy.

Kate:

It’s really sad that people have to go through all those other things to get to homeopathy. I wish more people knew about it in the beginning so they didn’t have to go through that suffering.

So, those of you who are younger and listening to this podcast really commend you for studying this and learning more about it. It will save you so much in time and suffering and expenses.

Lisa:

Oh, yeah. So much.

I’m so grateful. I always prayed for wisdom. Before I had babies, I always prayed for wisdom, and this is it. This is it! We don’t use any of that. We don’t use that. We use homeopathy.

And my kids know homeopathy, right? It’s beautiful thing. Yeah. Again, again, again. And in Podcast 60 will talk about how modern medicine saved my son’s life. So, I will always be grateful for that. But mismanaged acutes? Ooof.

SUCCESS STORY: TORN MENISCUS

Lisa: (16:30)

But anyway, let’s move on to the next one. Do you want to talk about the next one? My next one?

Kate:

Yes, let’s.

Lisa:

This one is more so, so important to keep studying and keep learning. If you really want to get it, right, you have to keep learning and understand how these medicines work.

So, the next story I want to tell you about is a case of a torn meniscus. Now, this woman I was working with, we’ll call her Flo, had other things going on like we normally do. How often?

And so, as we’re working on other parts, everything’s falling into place. She’s doing great, but it’s this knee, right? And at first, she didn’t even know what it was. So, I’m using all of the pain remedies and torn meniscus remedies that we learned about in the pain course — great course. (They’re all great.) But that one specifically is where it talks about the torn meniscus, and what to use and what to try, and that it takes a long time, right? It takes a long time.

We were getting nowhere. The pain was, as she said, “12 out of 10” with what we were using. But she refused to give up.

She had faith in homeopathy. She’d seen it work in other areas of her life. She had faith in her practitioner — me, that I would find something. It took time. It took time.

Now, because of the training that I had through Joette in how to study materia medica, repertory, I was able to find the remedy that she needed within — she said, oh gosh — days? The 12 out of 10 went to zero, ZERO out of 10.

Kate:

Wow. Wow.

Lisa:

I was like, what!? Now, because she stayed with it and trusted her “detective,” I was able to solve that case. And she’s good. No pain, still to this day. If she gets a twinge, she’ll take the remedy, and it’s gone.

Kate:

Wow.

Lisa:

I know. Amazing.

Kate:

So incredible. Yeah. So thankful for these medicines.

Lisa:

Yes. And she is older, right? She’s older. She’s probably late sixties, early seventies. Doesn’t matter how old you are, right? The body can repair itself, given the correct stimulus.

Kate:

Yes.

SUCCESS STORY: BEE STINGS AND HIVES

Lisa: (19:00)

Oooh, oooh, oooh! This one’s fun. So, this is a friend of mine. We’re calling her Sally, and Sally uses homeopathy all the time. I help her all the time — her and her family and her animals. She just can feel free to message me and say, “Lisa … okay…”

Because tried it! So, she doesn’t call me and say, “Lisa, what do I do for this?”

She’ll say, “Lisa, I’ve tried this, this, this and this, and nothing’s acting.”

And I said, “Okay, give me the symptoms.”

“Okay, it’s burning. Yeah, super itchy.”

I should back up. She had a bee sting — several bee stings. She has hives, and she had several bee stings.

And she had done the Ledum, right? She had done the Apis. She had put the Calendula on. Can’t remember what else things she’s tried … just other things she was trying to try. I think there’s, like, her cousin said, “Put a copper penny on it,” or something! She did everything. I said, you [inaudible] with me before that.

And so, I said, “Okay.” I’m thinking in my brain, remedies. Because that’s what we do. The more you learn, I love it! It’s like one of the other APH students or graduates had said, “It’s like a superpower.” And sometimes it feels like. I loved that.

Kate:

I love that analogy. Yeah, that’s great!

Lisa:

This is what I do day in and day out, right? I’m immersed in it, like Joette says. I just am. I’m immersed in it. I don’t have a whole lot of a social life. When you see those reels, those are like my late-night socials. That’s what I do. That’s my social.

Anyways, back to the story. So, I’m thinking about remedies going on in my mind, right? Okay, what this and this and that. And I said, “Are you restless?”

And she sends me back a meme of an ostrich dancing up and down, dancing up and down, losing his mind.

And I went, “Oh! You need Arsenicum album?”

And she’s like, “Okay, I’ll try it.”

Totally worked.

She said, “What potency?”

I said, “What do you have?”

“200?”

Now, normally, I probably would’ve gone a little bit lower to start, but that’s what she had.

So, you use what you have, right? Give it a go.

She said, after the second dose, brought it all the way down. All the way down. And she had to go to a party where there was a vet there. And the vet is very, very medical. She didn’t want to show up freaking out about these bites because she would be quite restless and be told, “You need to take this antihistamine,” or “You need to take this med. You just need to.”

She wanted to prove that homeopathy could do it.

And I said, “You could just say nothing.”

She’s like, “No!”

So, she did. She went there. She’s like, “Oh, no, I’m good. I don’t need anything. I have my homeopathy.”

So, love it. Love it. So that was a fun story.

And again, it’s like you have the symptoms. If the obvious remedies aren’t doing it, then you go to the next one. You’ll always find it. You will find the one. There’s got to be the one.

I always say that too, right? When Joette would pick up the materia medica and be like, “The answer is in here, or the repertory. The answer is in here. I just got to find it.”

The more you learn, the more you get into practice, the more you see that’s what starts to happen. You don’t get the obvious ones anymore. Right? Those are the patterns, too.

A HOMEOPATH IS A DETECTIVE

Kate: (22:04)

That leads us to being a detective. You mentioned that earlier, that that’s what your job is. You are a detective.

