Case of Cervical Spondylitis

71 year old patient Mr. H., the Chairman of a multinational company, reported with Cervical Spondylitis. He had been on Physiotherapy and allopathic medicines in the last 2 months but found no relief.

He said that he had gone to inspect a cement factory that had been taken over by a French company and he developed sudden coughing there; all problems started since then. He developed sudden pain on the left side of the arm; doctors thought it could be cardiac pain and so all tests were done, which turned out to be negative.

He complained of pain extending from the cervical region to the scapula and then traveling down to the hand. The dull pain would be aggravated by movement and would get better by bending the head backward. Pain was better by hot water fomentation.

The patient also complained of pain in the left knee; he would have to support his knees.

Physical features:
He had a normal appetite with liking for sweets, ice-cream, non-vegetarian food. He loved salt and would add extra salt to his food. Urination and stools were normal and he would perspire normally. His sleep was sound and with no dreams in particular. He was sensitive to cold in general but also could not tolerate excess of heat.

The patient stayed with his family that comprised of his wife, daughter and son. He said that he was more close to his daughter than his son. He would not get along well with his son.

Since he would be busy all the time with his business and would think of money all the time, he had a very limited friend circle. Work had never been a cause of stress for him. He would not worry at all about work; he would keep on working 20 hours a day even at this age. He would get angry if something went wrong and would express his anger at such times. His hobbies included work, golf and traveling.

In the past, he had suffered from hernia- initially left-sided and late right sided too. His father had suffered from Hypertension and had expired at the age of 49 years. There was no other significant family history.

Findings on examination:
Weight: 87 kg
Warts, few hypopigmented patches on face
BP: 140/100 mm of Hg
Tongue coated white
Gums receding
Nose congested
Baggy swelling below both eyes more on the left side
Mild swelling in the cervical region
There was pain in the cervical region on turning to the left side
Bilateral pitting edema on the lower extremity

Based on the above history, he was give Lachesis 30 for his complaints. About 2 weeks later, he reported with an improvement in the pain in the cervical region and his treatment was continued further on similar lines. After another 3 months of treatment, he was completely free of the pain in the cervical region and he discontinued treatment thereafter. About 4 years later, he reported to us with recurrence of the pain. The same remedy was indicated this time again since the symptoms were same as before. He took treatment for about 2 months time and was completely free of the pain in this span of time. Patient is currently alright with no trouble at all.

Understanding Asthma - II

Dos & Don'ts for Asthmatics:

• Try to recognize the trigger factors that bring on your attack, so that you can avoid them. There are three steps to be taken when dealing with an allergy. Firstly, identify the cause or allergen Secondly, avoid it. Thirdly, if avoidance is impossible, treat the symptoms. Keep a diary and try to trace a pattern or relation between your allergic reaction and the allergen. E.g. Sneezing while doing housework could mean you are allergic to house dust.
  
• In families with history of allergy (asthma, eczema), avoid artificial milk, eggs, cocoa, juices & wheat preparations till completion of 6 months in infants. Breastfeed your baby for the first 6 months to strengthen the immune system and avoid contact with allergens.
  
• Avoid foods & drinks that are known to cause a problem such as vinegar, lemon juice, grapes, instant tea, corn syrup, fruit toppings, cold food & drink, canned vegetables, beer and wine.
  
• Avoid smoke, pollution, dust as far as possible.
  
• Take steps to deal with stress, anxiety and tension as these can influence the frequency and severity of symptoms.
  
• Good nutrition, balanced diet, adequate rest and relaxation will be beneficial.
  
• Yoga can help you by breathing exercises.
  
• Ask your doctor regarding emergency medication to help you till you reach him.

How to avoid Allergens:

• Pollen: During Pollen season it is advisable avoid outdoors activities early in the morning as most Pollens are maximum before 10 am in most cases. Work indoors with proper ventilation and air conditioning. While driving you may role up the windows to avoid exposure to pollens.
  
• Cold Drafts: Wear adequate protective clothing to prevent exposure to direct dry cold drafts. Breathing through nose ensures that the air you breathe in gets relatively warmed while passing along the passage and thus does not act as an irritant.
  
• Smoke: Avoid cigarette smoke and other sources of smoke like fireplace, bonfires, bursting crackers, etc.
  
