Gnaphalium polycephalum Gnaphalium for sciatica and herniated disc (HNP).
Many people (including homeopathic practitioners) believe that homeopathy can only help if the symptoms are not of a mechanical nature. A herniated disc (HNP), for example, is seen as a mechanical problem for which the ‘plumber’ (in this case the neurosurgeon) must be called in if complications (such as loss of sensation) or unbearable pain arise. Nothing could be further from the truth. Over the past 25 years, I have regularly been able to help patients with HNP using a homeopathic prescription. I then look under the rubric:
Sciatica, with the most important remedies being:
Tellurium,
Plumbum and Gnaphalium.
Back in time to 2011. Last week I saw Mrs M. again. She came because of fatigue. She is a 57-year-old woman whom I had not seen for eight years. In September 2003, she rang me from hospital due to extreme pain. The neurosurgeon had never seen such pain in a herniated disc case. The extensor muscles of her left foot were paralysed and her foot was numb. The pain ran from her left buttock down to the sole of her foot, ‘a paralysing pain’. The pain worsened when she coughed, sneezed or strained during bowel movements.
She had gone through a difficult divorce. Her husband had left her for another woman and not long after that her father passed away. This felt like a blow to her. The herniated disc symptoms began after a fall during a skiing holiday. After the divorce, she had to find her own way. She had always been a ‘proper, reserved girl’. Her brother had often hurt her in the past, leaving her feeling powerless.
Remarkable result
The symptoms had started after a fall and emotionally she felt as though she had been struck (divorce, death of her father). This points to the
Asteraceae (Compositae) family. I prescribed her Gnaphalium MK.
Gnaphalium polycephalum is closely related to edelweiss. Typical of this remedy is sciatica with numbness.
According to my colleague Jan Scholten, it works well for women who have claimed little space for themselves in their lives. He describes various examples of women who, after taking the remedy, became more assertive and eventually took the plunge to divorce. The mental picture resembles Staphysagria (delphinium), a plant from the
Ranunculaceae family.
After taking the Gnaphalium MK in hospital, the pain subsided rapidly. After three days she was able to move again and two weeks later she was at home receiving home care. In May 2004 she experienced a slight recurrence of the radicular pain, which improved after a second dose of Gnaphalium. Since then, she has had no relapse in eight years. I find that a remarkable result. One could say that Gnaphalium helped this woman find her own strength, both mentally and physically.
Jan Scholten writes in his book Wonderful
Plants about Gnaphalium: ‘They possess an inner dignity and refinement that is often unseen or misunderstood, not by their parents, spouse, teachers or superiors. This means they are often overlooked, ignored and walked all over. They lack the strength to do anything about it. They try to avoid the problems because they feel too weak to face the conflict. They also feel too weak to leave the situation and therefore remain in the stressful state, hoping for better times. In all this, they nevertheless retain their own individuality and go their own way, as far as that is possible without open conflict. By withdrawing, they are able to preserve their own dignity and autonomy. They feel empty, lacking the energy and strength to tackle the situation. It is their philosophical understanding and spiritual confidence that enables them to endure so much.’
In Boericke’s Materia Medica we read: ‘A remedy of undoubted benefit in sciatica, when pain is accompanied by numbness of the affected area. Chronic back pain in the lumbar region; better when resting on the back. Lumbago with numbness in the lower back and a heavy sensation in the pelvis. Extremities – Cramps in the calf muscles and feet whilst in bed. Rheumatic pain in the ankle joints and legs. Intense pain along the sciatic nerve; numbness alternates with pain. Frequent pain in the calves and feet. Gouty pain in the big toes. Improvement when raising the limbs and bending the thigh towards the abdomen. Gouty deposits (Ammon benz). Anterior crural neuralgia (Staph). Joint pain as if there were no lubricant present. Chronic muscular rheumatism of the back and neck.’