Calcarea Phosphorica
★★★★★
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5234356/
Given the known safety profile of homeopathic remedies, the reasonable availability, the noninvasive nature and reasonable cost of homeopathic remedies, they should always be worth consideration for many health issues. Some health issues are not exactly generic and these will require a homeopathic practitioner to make an individualized remedy, but when you are running into a block wall with traditional medicine, homeopathy should be an option worth considering!
Art
Dr. Katchen Protocol
I have read your article on spinal stenosis and the protocol developed by Dr Katchen. I have also watched the videos made on this subject by Glory-B.
I live in Birmingham, UK and wonder if there are any contacts I can make with a homeopathic practitioner who would also recommend this protocol. I have bought the tablets and used them for a while back in May/June but have discontinued for the moment. I really need some assurance that they will be of benefit and will not have any significant side-effects. To speak to someone rather than just read online would be a great opportunity. Many thanks.
Alan
Alan,
I am not familiar with any homeopathic contacts in the UK since I am on the other side of the pond and since it was Dr. Katchen's own protocol, other practitioner's may not be familiar with it and may not be able to help you on her regimen.
When it comes to a newer homeopathic regimen, it is down to trial and error just as Dr. Katchen did. She took known homeopathic concepts and combined them to first create her regimen and then offered them to her patients who were willing to try them in addition to what they were already using. In her patients who tried it, they had very good success and I saw similar results in my friend who tried it and those results were very good, but this remedy comes with no assurances and I am sure that it will not work for everyone as nothing does when it comes to SS. If you do your homework you will quickly see that there are multiple homeopathic remedies for SS and not all will be effective and it basically comes down to trial and error testing to find out what is helpful and what is not and if you find someone who will "assure you" that their remedy will work, remember that no remedy works for everyone all of the time, at least that has been my experience.
As far as needing assurance, there is only Dr. Katchen's patients and my friends experience to go on. When it comes to spinal stenosis (SS) there are no assurances by a homeopath or a doctor. The surgeon told my friend that he would likely have significant relief of his back pain if he had the surgery for his SS, but he offered no assurances that he would be better after the surgery and as it turned out, he was worse, much worse and in more pain. On the other hand, I have heard reports of people who were much better after the surgery.
As far as side effects, in general, homeopathy has minimal to no side effects in most people, but there are some people who have reported side effects. Again, no assurances against side effects either. Some people claim that because of the super dilution nature of homeopathy, there can be no side effects, but if that were 100% correct, then by that same line of thinking, there could be no beneficial effects either, but clearly, people do get benefits from homeopathy.
You might talk to your doctor about your SS condition and ask your doctor about side effects, assurances and efficacy of the treatments available to get a clearer idea about what the doctor has to offer in comparison to homeopathy.
Art
Dr. Katchen Protocol
I tried Dr. Debra Katchen, MD Hekkla and Fluor. Cal. protocol. I took it at bedtime but was woke up a couple hours later with severe leg cramps. The same thing happened with chanca piedra, coral calcium, and Dr. Christopher complete bone and tissue formula..
I am doing borax protocol now but with the first dose I got a leg cramp, I backed the dosage down to about 1/8 of a tsp but I can't see any improvement. I have been doing it for one month. I take 600mg of magnesium citrate, B 12 5000mcg(I am vegan trying to eat WFPB low salt low sugar and No OIL). Armour 120mg(Thyroid/Prescription) and Vit. D 50,000units per week(Prescription}. Why the leg cramps with all the remedies? Any thoughts or suggestions?
(Ct)
10/06/2020
Hi Bunny,
I think this can be a sign of a potassium deficiency. If this were me, I would take a potassium supplement (not a banana, which doesn't provide enough potassium). If it is indeed a potassium deficiency, the muscle cramps should immediately cease. This is based on my personal experience. Let us know how it works out if he tries it.
Hi Bunny,
Leg cramping is most often caused by a magnesium and or potassium deficiency (hypokalemia). Magnesium chloride oil applied directly to the area of cramping will generally offer very quick relief.
One medium banana contains over 400 mg of potassium while a small banana contains about 360 mg of potassium and a large banana contains about 485 mg of potassium, whereas, all potassium tablets and capsules only contain 99 mg of potassium unless they are prescription potassium.
Art
(Texas)
12/19/2020
Applying vinegar - white or apple cider topically - really helps my leg cramps. Sometimes I need to do it more than 1 time but usually within a few minutes they stop.
