 OHM is an excellent homeopathic pharmacy located in Texas. They make a nice little kit aimed at pain management. Unfortunately, OHM doesn’t sell to the general public; but, that doesn’t stop you from creating your own little kit based on their suggested remedies.
Let’s see why these 11 remedies are included in this select little kit and why you may want to consider having some handy. Note: this is a quick list to get you started — it is far from complete. Aconite 200c
Arnica 30 & 200
Bryonia 30c
Calc phos 6c
Calendula 30c
Chamomila 30c
Hypericum 30c
Phosphorus 30c
Rhus tox 30c
Ruta 30c
Symphytum 30c
This kit suggests using the appropriate remedy every 15 minutes in acute situations. Reduce frequency repetition upon improvement. I have a number of longer homeopathic pain remedy articles still in the works. Sit tight! Julia Coyte, CHom Classically Practical homeopath #wellnessawaits
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I misjudged how much time I actually have had in the last couple of weeks, so here's a little pain teaser to tide you over…
With that, here is a very quick rundown of go-to pain remedies as suggested in the latest arrival to my bookshelf… Weiner’s Pain Management: A Practical Guide for Clinicians (Boswell and Cole 2007). I purchased this hefty tome (coming in over 1600 pages) to learn better how mainstream medicine approaches treating pain: diagnostic criteria, pathophysiology and methods of treatment; associated factors; causations, etc. I was, needless to say, very happy to see a chapter on Homeopathy! Dana Ullman is a co-author of this section with a short overview of homeopathy (remember, this book is aimed at mainstream physicians), followed by brief entries on common painful conditions, each accompanied by relevant research for the homeopathic remedies. Then, they have a short list of “Commonly Used Homeopathic Medicines for Painful Conditions”:
Sit tight for the longer, more in-depth pain articles which are currently in the works. I am not going to get them all posted before the end of the year - my apologies for that. Wishing you a pleasant and pain free end of 2025! Julia Coyte, CHom Classically Practical homeopath #wellnessawaits Boswell, M. V. and Cole, B. E., eds. 2007. Weiner’s pain management : a practical guide for clinicians. New York: Informa Healthcare.  A couple of months ago, we were given some “new” information about Tylenol. In actuality, there was nothing new about this information, it was just brought to our broader attention through “official” channels. (See, also: The Road Less Traveled, from 2022, where I brought a little light to the darker sides of over the counter (OTC) painkillers for headaches*.) “But, popping a painkiller is so easy!” I know. I truly do. There is a song called “The Sinking Feeling” by the band The The, which says, “The path of least resistance leads to the garbage heap of despair (air-air-aiiir), I think I’d better get back in bed.” I like the whole song, but that one line is what really sticks with me. Taking the easy route is not always the best choice. I am confident in saying that when it comes to dealing with your pain, taking the road less traveled is well worth the time and energy required to figure it out. Using OTC painkillers don’t just block the pain, they block important healing messages to get the job done, doing what the body is meant to do — fixing what’s wrong. “In all the cases, the immense advantage of homeopathy is that it cures in a gentle, quick and lasting manner, according to Hahnemann’s postulates. In this sense, there is no other therapeutic capable of being compared to it. Besides, it is never harmful, it is never dangerous, it never produces side effects because it lacks all chemical substance; thus, it is the best therapeutic ever invented by human beings.” For the sake of discussion, let’s assume we are dealing with a sprained ankle. What exactly is a sprained ankle? A sprain is a trauma to the ligaments by stretching it too far; this causes pain and difficulty with movement. “A mild sprain is really a pulled or strained ligament, with tenderness and mild swelling, but no tearing of tissue. A moderate strain** has partial tearing of the ligament, while a severe strain entails a complete tear, with corresponding degrees of swelling, bruising and inability to move the joint or bear weight” (Hershoff 2000). Conventional treatment involves applying ice to the area and wraps to compress the area. Taber’s also recommends “analgesics and NSAIDs.” As we’ll see below, not all sprains respond well to ice and wraps — another place where homeopathy shines. We can use those data points to help us find the best suited remedy. Let’s get back to the simplicity of the over-the-counter pills… How do they work? If you ask an AI, it will tell you that the exact mechanism of acetaminophen (e.g., Tylenol) is not fully understood, but it is believed to work through the central nervous system to block pain signals. Ibuprofen (NSAIDS/Advil), on the other hand, blocks the production of prostaglandins. What are prostaglandins again? In simple terms, prostaglandins are the chemical messengers that cause pain, swelling, and fever — let’s call that the “alarm system”. In short, Advil turns off the alarm system at the source (blocks the prostaglandins). Tylenol turns the volume down on the alarm sounds in your brain — the alarm is still going, you just don’t “hear” it as loudly, so the pain feels less intense. Sounds like a solid plan to me! What could be the problem with it? Taber’s Medical Dictionary (Venes 2017) tells us that prostaglandins (PGs) “influence a broad range of biological effects, including vasodilation, vascular permeability, bronchoconstriction†, platelet aggregation, dysmenorrhea†, inhibition of gastric acid secretion, stimulation of neural receptors for pain during tissue damage, sleep inhibition†, and maintenance of patent ductus arteriosis†.” That sums it all up, doesn’t it?! Keep reading — we’ll see if we can sort some of this out.
