Have You Ever Had a Dislocated Shoulder?

My client reached out to discuss her son’s shoulder dislocation sustained during a football game. She informed me that the physician successfully repositioned the shoulder and provided a brace to stabilize it while his muscles and tendons strengthened enough to support the joint. My client expressed her reluctance for her son to use the prescribed pain medications, noting that he experiences relief when the brace supports his shoulder, keeping his arm close to his body, and minimizing movement. The doctor has advised him to remove the brace a few times daily for gentle arm exercises during physical therapy (PT) to prevent scar tissue formation. However, after these movements, her son reports that the upper part of his arm feels tight and stiff, indicating potential overuse.

After consulting with my client, I recommended homeopathic remedies Arnica Montana 1m and Bryonia 1m to be administered in a 1-ounce Remedy Solution Bottle every hour, accompanied by 10 succussions, until there is a noticeable decrease in his pain level. Following this initial phase, he will take Arnica and Bryonia every two to three hours when pain intensity escalates during arm movement. Additionally, I advised him to use Arnica 1m and Rhus Toxicodendron with 10 succussions three times daily to address the muscle and tendon over-extension resulting from dislocation, as well as to alleviate tightness and stiffness experienced during physical therapy sessions.

My client reported three days later that her son’s shoulder feels much better, especially when he moves his arm. I explained to her that her son will need to take fewer doses of Arnica and Bryonia as the pain that is worse from movement continues to improve. When her son no longer has any pain when he moves the arm/shoulder, he will stop taking Arnica and Bryonia. He will start to notice his shoulder will continue to have tightness and stiffness the more he does his physical therapy because he will need to move the arm/shoulder to help strengthen the muscles and tendons that hold the shoulder in place.

My client called me a week later, stating he no longer is taking Arnica and Bryonia, as he no longer has pain that is worse when he moves his arm/shoulder. He notices that his tightness and stiffness are not improving when he moves his arm to improve the stiffness. He stated that he needs to move his arm around or massage his arm/shoulder longer before it starts to relieve it. I had him increase the succussions on the Arnica and Rhus Toxicodendron Remedy Solution Bottle from 10 succussions to 12 succussions and continue taking them three times a day. I explained to my client that her son will continue taking Arnica and Rhus Toxicodendron three times a day until he no longer has tightness and stiffness in the arm and shoulder.

What is a Dislocated Joint?

A dislocation of a joint is when one of the two bones that make up a joint is temporarily moved out of position in your joint. You have hundreds of joints in your body. The most common joints to be dislocated are your elbows, fingers, knees, hips, jaw, and shoulders. A dislocation occurs from a lack of muscle tone, an injury, a fall, surgery, being hit by something, or aging. When you have dislocated a joint, you will know it. You will be in a lot of pain and have swelling, along with numbness and bruising. In most cases, once the joint has been realigned, your pain level will decrease from the initial blow to the joint. You will still have discomfort when you move the joint from the trauma, inflammation, and swelling. Sometimes, you may have radiating pain from the dislocation.

Common Homeopathic Remedies for Dislocated Joint:

● Arnica Montana – Selected for trauma to the area. I like to say Arnica is like an anti-inflammatory remedy. You will not want the traumatized area to be touched or approached.
● Apis Mellifica – Is selected when you have swelling from the dislocated joint.
● Bryonia Alba – This is selected for pain that is worse when you move the dislocated joint. The joint feels better when not moving and when wrapped (with a brace on).
● Hypericum – Is selected for when you have a shooting pain and numbness from the dislocated joint.
● Rhus Toxicodendron – This remedy is selected for when your dislocated joint feels better when you move the joint. The joint also feels better when you apply heat to the area and massage the joint.
● Ruta Graveleons – Ruta is selected when you have a weak joint that easily dislocates or gives out, such as a knee, ankle, or shoulder. Ruta’s symptoms feel better with continued movement, massaging the area, and applying heat on the joint.
● Natrum Carbonica – This is selected if you are prone to easily dislocating your ankle, especially when your foot easily turns under. This usually occurs for old sprains or dislocations.

Tendonitis: What is it and How Can Homeopathy Help?

Do You Easily Injure Your Knees?

My client called me about the knee pain he’s been having for the last couple of weeks. He said the doctor diagnosed him as having knee tendonitis. He told me he did a 10-mile hike in the Adirondacks in New York when his right knee started to act up. My client said that he, in the past, has easily dislocated his right knee, and when he does a strenuous hike, he wears a knee brace. He said the right knee didn’t start to give him a problem until the last 4 miles of the hike when he descended the mountain. He told me that he now has the right knee in a brace because it feels better wrapped up when he does not move the knee. He also has tightness and stiffness when he gets up in the morning. He must massage and walk around for about 10 minutes before it loosens. However, if he moves around too much, he has to stop moving because the pain is so intense. When he has sat too long, he has to massage the knee or walk around for 10 minutes to loosen it up again.