(Mexico)
11/27/2022
I have had leg cramps for years and I tried all sorts of things. I did magnesium and potassium plus some product from Standard Process. None of them worked, my cramps were so severe they would wake me up at night crying from the intensity! Then I read that MAGNESIUM GLYCINATE is the magnesium to take (magnesium citrate does nothing for leg cramps, I know I tried it). I ordered it from Luma Nutrition since I respect the quality of their products. The next time I had a leg cramp it was intense for a second or two and then it disappeared completely on its own without me having to get up and walk around. It happened one other time but since then I have been sleeping peacefully with no cramps or even a hint of cramps.
Dr. Katchen Protocol
I was reading about how doctor Katchen used homeopathic medicine for spinal stenosis. You have a link there to show how she used her protocol and mixed it with water but when I click on it each time it does not show how she mixed it with water, it just shows other stories.. is there a better link that shows her protocol on mixing it with water if that is the way it's supposed to be done?
Thanks.
(Cleveland, Oh)
08/07/2020
I tried to reach out to Dr. Katchens. She is no longer at her clinic. Anybody know where she went?
(California)
08/07/2020
Hi Michelle,
Admittedly, the article could have been laid out better with a separate box for the protocol details, but they are there in the article, you just have to read enough of her article to find it. I may ask Earth Clinic if it is possible to make an addition to the original post to add the actual complete protocol so that people do not have to read her full page in order to find out how to take the two homeopathic remedies. I would add though, it is useful to read her whole article to give some background on how she arrived at this specific homeopathic combination and what to expect from it and when to expects it in terms of results.
I have recommended this protocol to another friend who did not stick it out long enough, quit at two months, and did not take the remedy every day. Had they read the whole article they would have realized that this was not at all following Dr. Katchen's protocol!
That part would look something like this :
..........................................................
HOW TO MIX AND USE DR. KATCHEN'S PROTOCOL FOR LUMBAR SPINAL STENOSIS.
1. Dissolve one pellet of Hekla lava 30c in a six-ounce glass of water (just drop it in the water and let it dissolve) and take a one-teaspoon dose of this mixture twice a day (no stirring or shaking between doses needed). They were to refrigerate it between doses and, when the glass was empty, to start the process again. (I chose this water dosing method because, according to Hahnemann, it is more effective than the common way of taking dry pellets.)
2. Take Calcarea fluorica 6X, 4 tablets under the tongue, once a day.
...................................................
That's it!
The short article itself is definitely worth the full read in order to have realistic expectations of her protocol and to also have an expected timeline.
Art
EC: Added, Art, thank you!!
(Naples, FL)
04/21/2024
Dw,
She is 67 years old now and could already be retired.
https://www.healthgrades.com/physician/dr-debra-katchen-xqnbj
Art
(Web)
06/16/2021
Michelle,
I posted about Dr. Katchen's protocol on YouTube several years ago after someone shared it with me and it worked for me. My second video (March 2017) is at this link - https://youtu.be/0IA6I8i6KLQ - and in the video I show the jar I use to dissolve 1 pellet of Hekla Lava 30c. (The original video is dated Nov. 2015.) I also show the Calc. Fluor. 6x.
Dr. Katchen's article was originally published in a homeopathic journal, which is read by people who work in the industry. That is why her article reads like a scientific article; it's not intended for people who aren't homeopathic physicians. Nevertheless, the article was shared with me by a chiropractor and I had to print out the article and read it with a pen to learn what I had to do.
Dr. Katchen is likely retired by now. When I did the protocol, she was in Monmouth, IL. Then she moved to Ontario, Canada, but she isn't at that clinic any longer. As someone else wrote, she would be 67+ now. There certainly is room for other homeopathic physicians to learn this protocol and to work with patients who have extra boney growth to introduce this fabulous solution and to ensure they do it correctly.
Homeopathic Treatment Contraindications
Will the protocol for spinal stenosis you posted interfere with a diabetic glucose monitoring? Or someone on Glipizide or Metformin?
(Michigan)
08/04/2020
I really like Earthclinic, but I am seriously disillusioned that any remedy involving homeopathic preparations is included here. If they work it is only because the user believes it will work. Any other benefit is coincidental.
How do I know this? It's because the amount of the original substance being used in the homeopathic preparation is diluted to an extreme so that the likelihood of even one atom of the original substance being in the dose is extremely unlikely.
So, what people are getting is sugar pills or just plain water.