OK. I get it, OTCs are not completely without risk. What do you suggest using for this fictitious sprained ankle? Well, homeopathy, of course!
Or, the combination of Arnica, Ruta and Rhus is an excellent injury go-to, covering many bases at once. I encourage you to read up on the OTC painkillers. Drugs.com is a good place to start. (Hint: keep scrolling down the page on Drugs.com. There is a brief overview at the top of the page, but if you keep going, you’ll find further links for “side effects” that should be known but are a little hidden.) If you purchase/make a good household kit, you will be ready to deal with most common ailments that come your way and be able to skirt the OTCs. Julia Coyte, CHom Classically Practical homeopath #wellnessawaits *Ibuprofen/Advil/Motrin/NSAIDS are used interchangeably throughout this article; likewise acetaminophen/Tylenol, too. **Some sources say a strain is the injury to tendons while sprains are injuries to ligaments. Other sources use strain and sprain interchangeably. †In keeping with the sprained ankle analogy, bronchoconstriction, dysmenorrhea, sleep inhibition and maintenance of patent ductus arteriosis do not pertain to this situation. Reference list
American Association of Homeopathic Pharmacists, n.d. FAQs [online]. The American Association of Homeopathic Pharmacists. Anderson, L. A., 2024. Pain / Fever Drugs and Alcohol Interactions [online]. Drugs.com. Andonian, N., 2020. Rebound (Medication-Overuse) Headaches: How to Stop Them [online]. GoodRx. Dimitropoulos, E., 2014. Acetaminophen Toxicity: What Pharmacists Need to Know [online]. Uspharmacist.com. Durbin, K., 2023a. Acetaminophen [online]. Drugs.com. Durbin, K., 2023b. Ibuprofen [online]. Drugs.com. Fine, M., 2013. Quantifying the Impact of NSAID-Associated Adverse Events [online]. AJMC. Harvard Health Publishing, 2024. Acetaminophen safety: Be cautious but not afraid - Harvard Health [online]. Harvard Health. Hershoff, A., 2000. Homeopathic Remedies. Kindle. Avery Uuuu-Uuuu. Mcconnell, T. H., Paulson, V. A. and Valasek, M. A., 2014. The nature of disease : pathology for the health professions. Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Ogilvie, J. D., Rieder, M. J. and Lim, R., 2012. Acetaminophen overdose in children. Canadian Medical Association Journal [online], 184 (13), 1492–1496. Saljoughian, M., 2016. Acetaminophen Intoxication: A Critical-Care Emergency [online]. Uspharmacist.com. Venes, D., 2017. Taber’s cyclopedic medical dictionary. Kindle. Philadelphia: F.A. Davis Company. Waugh, A. and Grant, A., 2023. Ross and Wilson Anatomy and Physiology in Health and Illness. 14th ed. Edinburgh: Elsevier Health Sciences.  “Wellness Box” image created by AI, with my help. Everything else was done by lil’ old me. Do you have a homeopathy kit yet?