• Pollution: Avoid staying or working in polluted areas, where you will be exposed to smog, dust, industrial dust and fumes, damp, etc.
  
• Mold: Keep your environment (vents, air conditioners filters, etc) clean and dry to avoid mold growths. Scrub surfaces and thoroughly dry them to prevent moisture and mold growths. You may use a dehumidifier in the home and clean it every day.
  
• Dust: Keep your surroundings dust free by cleaning with damp cloth and then drying the surfaces. Avoid using carpets, etc which can accumulate dust, mites, etc. Regularly vacuum such surfaces in absence of persons allergic to them to avoid triggering their ailment.
  
• Dust Mites: Most often dust mites and bugs live in stuffed toys, carpets, mattresses, cloths, pillows, beddings, etc. It is necessary to clean them in hot water where ever possible and encase them in zipped allergen covers. Use dehumidifier and keep household humidity low.
  
• Pet Dander: Avoid keeping pets. If you want to keep a pet it's best to restrict them to specific areas and prevent them from entering bedroom, etc. It is also good to wash the pet regularly.
  
• Cockroaches: Take precautions and keep the house and environment clean to prevent breeding of cockroaches. Cockroach droppings and body parts can irritate asthma sufferers. Avoid use of chemicals and sprays for pest control.
  
• Chemicals: Avoid going into rooms that are being painted or just painted. Do not use strong perfumes and chemical inhalants.
  
• Food: Eat fresh unprocessed food. Check food labels for additives. Vitamin B complex and magnesium supplements may help.
  
• Regular checkups: See a doctor regularly, to be monitored and seek help in case if a severe attack.

Understanding Asthma - I

Introduction:
Constriction of the air way and increased mucosal discharge due to an altered allergic response causes obstruction of airflow leading to labored breathing this is known as Asthma. It is a very common disorder affecting children (Asthmatic Bronchitis) more than adults. An episode of Asthmatic attack may be mild and pass away quickly or at times may be severe and lasting longer requiring immediate medical help.

Causes:
The causes of Asthma are many fold and most often they are a combination of multiple factors triggering the Asthma attack. Common causes of Asthma include:

- Genetic/Hereditary and familial tendency - Allergens like Pollen and molds from grass, flowers and trees.
- Environmental factors exposure to smoke, dust, pollution, petrol fumes, exposure to chemicals, strong perfumes, paints, varnishes, etc
- Mental stress- Infection of the lung, which can be bacterial, viral predisposes to asthma.
- History of other allergic disorders or Asthma in parents predisposes a person to Asthma. - Childhood history of recurrent allergic respiratory infections is found in most asthmatic patients.

Triggering factors:
Depending on his susceptibility, various factors work as triggers in inducing an asthmatic attack. Some common triggering factors are as given below:

Emotional stress is a known trigger factor for an asthmatic attack. Over strenuous exercise, Inhalation of cold air, Climatic changes are also trigger factors as are Certain drugs like aspirin, etc.

Symptoms:
All Asthma attacks may not have these symptoms and the symptoms of Asthma vary from one person to another. The intensity and duration of the symptoms also vary during each episode of Asthma.

• Coughing: There may be cough, sometimes with phlegm. It is often worse at night or early in the morning thus making it difficult to sleep.
• Wheezing: A whistling sound produced due to air passing through constricted air ways.
• Chest tightness: Sensation as if something is squeezing the chest.
• Shortness of breath: Mild to moderate shortness of breath and shortness and rapid breathing follow with a feeling of Anxiety, sweating
• The person is unable to lie down on the back. Usually the sufferer finds comfort in sitting bent forwards and near the windows.

Homeopathic treatment:
Asthma in all age groups can be effectively treated with Homeopathic medicines. Conventionally it is treated with steroids and bronchodilators with temporary relief. Homeopathic medicines act at the deeper immune level. The allergic nature, genetic predisposition, stress, etc. all these factors are taken into consideration before prescribing an individualized constitutional medicine. The effective result being the medicines give relief from the existing symptoms like breathlessness, wheezing, cough, etc. The intensity, duration, and recurrence of the Asthmatic attacks can be controlled with Homeopathic medicines.