To prove me wrong, just use the precise protocol for making a homeopathic preparation of whiskey or other similar strong liquor. The homeopathic mantra is that the more times it is diluted the stronger it becomes. Take it to the 30X level and then take a drink from your 30X homeopathic whiskey and see how strong you think THAT is!
(Hawaii)
08/04/2020
As a medical professional (RN), I can tell you that Homeopathic medications contain not ingredient that would interact with any medications. There is literally not possibility of chemical reaction or interaction as there is ZERO chemical contents in the Homeopathic blends. It is magnetic resonant energy as proven by Dr Benveniste.
Dn,
There is no data available to know this with any certainty that I am aware of. Homeopathic remedies in general don't have a tremendous amount of quality studies.
Based on how homeopathic remedies are made using very high dilution rates, it seems like it should be compatible with most drugs, but because it is your diabetes at stake, it will be safer to ask your doctor or better yet, ask Dr. Katchen because she has probably already dealt with this issue in her patients with spinal stenosis. Here is her number and address:
Phone: (309) 734-0100
Monmouth, IL 61462
(California)
08/04/2020
Azuka,
Human cells are not affected by a placebo effect and the following study shows that the use of homeopathy definitely has positive effects on these human cells in the following new (June 2020) study abstract. If it was just a sugar pill as you stated, these effects would not have been seen. This particular homeopathic remedy is often used for arthritis and is purported to reduce inflammatory mediators exactly as this cell study shows it did with the reduction of Cox-2, TNF-a and NO. Here is a quote from the study:
....................
The molecular docking showed interaction of C. carbonica with the phenylalanine 367 residue present in active site of Cox-2.
....................
Here is a link to the abstract :
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32732109/
Without an active component in the homeopathic remedy tested, these results would not have been possible with a sugar pill. Simply put, homeopathic remedies are not a placebo.
Your example of diluting alcohol clearly shows you have no idea of how homeopathy works. In homeopathy it has been found that "like heals like" so in this case of your diluted alcohol, you could potentially help a hangover, not get drunk, but it would require that you mix it right in the first place. If you believe that homeopathy is merely a placebo, then I doubt you would know how to mix it in the first place.
Since you are opposed to homeopathy, what would you recommend to help my friend with the lumbar spinal stenosis since he has already had the surgery and is in more pain that pre-surgery and two other doctors have told him there is nothing they can do for him? He has tried every topical pain reliever recommended to him and does not want to get addicted to the powerful opioid pain relievers as they can do harm.
Art
(Haiku, Maui)
08/04/2020
LOVE homeopathic remedies! I wanted to also add that there is another remedy that comliments homeopathy wonderfully for stenosis, that literally cured me of severe chronic neck pain of 40 years. Dr. John Sarno's books on the mind/body connection. My physical therapist suggested I read The Mindbody Prescription, and immediately no more neck pain. Ive been pain free for 2 years now. Our mind is more powerful than we know. And im living proof! Total miracle ❤
(Ny Metro Area)
08/04/2020
I am a trained homeopath, and can assure you homeopathy does work. This article, however, is misleading. The so-called protocol of this doctor is not unique to homeopathy at all. She is including a cell salt with a proven homeopathic remedy. No startling discovery at all, but, yes, these particular remedies may work . But homeopathy is based on the individual, and there is not one remedy that will fit all. There are many remedies for the same thing with slight differences that must match the "individual." The complete case must be taken preferably by a homeopath or homeopathic MD or at least someone who studied homeopathy and knows what it's about. An individual prescribing this for themselves may possibly fail and blame homeopathy when there is a better remedy out there for them. It "is" commendable this homeopathic MD was assured of the correct remedy from the beginning.
(Michigan)
08/11/2020
It's hard to know what to make of your friend's situation since there are a number of different procedures, surgeries, and treatments available for spinal stenosis. I don't know which one your friend had, who the surgeon was, and whether there was any surgical followup protocols, and whether those protocols were followed. I'm pretty interested in such treatments since spinal stenosis is significantly affecting my life by severely impacting my mobility, not to mention pain level.
I'm pursuing a minimally invasive procedure called 'Vertiflex.' This involves the insertion of a device between two vertebrae which alleviates impingement on the nerve passing through that juncture. If one receives some benefit from epidural shots to the lower back, then it is likely they would receive equal or better results from a vertiflex implant, with the added benefit of it being permanent. Recipients of this procedure six months post-procedure have a 90% satisfaction rate, much much higher than traditional surgical approaches. In some cases, the insertion of two such devices is warranted, which is what my pain doctor is recommending.