After asking my client a few more questions, I selected the homeopathic remedies Arnica Montana 1m and Bryonia 1m to be taken in a Remedy Solution Bottle with 10 succussions every hour when he has knee pain that is worse from movement until the pain worse from movement starts to decrease. These two remedies will likely be taken when he has moved around too much for some time. I also selected the two homeopathic remedies, Arnica Montana 1m and Rhus Toxicodendron 1m, to be made up in a Remedy Solution Bottle and taken three times daily with 10 succussions.

My client reports several days later, stating that his knee is feeling better. He said when he gets up in the morning, he only has to walk around for about 5 minutes to loosen up his knees. He is now able to walk more before he has the intense pain he had before when he had to stop walking; it hurt so bad. Therefore, he has only taken Arnica and Bryonia once, maybe twice daily. I had my client continue taking Arnica and Bryonia, along with Arnica and Rhus Toxicodendron, the same way he has been taking them.

A week later, my client called to tell me that he rarely takes Arnica and Bryonia and noticed that he needs to walk longer now in the morning to loosen up the knee. I told him to increase the Arnica and Rhus Toxicodendron from 10 succussions to 12 succussions and continue taking them three times daily.

My client called me 10 days later, stating he hasn’t needed to take Arnica and Bryonia in the last couple of days, and he now is noticing more tightness and stiffness close to his knee cap. I explained to my client that this is good news, having his tightness and stiffness going from the muscles above and below moving closer to the knee joint. This means his symptoms are moving closer to where the tendons and muscles attach to the knee, which is why he has tendonitis. I told him he would continue taking Arnica and Rhus Toxicodendron until the tightness and stiffness were completely around his knee joint. He will then switch to Ruta for the tendonitis.

A week and a half later, my client told me that his tightness and stiffness only occur around the knee. I had to stop taking Arnica and Rhus Toxicodendron and had him make up the homeopathic remedy Ruta 200c in a Remedy Solution Bottle and take it three times daily with 10 succussions. I explained to my client he will continue taking Ruta until he no longer has knee symptoms. He will also see that his knee will not easily give out, causing him to have tendonitis. Of course, he may need to take the homeopathic remedies he has been taking in the last few weeks when he has over-taxed his knee as he did on his 10-mile hike in the Adirondacks. However, he will improve very quickly with them.

What is Tendonitis?

Tendonitis is when the connective tissues between your muscles and bones (tendons) become inflamed, causing the area to be painful. This commonly occurs from repetitive movements that become very painful, where your tendons attach to a bone or joint, such as your Achilles tendon (heel), elbow, hip, knee, shoulder, or thumb.

Common Tendonitis Symptoms:

● Your tendon pain is worse from movement
● The tendon or joint is stiff and tight with movement and feels better with heat and massage
● The area is swollen and may have a discoloration (red to purple or darker color) at the site
● A calcium deposit can build up in your tissues, creating a hard white or yellow bump on the skin

What Can Cause Tendonitis:

● Injury to the muscle or tendon from repetitive movement or sudden strain to the area, such as texting, running, or throwing the ball
● Medications such as statins or cholesterol-lowering and fluoroquinolone antibiotics
● Medical conditions: Diabetes, Rheumatoid arthritis, Osteoarthritis

Types of Tendonitis:

● Golfer’s elbow
● Pitcher’s shoulder
● Runner’s knee (jumper’s knee)
● Swimmer’s shoulder
● Tennis elbow

Common Homeopathic Remedies for Tendonitis:

● Arnica Montana – Selected for trauma to the area. I like to say it is like an anti-inflammatory remedy. The area is painful, sore, and bruised; You will not want the traumatized area to be touched.
● Bryonia Alba – This is selected for pain that is worse when you move the injured area; in other words, you do not want to move the traumatized area (i.e., elbow) because it feels better when not moving and when you wrap the traumatized area (elbow).
● Rhus Toxicodendron – This remedy is selected for when the injured area feels better when you move the traumatized area (i.e., knee) around. When you apply heat and massage the injured area (knee), the area feels better.
● Ruta Graveleons – Ruta is selected when you have a weak joint that easily dislocates or gives out, such as a knee, ankle, or shoulder. Ruta feels better with continued movement, massaging the area, and applying heat on the joint.
● Rhododendron – Has the same symptoms as Rhus Toxicodendron and feels better with continued movement and applying heat. However, the injured area (i.e., elbow, shoulder) is worse before a storm comes in, when there’s a change in the weather, or on a windy day. The injured area (elbow, shoulder) feels better as soon as the storm breaks. These are the people that can tell when a storm is approaching.

In conclusion, homeopathy presents a gentle yet effective approach to healing from dislocated joints and tendonitis, emphasizing the body’s innate ability to restore balance and health. By utilizing carefully selected homeopathic remedies that target individual symptoms and overall well-being, you can experience significant relief and a smoother recovery process. As you consider alternative treatment options, remember the potential of homeopathic solutions to complement your healing journey. Consult with a qualified homeopath to explore personalized remedies tailored to your specific needs, fostering a holistic path to recovery that empowers both body and mind. Embrace the possibility of healing naturally and take proactive steps towards regaining your strength and mobility.