Homeopathy for Bones

We all need good strong bones. They play a very important part of our anatomy. Without healthy bones, we cannot be as physically strong as we should. There are a few common conditions of the bone that homeopathy can help with very much. So let’s explore our bones!

Any medical term that has osteo as a part of it refers to the bones. Bones have organic and inorganic compounds. Its organic components include the cells, osteocytes, osteoblasts, osteoclasts, plus osteoid which form about 35% of the bone's compounds. Integral to this matrix is collagen which holds the bone together and helps gives it its strength and flexibility. Healthy bone is half as strong as steel in resisting compression and equal to steel in resisting tension.

Inorganic compounds make up the other 65% of bone. They are mainly calcium salts, most predominantly Calcium Phosphate. These salts form tiny crystals that are held together with the collagen and create density in bone. Because bone salts remain long after death, we have many records of human history stored in the skeletons of our ancestors.

Bones need good nutrition as well as stress to create remodeling, a process that is always happening for bones. This process involves a negative feedback loop regulating calcium in the blood and a positive feedback loop responding to gravity and mechanical forces on the skeleton. These processes are regulated by hormones and control bone deposition and resorption. It is this process that makes for healthy bones. Not all bones are changing at the same rate but some parts of bones can completely regenerate in 5 to 6 months. Other areas take much longer.

Different conditions can affect bone health and the most common is by mechanical force leading to broken bones. Homeopathy can help very much in this case.

Here are a few rubrics and remedies to help with injuries and other conditions of the bone from the Complete 2009 and MurphysII Repertories:

• Generalities; INJURIES, blows, falls and bruises; Fractures etc., bones; compound (20) ang., Anthr., ARN., Calc., Calen., con., crot-h., hep., hyper., iod., Lach., Petr., ph-ac., phos., puls., rhus-t., RUTA, sil., staph., symph.

• Generalities; INJURIES, blows, falls and bruises; Fractures etc., bones; slow repair of broken bones (25): anthr., asaf., CALC., Calc-f., CALC-P., calen., des-ac., Ferr., fl-ac., iod., lyc., mang., merc., Mez., nit-ac., Ph-ac., phos., puls., RUTA, sep., Sil., staph., sulph., SYMPH., Thyr.

• Bones; INJURIES, bones, broken, fractured, bruised, blows etc.; ailments from (5): calc., calc-p., hecla., ruta, symph.

• Bones; INJURIES, bones, broken, fractured, bruised, blows etc.; slow healing of broken bones (23): asaf., Calc., calc-f., Calc-p., 2calen., ferr., fl-ac., iod., lyc., mang., merc., mez., nit-ac., ph-ac., phos., puls., Ruta, sep., sil., staph., sulph., Symph., thyr.

• Bones; INJURIES, bones, broken, fractured, bruised, blows etc.; union of fractures, to promote (10): arn., asaf., Calc-p., calen., lyc., nit-ac., ruta, sil., sulph., Symph.

Another common condition in young people involves bone development. The most common is growing pains when a child is developing too rapidly. This can lead to pains in the long bones. Osgood-Schlatter disease is inflammation of the bone and cartilage at the top of the shinbone (tibia) caused by repetitive strain usually a result of sports activity in adolescents. This is quite common in athletic children. Another condition caused by Vitamin D and calcium deficiency in the diet is Rickets. This leads to a weakening of the long bones that cause them to curve or bow.

• Bones; DEVELOPMENT, bones; imperfect (7): calc., Calc-f., calc-p., hecla., sil., staph., symph.

• Bones; DEVELOPMENT, bones; delayed (5): bar-c., calc., calc-f., calc-p., sil.

• Bones; DEVELOPMENT, bones; curvatures, with (4): calc., calc-f., hecla., sil.

• Bones; INFLAMMATION, bones, (46): acon., ars., ars-i., asaf., aur., aur-m., bell., bry., Calc., chin., clem., coloc., con., cupr., dig., euph., Fl-ac., guai., hecla., hep., iod., kreos., lach., lac-ac., lyc., mag-m., mang., Merc., Mez., nat-c., nit-ac., Ph-ac., phos., phyt., plb., psor., Puls., rhus-t., sep., Sil., spig., Staph., sulph., symph., thuj., verat.

• Generalities; GROWTH; Length, in, too fast (16): BAC., Calc., Calc-p., ferr., ferr-acet., guai., hipp., iod., irid., kreos., nat-m., PH-AC., PHOS., rhus-t., sil., sulph.

• Generalities; GROWTH; Affected, disorders of (43): adlu., Agar., aloe, alum., Ant-c., arg., ars., astra-e., BAR-C., but-ac., Calc., Calc-f., CALC-P., carc., caust., cob-n., ferr., ferr-acet., fl-ac., graph., guai., ion-rad., Kali-s., lac-f., mag-c., mag-m., merc., nat-ar., nit-ac., ph-ac., Phos., pitu-a., puls., rad-br., rhus-t., sabad., sep., sil., staph., Sulph., thuj., Thyr., vip.B;

• Bones; BONE spurs, (21): arg., Aur., Aur-m., calc., Calc-f., crot-c., dulc., fl-ac., Hecla., kali-i., lap-a., maland., merc-c., mez., nit-ac., Phos., puls., rhus-t., ruta, Sil., sulph.

Other common bone conditions arising from middle age and continuing into old age are osteoporosis (thinning of the bones) and osteomalacia (softening of the bones) and necrosis (decay of bones).