Lisa:

I’m Miss Marple.

Kate:

These are great stories, Lisa. I am thrilled with what is happening in your life and what you’re accomplishing. And can you just share with us some final thoughts as we wrap up the podcast?

CLOSING ADVICE

Lisa: (22:27)

Yes. You know, the biggest thing that I’m seeing, that I’m hearing right now from people, is that — and again, I’m going to quote Joette because she would say, “People will say, ‘I didn’t want to use the drug. I didn’t want to use the antibiotic. I just didn’t know there was another way.’ Well, now you do!”

So, I ran into a mom. This is one of many kind of encounters that I see. And she said, “You know, I take for granted that my family and I … we’re in good health. So, when my daughter had an ear infection, I didn’t know what to do.”

So, in my mind, of course, I’m going through the remedies for ear infections: Chamomilla, Hepar sulph, Pulsatilla, Calc Phos. And she’s telling me now, “Well, I didn’t know. So, we went to urgent care.” And they’re saying, “Well, here’s your antibiotic. They have to take this antibiotic.”

And she’s thinking to herself, this mother, “But I don’t want to use this. I know there is another way. There’s got to be another way.”

And for me, that’s my tagline. There is another way, and this is it.

And I said to her, “Yeah, you’re in good health now. But mismanaged acutes will lead to chronic illness later in life. You have to learn this stuff if you want to take care of your family. If you’ll want to avoid those chronic conditions later in life, it is so important to learn this medicine. You have to start somewhere. You can’t just learn by osmosis and have the book next to you. You have to … Yes, it’s a lot of work. I know! I’ve done it! It is, but it’s so worth it.”

Imagine being that mom now — being like me, where when people told me that they went to the hospital because of croup, I was like, “Really? People go to the hospital because of that? I just used Spongia. Worked like a charm. I don’t get it.”

Learn this medicine. Learn this medicine now. Just start now. Buy a book. Just start reading now.

Kate:

And if you want to know where to start, Joette’s blogs are free and a great resource. And she also published a materia medica book called “Practical Homeopathy for Busy Families.” This is great to own because you can study the homeopathic medicines and how to use them. And Joette also shares some homeopathic protocols throughout for various conditions.

So, if you want to go a bit further, the Gateway to Practical Homeopathy Study Guide is where you can learn about homeopathy in a group. And you can put together a group, or you can join another group. It’s a six-week guided curriculum with a discussion guide.

And of course, Joette has many courses, so check those out on her website, such as Antibiotic Alternative; the Skin Course; Good Gut, Bad Gut; and many others.

Now, I know Lisa mentioned a little earlier in the program about The Academy of Practical Homeopathy®, which is a year-long immersive educational curriculum allowing you to take your pursuit of excellence in homeopathy to the next level.

It’s a more formalized education. You can help your loved ones, church members, and even the broader community by opening a practice should you desire after going through this year-long study.

And if you want to, you can go on from there for a second year called Mastery™. It’s an immersive postgraduate education involving extensive repetorization and casework. And I know that you went through that, Lisa, and you did a great job.

And all this information will be linked in the podcast notes on the website if you want to know right where to go.

Lisa, thank you so much for sharing all these stories with us and your life and what’s going on, and how you’ve applied the knowledge that you’ve learned. And it’s so wonderful that you’re able to help so many people. So, thank you for sharing.

Lisa:

Thanks for having me, Kate. Such a pleasure.

Joette:

It’s my honor to share many lessons on this simple method of using homeopathy for free —without affiliates or advertising — here in my podcasts, but also my blog posts and Monday Night Lives.

Kate:

To learn more and find out if homeopathy is a good fit for your health strategy, visit PracticalHomeopathy.com.

Lisa Heinrichs, PHom M, is a graduate of The Academy of Practical Homeopathy® and Mastery™ programs. She is also a member of Joette’s Mastermind group. You can find Lisa on social media @heinrichshomeopathy.

Practical Homeopathy® for Angst and Anxiety in the Aftermath of Hurricane Helene

From the coasts of Florida through the mountains of the Carolinas and Tennessee, the entire southeast is reeling from the recent hurricane. The scope of damage is gut-wrenching.

For countless residents, the angst and anxiety in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene is unbearable. Practical Homeopathy® offers assistance to stabilize emotions so that those affected can more effectively pull themselves up by their bootstraps to try to rebuild.

Homeopathy offers several approaches to mental ailments stemming from disasters of this sort. Let’s discuss just a few:

Angst and Anxiety From Bad News

Angst and anxiety from bad news is a specific rubric in homeopathic repertories calling for Gelsemium sempervirens. Symptoms might include severe fatigue, anxiety about the future, and having so much to do one doesn’t know where to begin. The most appropriate potency choice would likely be a 30, twice daily, until very much better.

Sadness, Grief and Feeling Utterly Overwhelmed

Then again, should the symptoms include sadness, grief and feeling utterly overwhelmed, Ignatia amara 200, twice daily, would be a better choice.

Depression

However, my friends, in some cases, the mental outlook of the sufferer may turn into frank depression from the mortifying effects of the event. Should they feel as though no matter what potentially may happen, life just doesn’t seem worth the effort, then Aurum metallicum 200, every two to three days, may provide the gentle nudge that the body needs to right the ship. Aurum can often be particularly helpful when headaches ensue after the trauma. As always, halt the use of Aurum when very much better.

Choose Carefully and Observe

Should a sufferer use all of the homeopathic medicines at the same time? No. Pick one — the tightest fit to the symptoms presenting — and observe for a few days. Should the medicine act, stick with what works! However, if it provides no improvement whatsoever, try the next closest-fitting medication in the same manner. Observe carefully, as symptoms generally may not simply disappear quickly, but instead, melt away over a period of time.