Unfortunately, these plans have been put on hold since I need to be off of blood thinners for a short period of time before and after the procedure. I need to remain on blood thinners for another six months or a year before my cardiologist will agree to take me off of this medicine. One may take a look on Youtube at numerous videos demonstrating exactly how this works.... but a common result is a patient who must be taken in via wheelchair for the procedure, who can then go out dancing a week or so later.
As far as that abstract that you were kind enough to provide a link to, I do not profess to understand all of the technical jargon, but I am troubled by a few things....
1 - Sample size - I can not tell how many people were involved in this study. Was it just one? Was it more than one?
2 - Lack of a control - As far as I can tell, there was no control. I think the results could be more meaningful if they conducted cell survival rate studies in a person who merely stopped taking the NSAIDs so that there would be something to compare the questionable use of the homeopathic preparation with.
3 - Conclusion - Two problems. The study fails to show that the homeopathic preparation was the reason for the anti-inflammatory response because (as stated in 2) there was no control. AND attributing the cause as 'probably' mediated via interaction of C. carbonica with phenylalanine 367 residue. What this tells me is that either they are just guessing at the manner in which this supposedly works OR that they already 'knew' the answer before they began the study, which would be a confounding factor.
To be considered as a legit treatment, a different group of researchers would need to develop a parallel study to see if the desirable results can be duplicated, actually many such trials. It sounds like one person only was the subject of the study, but as written it's impossible for me to tell.
I have two further issues:
1 - Your statement that cells are not affected by the placebo effect.
You state this as though it is fact, but it sounds like it is merely your opinion. The placebo effect is extremely well known. I don't know what studies have been done on the placebo effect as it relates to changes at the cellular level. Are you aware of any such studies? If not, then on what do you base your statement that this is not possible? I'm not convinced either way, myself.
2 - You are rather presumptive that I have no understanding of homeopathy. Just because I believe homeopathy to be a fraud does not mean I do not understand the basic premise or how the preparation process goes. I do understand that it is not merely diluting the substance over and over again to achieve a preparation. Using traditional homeopathic preparation methods ALWAYS dilutes the amount of substance at each level of preparation.
I made my own (apparently faulty) assumption when writing my original comment. And that assumption was that the readers of earthclinic, at least those who are interested in homeopathic preparations, already understood the basic principles of homeopathy and of course know that this results in diluting the original material. I did not want to bore people by restating what everyone already knew.
Azuka,
First, I would like to say I understand your disbelief of homeopathy as I have been exactly there. Years ago, I felt the same way, that anything that is diluted so much can not have any medicinal or healing value. With time and testing, I am now a firm believer, but I essentially had to prove it to myself before I could believe it. Now I use it regularly for different health issues.
Regarding my friend and his options, his original surgeon and two other doctors told him there was nothing they could do for him to improve his pain situation other than strong pain killers. One of the two doctors told him that the pins and screws used in the original surgery complicates things and occasionally the body can reject them and that he was lucky to have avoided that complication so far. A fourth doctor told him that he might be able to do a surgically implanted type of electrical spinal stim, but that is a fairly invasive surgery that is somewhat similar to the DBS surgery used for Parkinson's patients where they install electrodes to the brain and implant a battery pack that needs to be replaced at regular intervals and you use a handheld remote control to control the internal device. In his case, the electrodes would be attached to the spine. This procedure comes with the risk of infection from the devices being installed. He was seriously considering it so I suggested trying the homeopathy first and that has worked out very well for him and still is. At this point he will not consider any other procedures because he is better now than he has been in over a decade!
Regarding that abstract of a study, the whole point of the study is that it was a laboratory study on human cells that they treated with the homeopathic Calcarea Carbonica to see if they could elicit a response in the cells with the application of the CC. This study was not done on humans, but rather on human cells which takes the placebo effect out of the equation. The cells were stimulated to produce an inflammatory response using lipopolysaccharide and then the CC was used and this application produced the antiinflammatory response reported in the abstract, thus showing that homeopathy is not a placebo effect.
In the following human study using placebo and active groups, the homeopathic remedy Arnica Montana (AM) for the purpose of reducing bleeding and fluid buildup under the skin (seromas) after surgery for unilateral total mastectomy in women. This study shows that AM statically significantly did what it was supposed to do, reduce blood loss and fluid buildup post surgery, again showing that homeopathy is not a placebo.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5289077/
It is your right to believe what you want, but it is not in line with current science regarding the effectiveness of homeopathy.
Art