If not, why not? It doesn’t take anything fancy. Any old box or bag will do. You could purchase a kit, ready to go. (See here and here for some ideas.) Or, you could make your own kit by purchasing remedies as you need them. Start with one. Add another couple and put a rubber band around them to keep them together. Add a few more and put them in a little ziplock bag. Add a few more and put them in a shoebox. Once you have them, you are then good to go. As long as you keep them safe and together, then you have your kit. I could give you a list of suggested remedies. Would that help? (Almost all of these Ruminating on Remedies articles are written with common, easily sourced remedies in mind. Read through and find a few remedies that might serve you and your family well. It’s actually one of the hardest things to do — narrowing down to just 10, but here goes! Top 10 — in no particular order: 1. Arnica
Two people have independently spoken to me about their homeopathic kits in the last two weeks. The first one purchased a Narayani kit and there is no other way to say it — she is over the moon with it. (She didn’t purchase the little one mentioned in the link above, she went for the whole kit and kaboodle!) The second person, just this morning told me how much she loved her little kit of 50 remedies. She said she wants to carry it around with her everywhere. The other day her son was feeling a little off — Nux took care of that. She slammed her finger tip in a drawer and Arnica and Hypericum took care of that. Done. Easy. Return the remedies to where they belong and your kit is once more ready to go for the next thing that comes along. What are you waiting for?!? Julia Coyte, CHom Classically Practical homeopath #wellnessawaits  I was beginning to think the flu season may have just skimmed over the world this year, but here it is… a little later than usual, but, just like always, it is no fun. And, just like always, a little prevention can go a long way. (See also: Calming the Cold; Flu Remedies to Consider; Ho Ho Ho, (not Oooooh No!); Ahh-choo; On the 4th Day of Cell Salts… Ferr Phos.) Let’s jump ahead to the unfortunate situation we see in the picture above where those early signals were missed (or, ignored) and, here we are, unable to get out of bed… feeling just awful and the kids are hungry. (Oh, man, I remember those days. So painful!) So, where would one start in this scenario? Below are seven MAIN COMPLAINTs, followed by 4 or 5 commonly found remedies with 4 or 5 symptoms each which may help to choose a remedy to get back on your feet quickly. Remember! We are not looking for perfection. We are looking for improvement. We are looking to move the worst symptom out of the way for a minute so you can do what you need to do and then, when that’s done, get back into bed to rest properly. This is far from a complete flu repertory. The intent here is to put as many remedies as possible in a quick list. All of these remedies could (pretty much) be listed under all of the headings. In other words, they are (for the most part) wide-reaching flu remedies. Choose the worst MAIN COMPLAINT (found in BOLD CAPS) you are experiencing at the moment and then choose the remedy that best fits your current symptoms. Notes:
 ACHING BODY: Arnica
 COUGH: Antimonium tart
 FEVER*: Aconite
 GASTRO: Arsenicum album
 HEADACHE: Belladonna
 NOSE: Arsenicum album
 SORE THROAT: Causticum
It’s important to remember that there are many, many homeopathic remedies for each of these main symptoms. This is just a brief list which may help to get dinner on the table or that important email answered. Julia Coyte, CHom Classically Practical homeopath #wellnessawaits * Be sure to seek treatment if the fever is very high, continues to climb or is accompanied by seizure or fainting or severe headache or stiff neck (to name but a few concerning symptoms). For more information:
If you have already been through the worst of the flu, check out “Get Well Soon” to find a few helpful tips on recuperating.  No matter what you want to call it … (if you’re squeamish, just know we’re talking about diarrhea and skip forward to the next paragraph). If toilet humor is your thing, here we go: Number 3, Chocolate Thunder, Poo Stew, Rectum Rapids, Turd Tea, Emergency Evacuation, The Squirts, Brown Bomb, Liquid Lunch, Poop Soup … I’ll stop now. (If you would like a few more unseemly names, see Travelers’ Diarrhea.) Don’t worry, I won’t continue with the graphic descriptions. What follows is a long list of situations where one might experience diarrhea and the most highly indicated remedies for each. Once again, if you are experiencing diarrhea beyond an acute bout, please seek professional medical advice. Before embarking on my long list of unfortunate bottom-related circumstances, let me share one of my first amazing homeopathic "wowee!" moments. We were traveling and my then young teenage son was very sick in the night with suspected food poisoning. I was hemming and hawing, trying to remember what I had learned about remedies. I went with Veratrum album and within minutes everything stopped. I mean, everything completely stopped. He slept the rest of the night and woke