Homeopathy Is Subtle, Not Manipulative

And that brings me to an important point about our medicines: Homeopathy is not manipulative. Folks who take allopathic drugs expect a pill to change their outlook immediately. However, that means the body is being slammed by a synthetic battering ram, provoking a forced change, and that’s not what we want.

Instead, homeopathy is subtle. It gently works with your body’s natural defenses to politely encourage homeostasis (balance and stability).

We may see homeopathy work quickly for acute illnesses and injuries, such as hives or a fever. However, for chronic conditions and emotional or psychological conditions, the change will often be more gradual and subtle. One day, the sufferer realizes they are going about their day, almost forgetting that they could barely cope a few days prior.

Sudden Shocks

Now, some of you may be surprised that I didn’t mention Aconitum napellus 200, twice daily for a few days, as I have previously taught in blog posts such as Wartime Suffering. So, let me clarify the difference between it and the other medicines I discussed.

Aconite would be a choice for quick-onset shocks. For instance, BAM! You get hit by a Mack truck (or witness someone being hit by a Mack truck). That’s a call for Aconite. You can read more in my blog, Emergency Remedy Series: Aconite in My Purse.

Hurricanes, on the other hand, are slow-motion disasters in the making. There are usually days of anticipation and frantic preparation, followed by hours of impending doom and fear, resulting in weeks (months or years) of stress, grief and logistical nightmares. That’s when Gelsemium, Ignatia, and Aurum metallicum are a tighter fit. However, if none of the aforementioned medicines act sufficiently, one may choose to try Aconite.

Worried About Reactions to Mold?

As victims begin to put one foot in front of the other to regain their lives and livelihoods, they certainly don’t need the additional challenge of faltering health. Should reactions to mold present a hindrance to clean-up, perhaps my blog post, Water Damage and the Worry of Mold, may be of assistance.

Pass on the good news of Practical Homeopathy® by sending this blog to anyone you know who has been affected by the storm! Whatever we can do to ease their minds will go a long way.

Warmly,

P.S. If emotional problems persist or the symptoms mentioned in this post do not reflect your concerns, perhaps it’s time for an in-depth course. Mindful Homeopathy: Practical Protocols for Mental and Emotional Conditions was designed to help a broader spectrum of conditions, certainly more than I can discuss in a short blog post.

And if you want to be prepared for the next cataclysm, consider owning a copy of The Survivalist Guide to Homeopathy. I consider this to be my magnum opus. It’s a hardcopy binder filled with discussions of homeopathic medicines for injuries, emergencies and illnesses when help may be unavailable. I truly believe it deserves a place in every homeopathic library before disaster strikes.

The Best Method for Utilizing Homeopathic Medicines — Liquid or Pills?

Here’s a tricky little riddle for you: When does a well-chosen homeopathic medicine not act?

Answer: When you don’t properly utilize it!

I have a keen sense of stating the obvious, don’t I? But let’s face it, if you don’t own the required remedy, or you own it but don’t utilize it properly, even the most carefully chosen medicine will not act.

I receive questions all the time asking for the best method for utilizing homeopathic medicines. I don’t find the subject that perplexing. However, given the number of varying opinions out there, it might not be very clear to a newcomer. So, let’s clear it up.

Differing Methodologies for Utilizing Homeopathy

Powders

Historically, homeopaths utilized homeopathic medicines in a powder form. My Joette’s Mighty Members* learned about that as I read from and commented on Dr. James Compton Burnett’s highly educational and inspirational book, “Fifty Reasons for Being a Homeopath.”
Pillules or Tablets

A majority of today’s homeopaths prefer utilizing the medicines manufactured in pills, the tiny little pillules that come in tubes from homeopathic manufacturing pharmacies. Some combination medicines, such as ColdCalm® and cell salts, also come in another dry form, meltaway tablets. Either way, this category of medicine is utilized sublingually, meaning simply popped under the tongue so that the medicines can be absorbed into the bloodstream through the tissues under the tongue. Easy!
Each product’s label clearly states the number of pillules considered as one dose. Keep in mind that each manufacturing pharmacy may require a different number of pills. Pay attention to the label!
Dissolved in Liquid

Other homeopaths prefer dissolving the dry pills in water — a “water dose.” This methodology involves placing a dose of the appropriate homeopathic medicine in a bottle containing 15 ounces of water. Allow the pillules or tablets to dissolve by stirring or shaking (if a water bottle was used). When it’s time for me to administer a dose, I take one capful (about one tablespoon), making sure to shake the bottle ten times before each dose.
Manufactured as Liquid

Some protocols may call for the medicine to be manufactured in liquid form. Do not confuse this with the method of dissolving dry medicine in water. No, this type of homeopathic medicine is created by the manufacturing pharmacy to unique specifications — either in a water base or an alcohol base. The form is similar to that of a mother tincture; only the gross substance is diluted and succussed to a specific homeopathic potency.

Follow the Leader

Generally, the medicines I teach in my blog posts are utilized as dry pills. If there is an exception — such as with Mag phos for cramping — I will note it in the post and on the free Remedy Card.

Many of the Banerji Protocols also require dry pillules. However, certain of their protocols may also involve a remedy in liquid form. In their case, this would mean using a homeopathic manufactured in liquid form (as opposed to dissolving dry pillules into a liquid at home).

Joe De Livera (also known as Joepathy) prefers to utilize a water dose (dry pills dissolved in water). He offers specific protocols for creating those water doses.

My belief is to follow the leader. When a homeopath shares how their protocol has been best utilized, I do what they say.

So, even though I generally use dry pillules, what if Joepathy prefers Arnica montana pillules dissolved in water for a specific condition? Then, that’s the way I’ll do it. Thank you, Joe.

