This morning I woke up and knew I needed a hankie and one specific homeopathic remedy: Natrum Muriaticum. No I'm not psychic, I rely purely on the power of observation. I was rudely awoken at 6:00am with a violent sneeze and dripping snot. How does that mean I need Nat Mur? Because Nat Mur is my go-to remedy, and this was my typical Nat Mur cold.
When I teach patients about using homeopathy for acutes, I am often met with very overwhelmed eyes.
"There are so many different homeopathic remedies for one ailment...which do I pick??"
I agree and sometimes I even feel like there are too many options, but this statement is only one side of the coin.
Let's back it up for a bit....
Homeopathy is highly individualized and places focus on how each person manifests dis-ease in their own way. So, one person may receive Aconite for their cold while another may receive Nux Vomica: different symptoms need different remedies.
At the same time: one single persons various ailments may all need the same remedy - in fact: that's the goal in chronic homeopathic treatment. Find one homeopathic remedy to treat the person as a whole. That's right, in chronic treatment, I take all of your symptoms and try to find a remedy that best matches all those symptoms combined, that is how we individualize health and treat the system as a whole. No wonder we have so many remedies!
Back to me and Natrum Muriaticum. We're old friends. As I've journeyed through homeopathy, I have learned that Nat Mur is my go-to homeopathic remedy.
When I moved to Toronto and felt homesick? Nat Mur.
When my cycle got wonky from the stress of school? Nat Mur.
When I get a headache? Nat Mur.
A cold? Nat Mur.
When I recently went to my Homeopath for a chronic tune up, she prescribed...Nat Mur!
I still love my Nux Vomica for the holiday bloating and Arnica for a fall. I've been known to need Aconite for a cold as well. But when in doubt, I start with Nat-Mur and more often than not, it does the trick.
One evening, I had a killer hammering headache, so bad I couldn't think, I couldn't function, I couldn't fall asleep. Silly me, I hadn't fully educated my partner on Homeopathic prescribing, so out of pure desperation I said "Just get me Nat-Mur!!" I took it, the hammering reduced and I fell asleep within minutes. I woke up happy as a clam.
If it doesn't work? No harm, no foul, Homeopathic remedies are completely safe, I simply move on to a remedy better suited for my symptoms.
"Great! How do I find my amazing 'go-to remedy'???"
I should preface this: it's perfectly normal to find support from many different remedies but generally, our body manifests the same type of cold, or headache, or PMS symptoms. Right now, Nat Mur works for about 80% of my complaints, but sometimes I get weird colds or headaches that need other remedies. My relationship with Nat Mur could also change as my body continues to change over time.
We do, however, have individual tendencies and ways of expressing illness that are unique to us and the more familiar we are with out body and our ailments, the better we can treat them. Let's get into a few tips for getting to know your body and your remedies.
1. Practice makes perfect. Start using Homeopathy every time something comes up. The more you use it, the better the body responds and the better you get at prescribing. Start with Arnica: use it when you're feeling a bruised soreness from a workout, or when you take a tumble, or when your kid bonks his head.
2. Keep track. Once you figure out which remedy kicks a specific ailment, write down the exact symptoms you were experiencing, especially the first ones that come up, then make note of what worked and what didn't work.
3. Let me help you find your remedy! If you're really not sure where to start, next time something comes up, give me a call for an acute - we can sort out what remedy you need and I'll make sure you know which remedy we used for which ailment. Next time you'll know exactly what to take.
4. Start seeing a Homeopath for your chronic complaints. By doing so, you'll begin healing the root causes of your complaints and reduce the occurrence of your acute issues - you may even find your own special "go-to remedy"!
While it may initially seem intimidating to choose from the many homeopathic remedies, the more you lean on it, the clearer it becomes. Start with a few easy remedies like Arnica, Nux Vomica, Aconite and keep practicing and getting to know your body! You'll be amazed at how self-aware you'll become.
You're probably wondering how my colds going. I only took one dose of Nat Mur this morning at 6:30am and as of 11:30am: I'm feeling 100%. No sniffles, no sneezing.
The best part about knowing my body, my ailments, and what my body needs, is that the second I woke up and sneezed (okay it was the 3rd sneeze), I knew what I needed. I caught my cold in it's absolute first stage and (so far) have kept it at bay. A cold is usually a sign I need some TLC, so I'll keep fluid intake up today, keep my meals healthy, limit sugar intake, and get to bed early tonight - and I will take another dose of Nat Mur this evening just to keep nudging the healing along.
Got questions? Get in touch and let's talk about how you can find better health.
In good health,
Paula