up fine and dandy. “Better out than in” is what we say around here! As a result of this experience, I keep a little vial of Veratrum album in my little travel kit that accompanies me every time I leave the house with my suitcase. Veratrum album is my go-to homeopathic remedy for if things are coming out of both ends. What else may point to the use of this remedy? The diarrhea (or vomiting) may be violent, voluminous and relentless. Collapse following diarrhea (not the only well indicated remedy in this rubric, but a good place to start). The person may be cold: cold limbs, generally chilly, and/or clammy. Diarrhea with perspiration. Diarrhea after eating fruit; diarrhea after eating cucumbers (technically a fruit, after all). Diarrhea during menses. Diarrhea which is made worse by movement/motion (Bryonia is another one to think of for this symptom). And, here’s one more unusual concomitant symptom for Veratrum album: hiccups during diarrhea. Isn’t that just what you need in that situation?! Children & Diarrhea: If you have an infant with diarrhea, administer Podophyllum on the way to see the doctor — dehydration can set in quickly. Diarrhea while cutting teeth: Chamomilla. Chamomilla is such an excellent remedy for children, in general, and it doesn’t let us down in this situation, either (but these symptoms are not confined to children. With everything homeopathy, if the symptoms match, the remedy would be effective for man, woman, child or animal.) Diarrhea with abdominal pain. Diarrhea: following anger; after taking a cold; after eating and, specifically after eating rhubarb. Emotional diarrhea or from excitement. During hot weather. Painless diarrhea. And, here is a rubric unique to Chamomilla (but hopefully you wouldn’t find this in a child!): diarrhea after smoking. The Elderly & Diarrhea: Like children, the elderly, too, have some remedies with great affinity to their age. In this particular situation, I would lean toward China officinalis. China is so good for enfeebled people, as can often be found in the later years. In particular, China is useful for weak digestion; dyspepsia/indigestion; flatulence; chronic belching. Dysentery, in simple terms, involves frequent bowel movements with blood and mucus in the stool, often accompanied by cramps and pain. Give some China while on the way to see a doctor. Please seek medical assistance if you are experiencing these symptoms. If diarrhea and constipation alternate in older individuals, consider Antimonium crud. On to the general list… If experiencing abdominal pain, and it feels like diarrhea is imminent, Aloe would be my first recommendation. There may be accompanying weakness. Diarrhea after eating and in particular, diarrhea following the slightest dietary indiscretion. Walking makes it worse. Lots of toots during the diarrhea. There are a few rubrics where Aloe and Sulphur “tie” when it comes to diarrhea: burning pain in the rectum; being driven out of bed in the morning, needing the toilet desperately (Sulphur has the specific times of 5-6 am); painless diarrhea; standing makes it worse. Where Sulphur “wins out” over Aloe: diarrhea after beer and nighttime diarrhea, especially after midnight. If the diarrhea alternates with another symptom, such as:
Diarrhea and emotions:
Feeling wiped out after all that wiping? China is a good place to start. If the weakness is particularly pronounced, also consider Phosphoric acid. If the act of wiping actually causes pain: Graphites. Diarrhea during pregnancy: Phosphorus Diarrhea during menopause: Lachesis Diarrhea following an injury: Arnica If it’s coming out as from a hydrant: Podophyllum If it has a really noxious smell: Baptisia Diarrhea following the consumption of:
If you find your appetite increases with diarrhea: Petroleum. Cold hands with diarrhea: Phosphorus Cold feet: Lycopodium Cold limbs: Arsenicum album, Camphora and Veratrum album Positionally speaking: If lying down make it worse: Dioscorea If lying down makes it better: Bryonia (though it may be worse lying on your side) Sitting upright makes it worse: Bryonia Time of day: If it starts after you have risen from bed and moving around: Bryonia or Nat sulph After midnight: Arsenicum album or Sulphur If the diarrhea causes sleeplessness: Phosphorus I changed my mind. I will use one more dysphemism: the sharts, also commonly referred to as “gambled and lost” (Flanagan 2010). If you are having diarrhea during rectal flatus, there are a number of well indicated remedies, but I would start with Aloe — the remedy for an insecure rectum (click that link to read the previous article with the same name.) What would cause an “insecure rectum?” Let’s go back to Giulia Enders’ Gut for this explanation. Apparently we have a pair of “sophisticated” sphincters which Enders takes a few pages to explain and I am going to try and shrink it down to the bare essentials using her words, (but the full explanation is certainly worth a read). “The outer muscle is a faithful servant of our consciousness. When our brain deems it an unsuitable time to go to the toilet, the external sphincter obeys and stays closed with all its might. … Our internal sphincter is a no-nonsense little guy. His motto is, ‘If it’s gotta come out, it’s gotta come out!’ … The external sphincter, on the other hand, has to deal with the vagaries of the outside world and its many options.” Suffice it to say, we need these two sphincters to communicate well. A few more remedies for involuntary stool (not necessarily diarrhea):