If the Banerji Protocol calls for a medicine manufactured as a liquid, then that’s what I will do out of respect for their well-proven methodology.

I’m not here to argue with success. My fellow homeopaths, who also have decades of clinical experience, should be respected.

Besides, homeopathy to the uninitiated can seem complex enough. Why would we choose to add another layer of uncertainty? Do what the homeopath suggests, and don’t reinvent the wheel.

Utilizing Homeopathic Medicines by Stretching Your Inventory

Some students have asked if it’s okay to dissolve their medicines in water to save money by “stretching” their existing inventories.

I ask them, “Is playing with the protocol that has been clinically shown to act reallllllllllly necessary?” (Yes, I put a lot of “Ls” in my use of the word really … for emphasis.)

A new tube of medicine is around ten dollars. If money is tight, give up a fancy coffee. Cancel a streaming service. There are so many ways to save ten dollars so that you can purchase the meticulously manufactured homeopathics from a pharmacy rather than improvising yourself.

However, I’ll grant you one exception:

Alfred was experiencing terrible vomiting. Arsenicum album had always helped, but he only had two pills left. It was Saturday night, and there were no stores open. What is he going to do? Well, in that case, he’s obviously going to try to stretch that remedy until he can procure more.

I’ve mentioned time and time again that you should keep your homeopathic medicine kit up-to-date and ready for any eventuality. But okay, in an instance like this, I can see the need to stretch the medicine by creating a water dose. (And you’ll have learned your lesson for next time.)

Will the stretched water dose be as efficacious as utilizing the protocol? Who knows. But it’s probably better than nothing until you can get the necessary medicine.

Trust Our Homeopathic Pharmacies

My friends, I trust our manufacturing pharmacies. They follow exquisitely detailed regulations, both from the homeopathic pharmacopeia and from the FDA. I have no desire to play junior chemist at home and gamble on the results.

Consequently, I teach my students to follow the protocols exactly as written by the masters. Generally, the protocols I teach involve dry pills administered sublingually. However, if the protocol calls for a water dose, create that as directed. If the protocol calls for a medicine manufactured in liquid, purchase that.

Let’s keep it simple and pass on the good news of Practical Homeopathy®!

Warmly,

*If you’re not yet a Joette’s Mighty Member, you’re missing out on additional educational material I share only in our private enclave. There, I can be more candid and discuss topics I might not be comfortable discussing publicly.

And remember — all my Mighties qualify for a 10% discount on course purchases. If you need assistance getting your discount, email [email protected] for more information.

Podcast 127 — Effective Homeopathic Remedies for Back Pain

IN THIS PODCAST, WE COVER EFFECTIVE HOMEOPATHIC REMEDIES FOR BACK PAIN:

01:00 Introduction

02:29 Back Pain Caused by Kidney Issues

03:29 Back Pain From Dehydration

05:18 Homeopathic Remedy for Back Pain: Rhus toxicodendron

07:26 Homeopathy Is Not a Supplement

08:27 Homeopathic Remedy for Back Pain: Symphytum officinale

09:46 Homeopathic Remedy for Back Pain: Arnica montana

10:51 Homeopathic Remedy for Back Pain: Bryonia alba

12:14 Homeopathic Remedy for Back Pain: Mag phos

Advanced Disease and Back Pain

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

Joette’s Learning Center

Gateway to Practical Homeopathy®: A Guided Study Group Curriculum

Joette’s Study Group, Find Your New Study Group Friends

Joette’s Mighty Members

The Academy of Practical Homeopathy®

Joette Calabrese on YouTube

Kate:

This is the Practical Homeopathy® Podcast, episode number 127, with Joette Calabrese.

Joette:

This is the medicine you’ve been searching for — my unique brand of homeopathy, PRACTICAL Homeopathy®.

INTRODUCTION

Kate: (01:00)

Hi, I am Kate, and I’m here today with Joette.

Joette:

Hi Kate and friends.

Kate:

Hi. We want to thank you — all of our listeners —for taking the time to be here with us today. This is so important, and we commend you for taking these steps towards deepening your knowledge with homeopathy. This will help protect you and your family and your loved ones. So, welcome!

Joette:

Knowing how to use these medicines will keep you not only on par with what’s going on in your family on a day-to-day basis, but as you age, it keeps you relevant.

“Grandma, what do I do for a back that aches?” “Grandma, my ear hurts. What should I do?”

That’s where we want to be. We want to be in that position as we age.

Kate:

All right, so today we’re going to talk about back pain. So, Joette, let’s just dive right in. Tell us about what we can do when we have the pain in our back. And maybe it’s something that’s just mildly irritating, or maybe it’s something debilitating that stops us from our daily lives.

And I also want you to talk about thinking outside the box and what might be causing the back pain. Because sometimes, it truly might just be muscles or something with our spine, but it could also be some other things. So maybe let’s start there.

BACK PAIN CAUSED BY KIDNEY ISSUES

Joette: (02:29)

Yeah, let’s start with that because it could be the kidneys. If you know where your kidneys are — and you should know where they are — it’s the rather lower back right around the waist on either side. And … could be kidney stones. Could be kidney colic (which doesn’t really tell us much of anything. It just tells us that there’s pain in the kidney or kidneys). Could be a kidney infection, and that’s something that we don’t play around with. You want to make sure that that gets attention right away.

But you can also get back pain — I know this is going to sound strange to some people — from eating foods that are not good for you. Some people are so sensitive to wheat that if they eat a sandwich, they get back pain. And that doesn’t mean that they’ve had it all their lives like that. Could have just been developed since they were given antibiotics. Because antibiotics are often the cause of food intolerances — subsequent food intolerances — after their use.

So, it could be any of those.