Homeopathic medicines are not habit forming unlike steroids and bronchodilators. They can be used along with the conventional medicines and long term management with Homeopathic medicines help to over come the dependence on steroids and bronchodilators.Homeopathic medicines are safe and gentle; they do not have any adverse reaction. They can be given to patients of all age groups and even infants and pregnant and nursing mothers.

Case of Esophageal Cancer treated with Homeopathy

This is the case of a 74 year old railway policeman, Mr. R. S., who came from a small village in Bihar, India. Since one and a half month, there was a mass detected in his upper gastro-intestinal tract at the Tata Memorial Hospital in Mumbai. The mass was confirmed to be malignant and the diagnosis of Carcinoma of the Esophagus was established. The upper G.I. endoscopy revealed that there was an ulcerated lesion in the upper third of the Esophagus with a stricture formation.

His complaints were as follows:

• Inability to swallow any solids; due to this, the patient was on a liquid diet
• Reflux after eating food

Only first dose of chemotherapy had been given when the case was reported to us. He discontinued Chemotherapy and opted for Homeopathic treatment instead.

In spite of knowing about the gravity of his disease, there was no discouragement or fear in him; in fact, he was very much balanced and not much worried about his condition.

He had been in the railway police and said, “I have never done anything dishonest in my life- that is why I have so much of peace of Mind. I have a very relaxed life and want to live peacefully with my grandchildren.”

Due to his extremely sensitive nature, he would not be able to bear to see others suffering and would feel very bad. Sympathy for others and intolerance to injustice were other prominent features of his personality.

Weeping tendency was a marked symptom seen in this case, especially when he would be at a funeral or while watching a sad movie. Fear was conspicuous by its absence and his following statement confirmed this: ‘Death is going to come, nobody can stop it.’

Being the eldest child in the family, responsibilities had been put on his shoulders at a tender age and this had led him to quit studies (which he was good at) and take up a job. His ambition to pursue a good career was left unfulfilled and there was a silent, lasting grief about the same.

On the physical front, following features were noted:

• Normal appetite; mixed (vegetarian + non-vegetarian) diet
• Marked desire for sweets
• Also desired salty things, milk, cereals
• Desire for food to be very hot
• Poor thirst

On examination findings:

Wt: 70 kg
Blood pressure: 140/ 80 mm of Hg
R.S: NAD
C.V.S: NAD
Warts on the face+

The following Rubrics were selected for Repertorisation:

• Responsibility: Strong
• Injustice, cannot support
• Sympathetic, compassionate
• Weeping, tendency
• Grief: Silent
• Fearlessness
• Desires Sweets
• Desires Hot food
• Thirstlessness
• Swallowing: Difficult: Solids: Agg
• Face: Warts

Based on the above totality, the patient was prescribed the indicated remedy for his complaints on 22/09/2001.

On 6/10/2001, he reported that difficulty in swallowing was better than before. Sleep had improved in quality though the sleeping hours were lesser than before. There was congestion of throat and salivation ++ on examination. The same dosage was continued.

Another 2 weeks later, on 22/10/2001, the patient mentioned that he could now eat Khichadi (a form of rice preparation, which is very soft). The next higher potency of the medication was prescribed.

7/11/2001: In the patient’s words: “I am feeling 50% better. I can have solid food now and face some difficulty only when swallowing Roti (pancake type bread).”

13/12/2001: Patient started feeling much better in general and started taking his regular meals.
The medication was continued later based on the feedbacks given by him over telephone. He continued to do well.

On 21/6/2002, his Endoscopy was repeated at the same Tata Memorial Hospital in Mumbai and the report was normal this time. The patient could now eat and drink anything without any difficulty. His treatment was discontinued after some time and he was asked to report to us in case any complaints occurred anytime in future.

Summary of Reports:

Before treatment:
The Histopathology report from the biopsy of the Esophagus:

Micro Sections show fibrous tissue infiltration by a tumor by lobules and clusters of malignant epithelial cells having pleomorphic hypochromic nuclei exhibiting increased mitosis. Keratinization not present, secondary chronic inflammation is present. Poorly differentiated Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

Upper G.I. Endoscopy: An ulcerated lesion in the upper third of the esophagus with a stricture formation.

After treatment:
Upper G.I. Endoscopy: Normal