As you can see, homeopathy can be invaluable when it comes to diarrhea — there is a homeopathic remedy for almost any situation! Julia Coyte, CHom Classically Practical homeopath #wellnessawaits References:
Enders, G., 2015. Gut : the Inside Story of Our Body’s Most Underrated Organ. Greystone Books. Flanagan, D., 2010. Everybody poops 410 pounds a year : an illustrated bathroom companion for grown-ups. Berkeley, Ca: Ulysses Press. Murphy, R., n.d. Homeopathic Remedy Guide. accessed through Radar Opus software.  The Bristol stool scale was developed at the Bristol Royal Infirmary in 1997 and is based on the poops of approximately 2,000 people. Developed by Dr. Ken Heaton, this scale makes it a little easier for people to discuss what comes out the other end. One way of looking at this scale is to think about how much water is in each type of poop. 1 & 2 are very dry and may be seen when one is constipated. 6 & 7 are considered diarrhea — plenty of water in these poops. #4 is Goldilocks (Goldilogs?!) and 3 & 5 are either side of “just right” and considered pretty good. NOTE: if you consistently pass either the hard poops or the mushy poops, OR, if you switch back and forth between the two, then you may want to speak with a physician.  Let’s talk about how these poops come about. For this information, I’m going to rely primarily on Gut: The Inside Story of our Body’s Most Underrated Organ by Giulia Enders* (2015). (Sometimes word for word and sometimes paraphrased. Rest assured, all this technical info is coming from here, unless otherwise mentioned.) Poops are 3/4 water. 1/3 of the solids are bacteria. Another 1/3 is indigestible vegetable fiber. (The more fruit and veg you eat, the more feces you excrete per bowel movement.) The last 1/3 is stuff your body wants out: remains of medicines, food coloring or cholesterol. Enders says the type of poop can indicate how long it takes for the indigestible particles to pass through one’s gut. With this in mind, she says Type 1, the rabbit pellets — the hard, little lumps — can take around 100 hours to pass through the system. On the other end, Type 7 — the diarrhea — can whiz through in 10 hours (or less!). Let me add here that Lewis and Heaton (1997) found the Bristol Stool Scale is a useful guide to intestinal transit time. If you are in the envied position of regularly doing 3s and 4s, Enders says to make sure to observe how quickly they sink. If they sink too quickly it may indicate they still contain nutrients that weren’t digested properly. Kate Deering, author of How to Heal Your Metabolism (2015) describes a healthy feces as "firm, about 6-8 inches in length and about an inch in diameter." She continues: "If you are having a hard time eliminating you may be dehydrated and need to add in more minerals (primarily salt), fruit and water-containing foods to your diet." How long should it take to poop? That’s a trickier question than it first appears to be. Soft Matter journal (Yang et al. 2017) says the average mammal — regardless of size — takes just 12 seconds to poop. According to Mayo Clinic (Rajan 2019), it takes about 6-8 hours for food to pass through the stomach and small intestine. Then it moves into the large intestine for further digestion, absorption of water … taking about 36 hours to get all the way through the system. Dr. Sonpal (Migala 2020) says it should take no more than 5-10 minutes to complete a poop with “minimal straining.” What’s the best way to get the poop out? Back to Gut again, an Israeli doctor, Dov Sikirov, had 28 test subjects poop in three different positions (normal toilet, half sit/half squat on a low toilet and squatting without a seat) and recorded how long they each took and recorded how much straining each position required: “The results were clear. In a squatting position, the subjects took an average of 50 seconds and reported a feeling of full, satisfaction bowel emptying. The average time when seated was 130 seconds and the resulting feeling was deemed to be not quite so satisfactory.” Japanese researchers wanted a bit more assurance and they actually fed their volunteers “luminous substances” and x-rayed them while pooping in various positions. Again from Gut, “squatting does indeed lead to a nice, straight intestinal tract, allowing for a direct, easy exit.” Long story short here: if you have problems getting the poop out, try a squatting stool* (Do a quick search for “squat” and “toilet” and see the options available.) OK, back to the Bristol Stool Scale… NOTE: If you experience the following symptoms during bowel movements (pain, blood, excessive mucus), especially if they are ongoing, or, if you have recently had a change in bowel habits, be sure to seek professional medical advice. Homeopathy is all about balancing the entire system. The best way to do this is with a full consultation with a