BACK PAIN FROM DEHYDRATION

Joette: (03:29)

And interestingly, years ago, I was in my thirties, and I was nursing one of my babies. I don’t remember which one it was. And so, I did not drink enough water. I know I didn’t because you lose your thirst sometimes. And when you’re nursing, you really have to pay attention to drinking a good amount of good water.

And so, I went to the chiropractor, and he adjusted me. And I was going about twice a week, and the pain was really … wasn’t excruciating, but it certainly was a nuisance-plus.

And so, every time I went to him, he would adjust me, and I would feel a little better. And it was fine, but then I’d have to go back again. It was going on like this for weeks, many weeks. And then, one day, I got a newsletter that I used to subscribe to.

In those days it was snail mail. And in the newsletter, it said, “Back pain. Are you sure you’re not dehydrated?”

So, I thought, “Wow, that’s awfully simple.” And so since I’m nursing and perhaps the reason … maybe that is it … because I don’t drink much water at all.”

So, I started to … I actually flooded myself with water for a day, which is not a good plan to do on a regular basis. But for that first day … and by the second day of drinking a good deal more water, the pain went away. It was simply melted away and never came back. After having suffered from that for many weeks, if not months.

So, we want to always look at what is the simple way of looking at something. If your garden looks wilty, you might want to water it. If the tomato plant looks like it’s not doing so well, perhaps it’s not enough water. Perhaps it’s the shade, that you planted it in the wrong place. Perhaps it’s crowded by other tomato plants.

Whatever the reason is, let’s use common sense first. And then we can move from there to, “Okay, what can we do homeopathically?”

HOMEOPATHIC REMEDIES FOR BACK PAIN — RHUS TOXICODENDRON

Kate: (05:18)

Good. So, there are many remedies that we could think about for back pain, but maybe just talk about a few of them so our listeners have a place to start.

Joette:

Of course, it depends on which part of the back. Is it lumbar? Is it cervical? What started it? At what point did it begin? You want to try to think of that because sometimes it’s as simple as, “Well, ever since we started sleeping on that new mattress, I’ve had that problem.” Or “Ever since that plane flight when my neck was crooked, and I fell asleep there, it’s been uncomfortable or stiff or painful ever since.”

So, we do want to look at the possibility of the etiology, meaning what could have caused this in my day-to-day life?

Kate:

And sometimes it might even be that “Oh, I tripped, and I just stepped the wrong way and moved my back and just did something to those muscles when that happened.” And we really need to think about that because in the day — the day that we’re having that pain — we may not remember that that happened.

So, it’s always good, like you said, to look back and what was happening or what happened the day before. “What have I been doing? Have I been drinking water? Have I been all of a sudden exercising? What’s going on in my life?”

Joette:

Are my exercises more rigorous? Am I eating more wheat? And again, I don’t want you to think that wheat is a bad food. But for some people, it is. It’s like a poison of sorts. So, you want to take that into consideration as well.

So, what I find is that often there are two or three main remedies here that are most commonly used.

One of them is when the person gets up in the morning, and their back is stiff … or it’s more painful, or they feel crooked, or they feel old. Those first few steps are very uncomfortable, if not frankly, painful.

And then once they limber up … “I must stretch. I have to stretch. And so, if I don’t stretch, then my back bothers me.” That generally is a call for the remedy Rhus tox. And so, it’s Rhus toxicodendron … for short, it’s Rhus tox. And we can use that in a 30 or a 200, and we can use that a couple of times a day until the pain goes away.

HOMEOPATHY IS NOT A SUPPLEMENT

Joette: (07:26)

Now, let me also say this: that when I say we use a medicine twice a day, it’s not like a supplement or a vitamin where you take it forever. No, these are medicines. Homeopathy is medicine.

So, when we take a medicine for a specific condition, when the condition is resolved (or at least quite nearly resolved), we don’t keep taking it. We stop and allow the body just to carry on from where it was before and allow the medicine also to carry on.

Now, if it comes back again, we’re not going to say, “Oh no, it’s back again!”

Instead, we say, “Oh, cool. Oh, this is really great. It’s back again. I know exactly what to do because I did it last time. I go right back to my Rhus tox 30, twice daily, until the pain is resolved once again.”

So that’s the first medicine.

HOMEOPATHIC REMEDIES FOR BACK PAIN — SYMPHYTUM OFFICINALE

Joette: (08:27)

The second medicine that is very common that can be used even alongside Rhus tox is Symphytum, S-Y-M-P-H-Y-T-U-M … Symphytum 200C. And that, too, may be used twice daily. And that is an overall muscular and bone and joint pain. So that covers a lot of different kinds of conditions related to the back.

And sometimes, we can actually use Symphytum 200 mixed with Rhus tox, meaning taking them in the mouth at the same time, twice daily.

I don’t know that we need to go that far. If what I’ve described is that feeling very old and wretched on first movement and then getting better as the person limbers up. If that is there, then Rhus tox is probably the medicine for that particular condition.

Kate:

So how would one know if they should use the Symphytum AND the Rhus tox?

Joette:

I would use Symphytum and Rhus tox mixed together when it feels like Rhus tox is sort of helping, but it’s not doing enough. It’s a little improved. It was a screaming 8 every day. Now, it’s down to a 5, so it’s not moving it along enough. Then, I would add Symphytum 200 along with Rhus tox 30.

HOMEOPATHIC REMEDIES FOR BACK PAIN — ARNICA MONTANA

Joette: (09:46):

Now, there’s a medicine that is very useful for back pain from having picked up something that’s too heavy, lifting the sofa, or working too heavily in the gym, or digging in the garden too vigorously. Then we’re going to use something like Arnica.

And Arnica montana can be used in a 30 or a 200 … and that’s from having been overused, maybe even abused. So, when we abuse the back by overusing it, then Arnica montana 200, twice daily, is an excellent medicine.