Here are some rubrics and remedies that may be helpful:

• Generalities; SOFTENING; Bones (65): allox., am-c., arg., arn., ASAF., aur., bac., Bell., bruc., bry., cadm., CALC., calc-f., Calc-i., calc-p., chlorpr., cic., con., conch., cortico., cortiso., dys-co., euph-pu., Ferr., Ferr-i., ferr-m., Ferr-p., fl-ac., Guai., hecla., Hep., iod., ip., Kali-i., Lac-c., Lyc., MERC., merc-c., Mez., Nit-ac., nux-m., nux-v., Ol-j., parathyr., petr., Ph-ac., Phos., pic-ac., pin-s., plb., Psor., Puls., rhod., rhus-t., Ruta, Sep., SIL., Staph., SULPH., SYMPH., syph., ther., thuj., thyr., verat.

• Generalities; BRITTLE bones (28): asaf., bani-c., bar-c., bufo, Calc., calc-f., calc-p., carc., cor-r., cupr., fl-ac., ion-rad., Lac-ac., lyc., Merc., osmu-r., par., ph-ac., phos., pip-n., psor., ruta, sel., SIL., staph., sulph., Symph., thuj.

• Generalities; CRUMBLING, bones (29): ars., asaf., aur., bell., calc., calc-p., con., dulc., ferr., guai., hep., Kali-c., lach., lyc., merc., mez., nit-ac., petr., ph-ac., phos., puls., rhod., rhus-t., ruta, sabin., sep., sil., staph., sulph.

• Bones; DECAY, of bones, (76): Ang., anthro., arg., arn., ars., Asaf., aur., aur-ar., aur-i., aur-m., Aur-m-n., bell., bry., calc., calc-f., calc-hp., calc-p., calc-s., caps., carb-ac., caust., chin., cinnam., cist., clem., con., cupr., dulc., euph., ferr., Fl-ac., graph., guai., guare., hecla., Hep., iod., kali-bi., Kali-i., kreos., lach., Lyc., mang., Merc., mez., nat-m., nit-ac., ol-j., op., petr., ph-ac., phos., psor., puls., rad-br., rhod., rhus-t., ruta, sabin., sal-ac., sec., sep., Sil., spong., Staph., stront-c., sulph., symph., syph., tarent., tell., ter., Ther., thuj., tub., tub-k.

It is readily apparent that because calcium is such an integral part of the bone matrix that all of the Calcarea remedies would be useful in bone disorders. There are many other remedies from all of the kingdoms that are useful as well.

Here are a few of the most common remedies for bone conditions and their indications:

• Calcarea Carbonica – The chief representative of the Calcium compounds. Useful in all bone-related disorders. Faulty development of bones. Open fontanelles. Curvature, rickets. Muscle and skin become lax. Patient grows fat or emaciated, is not strong. Sweating easily. Complaints of the teeth. Development arrested, late to walk, talk. Dull lethargic children who do not want to play. Fears disease, misery, disaster, insanity, and of being observed. Fear of murder, fire, and rats.
• Calcarea Flourica – Disperses bony growths. Deficient enamel of the teeth. Removes adhesion after surgery. Indurations of a stony hardness. Stiffness, weakness, fatigue all day. Sluggish temperament. Fear of poverty.
• Calcarea Phosphorica – Affects nutrition of the bones and glands similar to Calc. Carb. Bones become soft, thin and brittle. Promotes ossification and the union of bones after fracture. Has a special affinity to the symphysis or where bones form sutures. Delicate, tall, thin children. Rickets. Growth too fast or slow. Dentition.
• Eupatorium Perfoliatum – Aching and pain in the bones. Useful for pain after fracture or any other condition where pain is felt deep in the bones.
• Fluoric Acid – Destructiveness is the keynote of Fluoric Acid. It produces caries or cavities of the bone, especially the long bones. Useful in destructive bone conditions of the aged. Broken down individuals. The patient always feels too hot. Syphilitic destruction of the bones. Increased muscular ability. Necrosis and decay of the bones.
• Ruta Graveolens – Especially useful for connective tissues and the periosteum of the bone. Injured or bruised bones. Pains are bruised, aching with restlessness. As if a weight we hanging from the affected part. Bones brittle. Part lain on becomes sore. Deposits on the bone, periosteum, tendons about the joints especially wrists. The feeling that they are always being deceived.
• Silica – Nutritional complaints due to imperfect assimilation. Softening of the bones. Caries, necrosis of the bones. Sensitive to noise, pain and cold; chilly hates drafts. Open fontanelles similar to Calc. Carb. A tendency to easy exhaustion and sweats. Malnutrition, development arrested, emaciation. Good remedy for teeth. The homeopathic scalpel will cause removal of foreign objects from the body. Yielding. Child will cry when kindly spoken to. Very sensitive. Loss of confidence, dreads failure but unfounded.
• Symphytum – Common name is Knit-Bone or Bone-Set. Painful injuries. Old injuries. Non-union of fractures. Prickly, stitching pains. Pains remain after wound has healed that are worse for touch. After amputation.

Use these rubrics and remedies as a guideline to study more about remedies for the bones. Aside from electro-stimulation, there are not that many ways to help bones heal. Time is the best healer and when it is combined with a good inspiration of the vital force, a bone can become healthy once again. Vitamin supplements, especially Vitamin D, Calcium, and sunlight can help maintain good bone health. Good nutrition through proper diet and exercise is the best preventative therapy. This and constitutional homeopathic prescribing will ensure good healthy bones. But should a condition occur that requires help, homeopathy is the answer.