professional homeopath who is taking all sorts of everything into consideration. With that in mind, a good stool remedy is a good stool remedy. Bryonia may be my go-to remedy to think about for constipation (a “3” in Murphy’s repertory), but it’s also listed under the opposite: forcible, sudden, gushing, but this time it is a “1”. I am putting out a few remedies to consider for various stool issues, but don’t lock yourself into a hard-line of thinking here — there is flexibility. Don’t get stuck into, “but Bryonia is a dry poop remedy” way of thinking — Bryonia can be a good remedy for stools, in general. Type 1: also known as rabbit droppings. I have known young mothers who didn’t mind when their little ones had these — they could skip the diaper change and literally just pull the little pellets out of the diaper and carry on with the day. Easy? I suppose so. But if your little one is popping out this kind of poop, there might be some dehydration issues going on. Seriously. Don’t take this as normal. Homeopathically, we could look at rubrics such as: Stool, Balls, Stools like; or, like small balls; or, like laurel berries. There are lots of good remedies listed for this, but I would start with Alumina, Bryonia, Nat mur or Plumbum. (Can I just say how much I love the name Plumbum? It’s Latin for lead and I think it’s just perfect — it’s helpful for plumbing the bum and getting the lead out when one is all bunged up 🤣.) Dry stool is an even bigger rubric with a lot of the above-repeating rubrics. However, I would start with Bryonia or Nux vomica. If it’s a dry and crumbling stool, Alumina. If it’s a dry stool which kind of starts and stops and then recedes, start with Silica. Type 2: still dry, but this time the pebbles have been fused together. For this one, all of the above dry stool remedies are worth considering, but I would probably start with Nux vomica. If it’s a lumpy stool covered with mucus**, start with Alumina. A dry and crumbling stool, Alumina or Nat mur. A lovely rubric: Stool, Sheep, dung, like - agglutinated, masses of: Plumbum. Type 3: is a little tougher to distinguish, homeopathically speaking. 3 is moving toward the “Goldilog” so perhaps just a little more fluid in your diet should do the trick? Type 4: smooth sailing — keep up the good work! Type 5: the pediatric Bristol Stool Form Scale describes this as “chicken nuggets” — soft blobs with clear-cut edges (passed easily). Like Type 3, I think we’re hovering around “good to go” — there may not be an issue here that needs to be addressed. Type 6: A mushy stool — not formed. If it looks like corn meal: Bryonia. Other remedies to consider: Rhus tox and Podophyllum. If it’s an involuntary soft stool, start with Aloe. Type 7: entirely liquid — now we’re moving into total diarrhea territory and there are many, many remedies to address this. I will be writing more in-depth about diarrhea shortly, but for today, let’s just start with Arsenicum album, China officinalis or Phosphoric acid. Once again, if your regular stool is not hovering around 3, 4, and 5, please seek a professional medical opinion. Don’t forget to check out the deposits you make into the porcelain bank! Any regular stools on either end of this scale should be evaluated by a medical professional. Julia Coyte, CHom Classically Practical homeopath #wellnessawaits * I have no affiliation with this book, I just really like it — very fun and highly readable! ** (Note: A small amount of mucus on the stool is usually not a cause for concern. Mucus lines your intestines to keep your colon running smoothly, among other tasks. However, if there is excessive mucus in or on the stool it may be a sign of an underlying condition such as: Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Crohn’s Disease, Ulcerative Colitis, food poisoning, bowel obstruction or blockage, cancer of the rectum or colon. If you have excessive mucus or even a small amount of mucus which is on-going, seek professional medical advice, especially if it is accompanied by abdominal pain, bloody stools, fever or weight loss (Mayo Clinic). Check out this article for more information.) REFERENCES:
Deering, K., 2015. How to heal your metabolism : stop blaming aging for your slowing metabolism! : learn how the right foods, sleep, the right amount of exercise, and happiness can increase your metabolic rate and help heal your broken metabolism. United States: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. Enders, G., 2015. Gut : the Inside Story of Our Body’s Most Underrated Organ. Greystone Books. Lewis, S. J. and Heaton, K. W. (1997) ‘Stool Form Scale as a Useful Guide to Intestinal Transit Time’, Scandinavian Journal of Gastroenterology, 32(9), pp. 920–924. Migala, J., 2020. How Long It Should Take to Have a Healthy Poop, According to Gastroenterologists [online]. Livestrong.com. Yang, P. J., LaMarca, M., Kaminski, C., Chu, D. I. and Hu, D. L., 2017. Hydrodynamics of defecation. Soft Matter, 13 (29), 4960–4970.  Is it just me or is everybody noticing the incredible number of new knees being handed out? I know 89 year olds getting new knees and I know people in their early 50s getting new knees. New knees are everywhere!