Now, let me also point out that Rhus tox sometimes comes into play in this kind of a situation as well.

But, in general, if someone has overused their body, overused their back, too strenuous an exercise program, et cetera, we often use Arnica 200 all by itself, twice daily, until very much better.

If there’s no improvement in somewhat short order — days, maybe even a week or so — then it’s time to reassess and look at something else.

HOMEOPATHIC REMEDIES FOR BACK PAIN — BRYONIA ALBA

Joette: (10:51)

Now, there’s another medicine that I favor for back pain, and that is, again, when the body is overused. And if Arnica doesn’t help, then we go to Bryonia.

Now, Bryonia has a very distinct kind of pain. It’s the kind of pain that hurts only on movement — not first movement and better on limbering up, like Rhus tox; not overall pain, like Symphytum — but rather pain that is very specific.

Every time the person moves, it hurts. And a movement could be as simple as coughing. The person coughs, “Oh my gosh, there’s that pain.” Or when they get up out of bed, there’s pain. And they continually have pain throughout the day. It does not relieve from limbering up.

So, that’s Bryonia. And I like Bryonia in a 30 and, again, twice daily.

And these medicines, what’s so lovely about them is that what I’m describing here is kind of for an acute situation, having slept on the plane the wrong way, or having overexerted themselves in the garden, or et cetera, et cetera. But these medicines are just as valuable for a chronic condition. This back pain could have been going on for weeks, months, maybe even on and off for years. It matters not. These are still the same medicines, the same frequency, the same potency.

HOMEOPATHIC REMEDIES FOR BACK PAIN — MAG PHOS

Kate: (12:14)

Joette, what about Mag phos? Could that be useful for back pain as well?

Joette:

Yes. Mag phos — Magnesium phosphoricum [Magnesia phosphorica] — is particularly valuable when we find that the person wants to have heat exerted or pressed up against the back. And the more pressure exerted with the heat, the better the person feels.

So, someone might say, “I feel a tremendous pain in my back, and if you would just hold that hot water bottle right there and press it really hard, that could help me feel a little more comfortable.” That is a call for Magnesium phosphoricum [Magnesia phosphorica] or Mag phos.

And that can be used in a 6 or a 30 and used two to three times a day if it’s a chronic condition. If it’s an acute, you could take it every 15 minutes for the first hour and, after that, every hour that follows that.

Kate:

Yeah, and then you would gradually space that out as the condition improves.

Joette:

Just like any medicine, you don’t take it “just because.” You take it … well, actually, I should say, there are a lot of drugs that are given “just because” you hit a certain age.

So, let’s put it this way, if you’re going to be taking a Tylenol for a headache, you’re not going to take it twice a day, every day forever more. It’s a medicine. It’s a drug. It’s intended to take care of the condition and move you on to your life.

That’s the same as homeopathy, generally speaking — and there are extenuating circumstances occasionally. But generally speaking, we’re going to use the medicine until it’s no longer needed. And then we’re going to open it up and use it less frequently … less frequently. Still okay? Okay. Even less frequent than that.

So, instead of maybe three or four times a day, you’re going to go to twice a day. And as it improves, okay, now only once a day.

Okay, now how is it? Okay, it’s gone. Great. Then we stop. We halt the use of the medicine, and then we resume it as needed in the future, should it arise again.

Kate:

There’s also a blog that you had written in 2023 called “Advanced Disease and Back Pain.” So, that’s another good reference for those of you who want to read more about back pain and see some of this information written down in a blog.

So, today’s podcast was short and sweet, but I think we covered a lot of remedies, and I’m sure this is going to help you or someone that you know. So, thank you so much Joette for the valuable information that you shared today.

Joette:

Thank you, my friends. Thanks, Kate.

It’s my honor to share many lessons on this simple method of using homeopathy for free —without affiliates or advertising — here in my podcasts, but also my blog posts and Monday Night Lives.

Kate:

To learn more and find out if homeopathy is a good fit for your health strategy, visit PracticalHomeopathy.com.

Is Homeopathy a Supplement? No. It’s a Powerful (Yet Polite) Medicine.

Remember the noteworthy recovery my oak tree made after I gave it Arnica and Bioplasma®? If not, be sure to read Homeopathy Is Not a Placebo: Ask My Oak Tree.

My tree’s reaction — without having any predisposed beliefs about homeopathy — proves that this medicine is not a placebo.

So, Is Homeopathy a Supplement?

However, despite how I used these medicines for an extended time with my tree, homeopathy is not a supplement. We would not give it to our families regularly as we might give “plant food” to a dieffenbachia.

Indeed, homeopathy is a medicine and should be respected as such. It’s intended to be used judiciously.

But What About Cell Salts?

My friends, cell salts are made the same way that all homeopathic remedies are made. Consequently, they are medicines, too.

However, folks often use them more as supplements. They are not.

If a person is low in calcium phosphate, they may consider supplementing their food with the cell salt Calc phos 6X. But that concept is grossly oversimplified. It’s a medicine. If we think of it as merely a supplement, then we will use it incorrectly.

I’ve Changed My View Over Time

Decades ago, it was my contention that some homeopathy could be used as a supplement. In fact, I used to add Calc phos 6X to my kids’ daily glasses of raw milk. Why? Because they were growing, and Calc phos is specific for growth in children. Maybe it’s why my kids’ teeth and skin were so good. I don’t know. But I wrote about it in a blog post.

However, reading that 2013 article now, it definitely sounds as though I was using a cell salt as a supplement back then.

But like most of us, hopefully, I’ve learned and grown over the last four decades—especially with my mastery of homeopathy. Now, I’m more apt to think of using cell salts as a medicine instead. I use them to correct a specific condition, not “just because.”

