Homeopathic medicine, treatment and remedies for Paralysis

Some of the most important homeopathic remedies that are used for the treatment of paralysis are listed below. The symptoms mentioned under each remedy prompt the homeopathic physician to choose the said remedy.

• Agaricus Muscarius
  Common Name: Toadstool-fungi
  Symptoms: Agaricus is indicated in cases of paralysis with the following characteristics:

  • Stumbling over everything while walking
  • Paralysis of legs along with spasms in arms
  • Cramps in soles
  • A sensation of numbness in legs when the person crosses them
  • Pain in the spine with every motion or turn of the body
  • Sensation as if ice-cold needles are piercing the skin
  • Extreme sensitivity of the spine to touch, especially in the morning
  • Diagonal appearance of symptoms, like the right arm and left leg

Symptoms worsen in cold weather or on exposure to cold air, and after eating. The patient feels better on moving slowly

• Causticum
  Common Name: Tinctura acris sine kali
  Symptoms: Patients who benefit from causticum have some of the following characteristics:

  • Paralysis due to disturbed activity of the brain and spinal cord following severe debilitating diseases and mental shock
  • Symptoms appear after exposure to cold wind or air, after typhoid or diphtheria
  • Paralysis of single parts like eyelids, tongue, vocal cords, face, hands, legs or bladder
  • Symptoms that are predominant on the right side
  • Drooping of upper eyelids and inability to keep them open (Read more: Drooping eyelids causes)
  • Weakness and paralysis that appear slowly
  • Unsteadiness in muscles of forearm and hands
  • Numbness along with a loss of sensation in hands
  • Unsteady gait. The person tends to fall down easily

Symptoms worsen in cold air, with cold bathing, going into a warm room and getting wet, and they get better in damp, wet weather and in warm air

• Curare
  Common Name: Arrow-poison
  Symptoms: Curare is generally given to paralysis patients to tend to be conscious and have intact sensations in the affected area. This remedy also helps manage the following symptoms:

  • Diminished reflexes
  • A sensation of heaviness in arms and an inability to lift one's fingers
  • Trembling and giving way of legs while walking
  • Pain that travels up and down the spine
  • Respiratory muscle paralysis
  • Weakness in old people and after loss of fluids from the body

Symptoms worsen on lying on the right side and in damp and cold weather.

• Gelsemium Sempervirens
  Common Name: Yellow jasmine
  Symptoms: Gelsemium mainly acts on the nervous system and is an efficacious remedy for:

  • Paralysis of various muscles like the eyes, throat, limbs, voice box, chest and sphincters
  • Paralysis after diphtheria
  • Weakness of muscles, tiredness and lack of muscle coordination
  • Dullness, dizziness, drowsiness, trembling and confusion
  • Heaviness of eyelids and an inability to open eyes
  • Twitching of the eye muscles with nerve pain
  • Contracted facial muscles, especially around the mouth, with a dropped lower jaw
  • Difficulty swallowing, especially warm food
  • Loss of voice
  • Paralysis of rectum and bladder with involuntary passage of stool and retention of urine
  • Loss of control in the muscles of arms and legs

Symptoms get worse when the patient thinks of them, smokes tobacco or gets emotionally excited. Fog and damp weather also worsen the symptoms while the patient feels better from continued motion and on spending time in open air.

• Lathyrus Sativus
  Common Name: Chickpea
  Symptoms: Lathyrus sativus is an efficacious remedy in those experiencing the following symptoms:

  • Paralysis with spinal cord involvement
  • Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
  • Infantile paralysis (polio)
  • Weakness and slow recovery of nerve power after influenza and debilitating diseases
  • Paralysis of the lower limbs
  • Walking on tiptoes
  • Knock knees
  • Stiffness in ankles and knees
  • Inability to cross or extend legs while sitting
  • Spasticity and rigidity of legs
  • Cramps in legs with cold feet that worsens from cold
  • Absence of pain
  • Increased reflexes
  • Emaciation of the muscles of the buttocks and lower limbs
• Nux Vomica
  Common Name: Poison nut
  Symptoms: Nux vomica works well in lean individuals who tend to be irritable, angry, nervous and prone to gastric complaints and haemorrhoids. It helps relieve the following symptoms:
  • Irritability of the nervous system with hypersensitivity
  • Weakness and paralytic state of arms and legs
  • Feeling as if arms and legs have gone to sleep
  • Paralysis and numbness of legs, with cramps in calves and soles
  • Dragging of feet while walking
  • A feeling as if the person has lost all power in their limbs, especially in the morning
  • Partial paralysis from overexertion or getting wet
  • A tendency to have convulsions while still conscious

Symptoms generally triggered by excessive tea, coffee, alcohol, tobacco and spicy foods, lack of sleep, overexertion, medicine overdose or abuse. The patient feels better in the evening and on exposure to damp weather.

