If you have been watching TV lately, you probably noticed that there have been (what else) drug commercials for Gout.  You may be thinking, "Isn't that an old fashioned disease?  Does anyone get Gout anymore?"  

The answer is most certainly "Yes", or the you can be sure the drug companies wouldn't be investing in researching or advertising it.

Gout is a painful condition which is caused by a build up of uric acid crystals in the joints.  It usually occurs in small joints like your fingers and toes, but can also occur in the elbows and sometimes the knees.  Although not everyone gets gout, it is a largely a life style disease.  This is a period of time when there is an encouragement from media of all sorts to over-indulge, so Gout is making a reappearance.  

I remember watching a TV show called "The Dukes of Hazzard" when I was growing up.  Does anyone else remember the character "Boss Hogg?"  He regularly complained about Gout.  Alcohol is a big culprit in flare ups of Gout.

Homeopaths have been treating Gout for as long as homeopathy has been around--a couple hundred years.  In my repertory, (which is a book of symptoms and the remedies that are related to those symptoms), there are 208 remedies listed.

A common remedy for Gout is homeopathy's well-known over-indulgence remedy, Nux Vomica.  People who need Nux Vomica are usually successful, irritable people who need all sorts of external stimulation, usually in the form of food and alcohol. 

Another remedy is Colchicum autumnale, which is a fall blooming crocus and a member of the Lily family.  You may need this remedy for Gout if you feel like you have been pushed out of your position (Lily) and your best days have past you by.  Interestingly, Colchicine, an alkaloid of Colchicum autumnale, is used in the treatment of Gout in Western Medicine. 

Calcarea Carbonica is another common Gout remedy.  Calc Carb is a remedy for hard working, sweaty headed, stubborn individuals.  Calc Carb has lots of bone and joint issues (it comes from the calcium inside an oyster shell) and this is one of them.

Bryonia, a common remedy for acute injuries and illnesses, also helps gout.  As usual with Bryonia, the pain is worse from motion and the person who needs Bryonia for gout is probably worried about money.

With 204 additional remedies for Gout, you likely won't be able to figure this out yourself, but would need a classical homeopath to figure it out for you.  We'd love to help you get on the path to healing.  Call 651-748-1556 for help with your Gout or other dis-ease.

KZB

Cold Weather Remedies

Although Western Medicine says that exposure to the cold can't make you sick, cold climate homeopaths from around the world know better.

Exposure to cold, dry winds, such as the weather we experience in Minnesota in January and February, set up a situation the is perfect for creating dis-ease that needs the remedy Aconite.  This exposure usually results in a high fever usually accompanied by fear that death is imminent.  I have used this remedy for high fevers associated with ear infections, influenza, and even viral meningitis.  If this happens in the middle of a cold snap, Aconite is almost always the appropriate remedy. 

Another cold weather remedy is Allium Cepa.  This remedy, made from red onions, helps when your symptoms include sneezing, and water running from the nose like a faucet.  Although it is also a spring allergy remedy, symptoms are made worse from cold weather.  You can probably imagine how badly a really watery nose would get if it you went outside for awhile in the midst of it.

Arsenicum is a remedy for people who are already cold and made even worse by cold weather.  They bundle up to their necks but often leave their heads uncovered or only ear muffs.  Restlessness accompanies whatever other symptoms present themselves.  Arsenicum is a common remedy for Influenza, food poisoning, and other gastro intestinal distress.

In these next few months, try to stay warm, bundle up, avoid cold dry winds.  But if you do get sick, homeopathy is there to help.  Just give a call:  651-748-1556.