For instance, if one always felt cold, had thinning hair, dry and flaky skin, and delaminated nails, then utilizing the cell salt Silicea 6X might be considered — but only until very much better. It should not be used as a daily regimen ad infinitum.

Bioplasma®

Bioplasma is a combination remedy from Hyland’s that combines all twelve of the cell salts into one product. I often receive questions from students thinking that Bioplasma is an exception and may be used as a supplement.

No. It’s still homeopathy, and homeopathy is still not a supplement.

In my experience, the downside of using Bioplasma willy-nilly is that all twelve cell salts are most likely not needed at one particular moment in time. If an individual uses unnecessary medicines, there is a potential for a proving.

What Is a Proving?

A proving may occur when we use a remedy incorrectly or too frequently. More often than not, a proving occurs when you take a remedy again and again and again without a specific condition being treated — as you would a supplement. When a proving occurs, the symptoms that the medicine is intended to correct are then brought to the surface as a new symptom the sufferer has not had in the past.

Provings don’t scare me, as I discussed in Podcast 49 – Shedding Light on Provings and Aggravations. However, why flirt with that experience if it’s not necessary? Tight-fitting choices of well-chosen, specific medicines for specific conditions are the way to go.

Uses for Bioplasma®

However, Bioplasma is valuable, as I like to say, “when in doubt.” If a sufferer is not quite sure what the precise condition or symptoms are — or if they overlap between several cell salts — then Bioplasma can be beneficial.

I used to use Bioplasma quite often, but after decades of experience, I no longer have those moments of doubt. Now, I target each symptom or condition with a laser focus rather than a broad-spectrum “when in doubt” solution.

Bioplasma is also handy if one is out and about without any other homeopathic medicines nearby. If Bioplasma is available, it can often provide some support until the proper medicine can be procured.

It’s not a panacea, though. It’s not going to fix everything. But it can help support the body until a more targeted medicine can be employed.

And, as you saw with my oak tree, I also find it quite advantageous for plants.

Pass on the good news of Practical Homeopathy®!

Warmly,

P.S. My Gateway to Homeopathy II contains an entire lesson on cell salts. But you can’t get to Gateway II without first studying Gateway to Practical Homeopathy® I.

Join a study group now and be prepared. Fall and winter are just around the corner, yet you’ll be ready for colds, flu and injuries from school activities. My friends, there is no time like the present to become competent and confident.

Homeopathy Is Not a Placebo: Ask My Oak Tree

If a tree falls in the forest and no one is around to hear it, is there a chance it’s been crying out for homeopathy?

Ask my oak tree.

One of the most consistent arguments against homeopathy is that there is so little of the original gross substance remaining in the diluted and potentized medicine that it must be functioning as a simple placebo.

Okay, here’s a question for those naysayers: If homeopathy is merely a placebo, then why does homeopathy act on plants that are incapable of expectation bias?

Again, let’s ask my oak tree.

Now, lest you think I’ve gone ‘round the bend, I realize that trees can’t talk. Luckily, a photo is worth a thousand words.

Homeopathy for Plants

Six years ago, we bought a cottage with a beautiful old oak tree in the yard. Our neighbors said the tree was at least 120 years old, according to their parents and grandparents. So, this old oak was a sturdy, resilient tree that had most assuredly been around to witness a thing or two.

However, as you can see from this “before” photo, it was suffering.

I was never quite sure what caused the tree to decline, although consensus seems to point to the next-door neighbors’ installation of a pool. Of course, I’m not an arborist, but judging from the tree’s canopy, the digging and/or leaching chemicals in the gunite or shotcrete probably distressed its roots. And it had been showing signs of distress for years before we moved to there.

No matter the cause, I knew the tree had been crying out for homeopathy, and I think I heard it.

I looked at the circumstances as a vascular injury to the tree. Consequently, I utilized Arnica montana 3C (one of our leading homeopathic medicines for heart and vascular issues).

I also called upon Hyland’s Bioplasma®, a combination remedy comprising all 12 of the cell salts vital to overall wellness. (I’ll talk more about Bioplasma in an upcoming blog post.)

If I didn’t have Bioplasma, I would add Silicea to the tree’s water. Silicea is one of the 12 cell salts and is known for addressing a lack of hardiness.

Method for Providing Homeopathy for Plants

How did I administer the medicines to the tree? I simply dissolved a couple of doses of each in a large pitcher of water and poured the medicine around the base every week for about four months. I’ve kept up with this regimen every summer and fall for the last six years.

If homeopathy were a placebo, my oak tree might have continued to fail until it died. However, over time, it began to thrive once again. I took the following photograph six years after the first photo — almost to the day. What a difference!

This example also serves as an excellent analogy for how homeopathy addresses chronic conditions in humans.

This was a 120-year-old tree that had been in decline for some time before I came along and heard its cries for help. We can compare that to an adult who has experienced a chronic condition — say, allergies — for many years. The sufferer may say, “I started using homeopathy six weeks ago; why have my allergies not been eliminated quickly?”

While a well-chosen homeopathic medicine employed as an SOS for an acute condition may surprise us with how quickly it can act, it takes time to see a shift in a chronic condition. Chronic conditions don’t appear in a day and likely won’t resolve in a day.

Like my tree, it often takes time to halt the momentum of decline and then make the complete 180° turn to robust health. But it does happen. I see results every day in the feedback I receive from clients and students.

And you can see the results with your own eyes in my tree. The difference before and after homeopathy is gobsmacking, isn’t it?

My dear friends, I assure you, I did not explain to my tree that it was receiving homeopathy in its water. I did not offer it any blog posts or read to it from the materia medica. My tree was not swayed by my confidence or influenced by faith that this medicine could work. As much as I love that tree, it’s not much of a deep thinker or conversationalist.