• Phosphorus
  Common Name: Phosphorus
  Symptoms: Phosphorus is an effective remedy suited to individuals with the following characteristics and symptoms:

  • Enlarged muscles with inflammation of nerves
  • Sensory and motor paralysis that ascends up from the ends of fingers and toes
  • Burning in feet
  • Trembling in limbs due to exertion
  • Difficulty in holding objects
  • Numbness of arms and legs
  • Paralysis after diphtheria, with a sensation as if small insects are crawling under the skin of limbs
  • Weakness and prostration with trembling of the whole body

Symptoms worsen in the evening, consuming warm food and drinks, from touch, exertion, and lying on the painful side or left side. The person feels better after sleeping, in the dark, consuming cold food, spending time in open air and lying on the right side.

• Plumbum Metallicum
  Common Name: Lead
  Symptoms: Plumbum metallicum works effectively on the nervous system and muscles. Patients having the following symptoms respond well to plumbum metallicum:

  • Symptoms due to lead poisoning
  • Paralysis of the forearm or upper limb extensor muscles, from centre to periphery, with partial anaesthesia or excessive hyperaesthesia (extreme sensitivity)
  • Multiple sclerosis
  • Muscle wasting due to diseases of the spinal cord
  • Localised neuralgic pains; inflammation of the nerves (neuritis)
  • Polio
  • Paralysis of single muscles
  • Inability to lift anything with the hand; wrist drop
  • Muscle pain in thighs
  • Cramps in the calves
  • Twitching, trembling, numbness and tearing pain in the limbs
  • Difficulty extending limbs
  • Loss of reflexes
  • Coldness of hands and feet
  • Tendency to constipation with hard, dry, lumpy, black stools like sheep dung due to muscular atony or paralysis

Symptoms including pain are worse at night and better by rubbing and pressure

• Zincum Metallicum
  Common Name: Zinc
  Symptoms: Zincum metallicum is an excellent remedy for paralysis. It is indicated in the following conditions:

  • Depression of the nervous system
  • Tendency to paralysis of the brain in cerebral diseases
  • Twitching, shaking, and restlessness in case of chronic diseases with spinal and brain symptoms
  • Sensitivity of spine to touch with a burning sensation and irritation
  • Sensitive soles
  • Tendency to convulsions and involuntary movements
  • Ailments arising from suppressed discharges and eruptions

Symptoms worsen on touching the affected area, after dinner and during menses. Symptoms get better after release of discharges and when the person is eating.

The following are some do's and don'ts that your doctor may suggest while you are taking homoeopathic medication:

Do’s: 

• Since homeopathic medicines are given in very small doses, take utmost care to preserve the medicines.
• Go for daily walks and do light manual labour to strengthen your muscles. Some exercises also help to relax the mind. (Read more: Benefits of morning walk)
• Consume healthy and nutritious food products. 

Don’ts: 

• Anything in the diet and regimen that can react with the medicines should be avoided. These include:
  • Strong-smelling foods and drinks like coffee, herb teas, fine liquors prepared with medicinal spices and spiced chocolate
  • Medicinally compounded tooth powders and mouthwashes 
  • Perfumed sachets
  • Strong-scented flowers in the room
  • Highly seasoned foods and sauces
  • Frozen foods like ice creams
  • Raw herbs on soups, medicinal herbs in foods
  • Celery, parsley, stale cheese and meats
• Long afternoon naps will lead to harmful effects and must be avoided.
• Avoid mental strain to achieve proper health.

Treatment of paralysis depends on its type and symptoms. It involves physical therapy, occupational therapy, mobility aids like wheelchairs and braces, surgery and medications.

Although conventional medicines aid in reducing spinal cord swelling and secondary damage, patients with paralysis are often disappointed with the frequent use of these medicines because they are expensive, have multiple side effects and do not provide a substantial and long-lasting therapeutic effect.

Homeopathy offers a simple and safer way to manage and treat the condition at a deeper level, thereby leading to significant recovery. Homeopathic doctors consider all the traits of a person along with their health and symptoms before prescribing them a remedy. Thus, homeopathy is indicated to be helpful in not only treating the disease, but also the susceptibility of a person to certain diseases, called miasm.

An open-label pilot study indicated improvement in the health of a group of patients with cerebral on being treated with a combination of homeopathic treatment and standard conventional care. The patients had no new infarcts or worsening symptoms during the study. Given the positive results, further randomised control trials have been suggested to establish the efficacy of homeopathic medicines in stroke.

However, not many studies have been done to date to assess the efficacy of homeopathic remedies in the management of paralysis symptoms.

Homeopathic medicines are made from natural products like plants and minerals and are highly diluted and potentised using prescribed homeopathic processes; hence, these are essentially safe and are not known to cause any side effects. However, it is important to seek help from a qualified homeopathic physician for a correct and genuine homeopathic remedy and its dosage as not every remedy works well for every person.

Paralysis can dramatically affect a person’s day-to-day life. Conventional treatment is usually unable to achieve a permanent cure or long-term relief in case of paralysis. Homeopathy is a very safe mode of medication without any noted side effects that can be taken to relieve pain and improve the functioning of the affected part of the body. A detailed medical history guides the physician to the appropriate remedy for the individual. However, physical therapy remains an important therapy that must be continued along with homeopathy as well as conventional medicine to treat paralysis.