Some time ago I wrote a column that told of the daughter of an MD who had suffered for years with the average of three grand mal epileptic seizures everyday. Her father had exhausted all conventional forms of medical therapy and since "conventional" was all he understood, his daughter was condemned to drift through the deadly pages of the Physician's Desk Reference (PDR) for some 11 years, with nothing but side effects.
Soon after this story was printed in "DC" I received a call from a colleague in Tennessee to my (then) office in Northern California. His wife had been suffering from daily epileptic seizures for years. Nothing had helped and he felt that homeopathy might be the answer. Assuring him that there was no guarantee that homeopathy could be of any help, I made an appointment for him and his wife to come across the country for an evaluation. Unfortunately, my association with the medical clinic ended before the doctor and his wife arrived. They stayed in California for a week of tests and treatment at the clinic. No concrete results were forthcoming. Then -- a few months ago, I received another phone call from the doctor wanting to see me in Vermont. Feeling a bit guilty that I hadn't been able to see him in California, I stressed that I didn't want him to come up with high hopes. He was determined, however, so a few weeks later he and his wife arrived in Vermont. After an evaluation, I made some therapeutic suggestions which have apparently been successful. At last report the doctor's wife hadn't had a seizure for well over three weeks -- this, after four to six daily seizures for years.
With the publication of this column I expect that some reading it will feel inclined to find out what the "secret" homeopathic remedies were. Believe me -- I can save you the trouble because the answer is none. Each patient had a different remedy discerned through the use of a Voll meter. The instrument is actually an ohm meter that measures electrical resistance at acupuncture points. A plate connected to the meter measures the energy of the substance placed on it and is called a Voll meter after its discoverer, a German physician by the name of Reinhold Voll.
In both of the cases cited, the remedies followed a classical selection process. The classical approach tries to match a single remedy to the constitution of the patient while a "shotgun" approach might offer several remedies with the idea that one or more in the mixture might be effective. Not necessarily a purist, I often combine the homeopathic form of the polycrest herb Golden Seal known as Hydrastis with my basic remedy. It seems to act as a synergist.
While I've been fortunate enough to obtain positive results with the two patients I've treated for epilepsy, this is by no means the only way. At this point I must demure from giving the exact formulas because they were specific for the patients involved and may not have any effect upon someone else.
As with any therapeutic approach -- it should be tailored as closely as possible to the needs of the individual. For me this is most often through the use of a Voll meter. Others prefer a more lengthy examination and interview process. The use of the meter, however, has proven to be fast and quite often accurate enough to allow the development of a viable therapeutic program.
On my first patient interview, I give them a small questionnaire that I developed. The answers give me a direction to take that often eliminates the necessity of searching vainly through hundreds of possible remedies in the homeopathic repertory. The selections I then make are confirmed by the Voll meter.
For those serious about implementing homeopathic procedures into their practice, it is essential that you purchase the Homeopathic Materia Medica by William Boericke, M.D., and Kent's Final Repertory. Then you should find a good graduate course like the one offered by Texas Chiropractic College.
Still, there are some remedies that have been used in the past with positive effects upon those suffering from epilepsy. A few of those listed are Sulphur, Belladonna, Causticum, Cocculus, Ignacia, Kali bromatum and Nux vomica.
All of the proceeding is but a tip of the therapeutic iceberg for, as you will find through study, the remedies are many and broken down into areas of affliction, sides of the body and times of the day.
In fairness to you and your patients, however, an evaluation should be done only after a careful interview procedure.
Remember -- as with chiropractic -- homeopathy is relatively safe, natural and effective. As physicians in the natural healing arts, homeopathy should be defended with the same vigor that we defend chiropractic. Even if you don't personally plan to include homeopathy in your practice it should be protected so that the public may benefit from its proven value.