However, homeopathy acted just the same — without any medication prejudice from the placebo effect.

Homeopathy Is Not a Placebo

If my oak tree’s experience is insufficient to convince the naysayers, there’s more. Once again, I offer this fascinating explanation of a scientific experiment conducted on duckweed plants from the Homeopathy Research Institute. It’s hard to cry “placebo” after viewing the short video “Using Duckweed to Investigate the Effectiveness of Homeopathy.”

Pass on the good news of Practical Homeopathy®!

Warmly,

P.S. A Gateway to Practical Homeopathy® study group is the perfect way to learn more about homeopathy. Gather up some friends and start a group yourself. Or join a study group led by one of my experienced Ambassadors. As students and graduates of The Academy of Practical Homeopathy®, my Ambassadors have unique knowledge to launch your studies to the next level.

Purchase your study group curriculum, and then log into your dedicated Gateway to Practical Homeopathy® I, Second Edition portal. In the Welcome section, you’ll find a list of the next Ambassador-led study groups organized by starting date. Plenty of options enable you to find the time best suited to your schedule.

And don’t stop there! If you’ve already taken Gateway I, be sure to continue with Gateway II. In this second part of the Gateway series, I delve much more into the cell salts. There are also valuable lessons on colds, influenza, seasonal allergies and common emergencies.

X-Ray: An Effective Homeopathic Medicine for Radiation Exposure

Can Homeopathy Address Radiation Exposure?

Homeopathic X-Ray for Radiation Exposure

A Successful Case in Point

Podcast 129 — Overcoming Anxiety and Panic Attacks with Practical Homeopathy®

INTRODUCTION: OVERCOMING ANXIETY AND PANIC ATTACKS

DOWNSIDE TO THE CONVENTIONAL APPROACH (PHARMACEUTICALS)

WITH HOMEOPATHY, IT’S OVER

BAM! ACONITUM NAPELLUS

ACONITUM DURING LABOR

FEAR: ARGENTUM NITRICUM

WHEN TO PIVOT

CHECK YOUR MATERIA MEDICA

ARSENICUM ALBUM

OUR “A” FOR ANXIETY MEDICINES ALL START WITH THE LETTER “A”

THE LADDER OF LEARNING

Stop Biting Me! Preventing Annoying Mosquito Bites with Homeopathy

Preventing Annoying Mosquito Bites with Homeopathy

Observe to Recognize if a Proving Occurs

A Testimonial for Staphysagria’s Usefulness Against Bug Bites

How to Deal with Existing Bug Bites

Strength in Numbers: Gateway to Practical Homeopathy® Study Groups

Strength in Numbers

Study Buddies to the Rescue

Gateway to Practical Homeopathy®

Podcast 128 — Moms with Moxie: The Body Can Repair Itself, Given the Correct Stimulus

IN THIS PODCAST, WE COVER:

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

INTRODUCTION: THE BODY CAN REPAIR ITSELF, GIVEN THE CORRECT STIMULUS

DIVING RIGHT IN AND GOING TO CLASSICAL HOMEOPATHY SCHOOL

THE ACADEMY OF PRACTICAL HOMEOPATHY®

GOING INTO PRACTICE

TAKING ACADEMICS INTO PRACTICE

A TINCTURE OF TIME

SUCCESS STORY: SEVERE ABDOMINAL PAINS

SUCCESS STORY: TORN MENISCUS

SUCCESS STORY: BEE STINGS AND HIVES

A HOMEOPATH IS A DETECTIVE

CLOSING ADVICE

Practical Homeopathy® for Angst and Anxiety in the Aftermath of Hurricane Helene

Angst and Anxiety From Bad News

Sadness, Grief and Feeling Utterly Overwhelmed

Depression

Choose Carefully and Observe

Homeopathy Is Subtle, Not Manipulative

Sudden Shocks

Worried About Reactions to Mold?

The Best Method for Utilizing Homeopathic Medicines — Liquid or Pills?

Differing Methodologies for Utilizing Homeopathy

Powders

Pillules or Tablets

Dissolved in Liquid

Manufactured as Liquid

Follow the Leader

Utilizing Homeopathic Medicines by Stretching Your Inventory

Trust Our Homeopathic Pharmacies

Podcast 127 — Effective Homeopathic Remedies for Back Pain

IN THIS PODCAST, WE COVER EFFECTIVE HOMEOPATHIC REMEDIES FOR BACK PAIN:

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

INTRODUCTION

BACK PAIN CAUSED BY KIDNEY ISSUES

BACK PAIN FROM DEHYDRATION

HOMEOPATHIC REMEDIES FOR BACK PAIN — RHUS TOXICODENDRON

HOMEOPATHY IS NOT A SUPPLEMENT

HOMEOPATHIC REMEDIES FOR BACK PAIN — SYMPHYTUM OFFICINALE

HOMEOPATHIC REMEDIES FOR BACK PAIN — ARNICA MONTANA

HOMEOPATHIC REMEDIES FOR BACK PAIN — BRYONIA ALBA

HOMEOPATHIC REMEDIES FOR BACK PAIN — MAG PHOS

Is Homeopathy a Supplement? No. It’s a Powerful (Yet Polite) Medicine.

So, Is Homeopathy a Supplement?

But What About Cell Salts?

I’ve Changed My View Over Time

Bioplasma®

What Is a Proving?

Uses for Bioplasma®

Homeopathy Is Not a Placebo: Ask My Oak Tree

Homeopathy for Plants

Method for Providing Homeopathy for Plants

Homeopathy Is Not a Placebo

**Homeopathic X-Ray for Radiation Exposure**

**A Testimonial for Staphysagria’s Usefulness Against Bug Bites**