Don’t get me wrong — a new knee is an amazing feat. I know people with one new knee and I know people with two new knees. Everybody is pretty darned happy with their new knees, no matter how many they have received! They are not quite like what was portrayed in The Six Million Dollar Man and The Bionic Woman, but I’m told from those who have had the procedure that it is life changing stuff. I recently suggested a homeopathic combination remedy for somebody who is waiting for their new knee. She has about 2-1/2 months to wait for her surgery and she is in some significant pain. She’s pretty skeptical of homeopathy and, to be honest, I wasn’t sure she was going to try the remedy. She agreed to try it. I suggested taking it twice a day. I also mentioned that sometimes some sort of relief can be felt pretty darned quickly. I guarantee she had zero expectations of receiving any sort of benefit. She took her first dose of the remedy and she headed home. Shortly thereafter, I texted her because I forgot to tell her how to get the remedies out of the self-dispensing tube*. Well, she responded that her stiffness had gone down substantially and that she was actually freaking out a little bit. I wasn’t surprised, but she was! (This was less than an hour after putting the remedy in her mouth.) What did I give her? I gave her a combination of Hypericum, Rhus tox and Symphytum. If you are on track for a new knee, I’m not suggesting this combination remedy will halt that process, but I am suggesting your discomfort may be lessened while you wait. And, who knows, if you start homeopathy early enough in the process, perhaps a new knee can be avoided, or, at the very least, postponed. Homeopathy is indeed the bee’s knees, as far as I’m concerned! Julia Coyte, CHom Classically Practical homeopath #wellnessawaits * These tubes can be very frustrating. The first time I tried it, I actually ended up using something sharp to widen "the stupid little hole” while I was cursing the entire experience. I guess I was in too much pain to read the instructions on the tube. To save you the annoyance, here is the trick: With the lid on the tube, turn the tube upside down and twist the lid. The pellets will fall into the lid. When the desired number of pellets have dropped, remove the lid and pour the pellets directly into your mouth from the lid. Voila! Remember, the homeopathic medicine is applied on the outside of the pellet, therefore it is best not to handle them -- the remedy acts best when it is allowed to dissolve directly into the mucosal lining under the tongue. From Boiron: "Can I touch homeopathic pellets or tablets with my fingers or hands? We do not recommend touching the pellets and tablets with your fingers or hands. Introducing any moisture to the pellets or tablets will begin the dispensing of the medicine, and any oils on your skin may coat them and hinder absorption once the medicine is in your mouth."  Cooler weather must be coming. We have a mouse in the house - or, more accurately, a few mouses. I don’t do well with rodents… a classic Calc carb trait, actually.
Calc carb is a grade 3 remedy listed in the rubric for Fear of Mice. Once upon a time, there was a dead mouse in the back room where I worked. I was so freaked out by this that I had to go out the back door and walk all the way around the mall to get back in the building because I was mentally unable to step over the dead mouse to get back out the door I had just entered. That’s a pretty hefty fear of something that can do me no harm. (I know Hanta Virus is a thing, but… suffice it to say that this poor, little, dead creature was not going to harm me at that moment.) I have taken Calc carb in the past and my fear of mice has been tempered considerably. I still don’t like them and I really don’t like the idea of them being in my house. The fact there was one in my bedroom (!) disturbs me. (I won’t even go into how freaked out I was when a squirrel was once in my bedroom!! My boys still think my impression of the maid from "Tom & Jerry" was pretty funny - me, standing up on my bed afraid to step back on the floor.) But, I am happy to say that paralyzing fear is gone. I have made such great advances in this area that I was even about to rid the remains of one by myself the other day but my teenage son came to my rescue. It is safe to say that a few years ago there was not a chance of me ever even considering doing that job. Even looking for an image to put on this blog… I had to go for an illustration because the photos of mice cause a visceral reaction. Perhaps I need to reconsider another dose of Calc carb! So, the long and the short of this article is mouse rubrics, because fear of mice is not the only one the homeopathic literature addresses. If your nervous system is suffering after being frightened by a mouse (the rubric is actually “frightened; sudden and severe, after being, by a mouse running up arm” (which is quite frankly too much for me to even think about!) try some Ignatia. If it just feels like a mouse is running up your arm, then try Calc carb. If you have a sensation as if a mouse is running up your back: Sulphur. If you are hallucinating that you see a mouse running from under a chair… try some Cimicifuga. (Or, better yet, check and see if you really did see that and then try a dose of Cimicifuga if there is no evidence of said being!) Dreaming of mice? Or, sleep disturbed due to your fear of mice? Calc carb. If you hear noises in your ear that sound like a squeaking mouse: Rhus tox. Even though I am coping better, I prefer to live in a house where not a creature was stirring, other than the 2-legged kind. Julia Coyte, CHom Classically Practical homeopath #wellnessawaits  I was listening to a Russel Brand podcast the other day where he was talking to the man who began VivoBarefoot* shoe company -- shoes that changed my world. I used to love my pointy-toe cowboy boots and my high heels and for a minute there I had some kickin' little, pointy toe boots made from army green cloth -- they didn't last long, but I loved them! Somewhere along the line, a body worker suggested my footwear may be playing a part in my hip/spine aches. So, me being me, always looking for ways to improve my condition, I put my binding and lifting (but cute!) shoes on the shelf and moved to a shoe with a negative or zero-drop heel and a wide toe box. Lo and behold, it helped! A lot. I'm never going back. It wasn’t over night, that’s for sure. It took quite a while to build up those long under-used muscles. When I first began, the ache in my feet, going all the way up the leg was definitely a thing. (If you are going to give this a try, be sure to go slowly — wearing the barefoot shoe for short periods of time and building up to a full day.) The only problem, though, was that the bulk of these shoes were not cute. I would look down at my feet and think, “I’m wearing clown shoes.” But, I stuck with my unfashionable shoes and my toes can now move around like never before — the way they are supposed to. (Note: overall, comfy shoes are much better looking now than when I began this process.) There are zero-drop shoes and there are minimalist shoes (like the Vivo Barefoot I mentioned earlier, as well as what I call my “frog feet” shoes — Vibram Five Fingers* — which they now do a nice job of disguising, but when I first started wearing them they were really goofy looking). The point of minimalist shoes is to allow your feet to use all those muscles that become under-utilized when wearing modern comfy, squishy shoes. There are a lot of muscles in your feet and all those muscles connect to all those other muscles and ligaments and tendons and joints going all the way up the chain -- you know, the foot bone is connected to the ankle bone…. (For a little look at what’s going on down there: (Card and Bordoni 2020). As we have all experienced, when your feet hurt, everything hurts. I have written a little bit about plantar fasciitis and heel spurs here. Without going into specific foot problems, a place to start for sore feet would be my go-to combination for all things joints/muscles: Arnica/Ruta/Rhus. See here and here. Why Arnica, Ruta and Rhus? Arnica is the first remedy to think about for trauma/injury. Excellent for bruising and muscle pain, in general. Ruta is good for connective tissues -- tendons and ligaments as well as stiffness. Rhus tox is a go-to for joint issues and is highly indicated in the following specific feet issues:
If you want to get a little more specific, rather than taking a combo remedy, try one of these remedies on for size… Foot pain that extends upward: Ledum palustre As if sprained: Arnica or Rhus tox Toenail injuries: Arnica or Hypericum Cramps: Mag-phos or Calc carb Pain while sitting (the pain lessens during continued movement) & feels better in warmth: Rhus tox Pain while standing: Ruta Sole pain: Causticum Shooting pain or tearing pain: Kali-carb Take a step in the right direction and try some homeopathy and see if you can get a little relief for those sore tootsies. Julia Coyte, CHom Classically Practical homeopath #wellnessawaits * I have no affiliation with any of these companies. I just like their products. Reference list
Card, R. K. and Bordoni, B., 2020. Anatomy, Bony Pelvis and Lower Limb, Foot Muscles [online]. PubMed. Kassel, G., 2022. What’s the Deal with Zero-Drop Shoes? [online]. Shape. Vibram, 2023. FiveFingers: The Original Barefoot Toe Shoes | Vibram [online]. Vivo Barefoot, 2023. Shoespiracy 2| Vivobarefoot | USA [online]. www.vivobarefoot.com. |
Julia Coyte, CHomI am passionate about homeopathy and I love sharing this passion. Having a working knowledge of homeopathy shouldn't be kept a secret. If people have the ability to help themselves, their children and their friends when they have minor ailments, life just gets better for everyone. That is the purpose behind Ruminating on Remedies. Archives
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