Personalized Exercise Guide that Can Help Many!

Hi Guys!

We got to know from some people with whom we shared our Exercise Guide that they could not open the link and read it. Actually there was no problem related to it, we do not want you to miss reading these wonderful exercises to keep you fit. So, pasting it here. However, for diagrams you will have to see the original PDF. Else, you can also search online for the diagrams while reading these exercises. Enjoy exercising!

Here is a personalized exercise plan that has been designed considering all aspects, physicality, mentality, and overall well-being of an individual. Certainly every individual is unique and needs specifically designed exercise plan. But the fact is that not many people really care for their health as they should and exercise comes last on their agenda. Therefore this is an honest attempt to help people realize the importance of exercise, what to do and how to do. It is in exquisite details; one may improvise on some of the exercises as per their need and bodily requirement. The exercises include some yoga techniques, relaxing exercises, warm ups as well as Pranayam.

Let’s start—

Simple guidelines that should be followed before starting exercise—

(1) Your bowels must be cleared before plunging into exercise and Pranayam.

(2) It is very good to be done early morning but if it is not possible, leave a gap of at least 1 and ½ hours after light meals and 4 and ½ hours after full meals.

(3) After you finish exercise, it is better to leave a gap of at least ½ an hour before you have liquids and preferably more than 1 hour before you have meals.

(4) Early morning time is said to be preferable because our both body and mind are at peace after the restful night’s sleep!

(5) Perform these exercises on a mat (preferably thick cotton).

(6) Performing them in open air is preferable. If you want to do them inside the room, at least keep all windows are doors open so that fresh air gushes in. (better not to do within air conditioned room)

Let’s begin—

First stand in neutral position. That is, forward straight face, forward gaze, shoulders in line, hands positioning the floor, both legs straight with a small distance between two feet.

(1) Neck movements-

· Keeping face upright, bend head forwards with inhalation to touch the chin to the sternal dip.

· Now exhale and bring your head to original position. Bend the neck backwards with the next inhalation. Again bring back to normal with exhalation.

· Now keeping face upright, turn to left side with inhalation. (Don’t touch ear to shoulder but just keep face straight and turn). Do similarly to the right side.

· This completes one cycle. Do such 5 to 10 cycles. Now move the neck in a circular movement alternately on both sides.

(2) Tadasana-

· Keep both feet straight; with 1 foot distance apart. Now raise both your hands above your head and make them meet in “Namaskar” position.

· Now lift your feet to stand on your toes. Wait till you can hold the balance.

· Now stand on feet again touching soles to ground and get hands down.

· Repeat it a few times.

(3) Sanchalanasan-

· Stand with erect limbs with one foot distance apart.

· Lift your hands over the head and keep them in straight line to shoulders, fingers pointing upwards.

· Bend on either sides of your waist

· Do not bend knees

· Do it 5 to 10 times on either side

(4) Half-rotation through waist vertically-

· Keep your hands straight in shoulder line at right angles to your lower limbs.

· Now keep your back straight and rotate to right and left sides through your waist. Reach as far back as you can.

· Keep toes pointing forward

· Repeat 5 times on either sides

(5) Foot rotations-

· Stand on your feet in neutral position.

· Lift your left leg straight upwards to 45 degrees.

· Do not bend knees.

· Now rotate the right foot in a circular manner on both sides (5-10 times each)

· Repeat with the other leg

(6) Knee rotation-

· Bend your knees and put the palms of both your hands on them, as if to hold for balancing

· Now rotate the knees in circular manner on both sides (5 times on either side)

(7) Waist rotation-

· Keep your hands on your waist on both sides

· Distance your feet by 1 or 1 and ½ feet

· Rotate your waist in clockwise and anti-clockwise fashion (5 to 10 times on either side)

(8) Padahasthasana-

· Stand erect. Inhale and bend forwards in waist to touch the ground

· Now exhale

· Inhale again and come to original standing posture

· Repeat 5 times

Now sit down.

(9) Vajrasana-

· Bend your knees and sit on your heels. Dorsum of your toes (Nail-side) should touch the ground

· Sit in this posture for at least 1 minute initially. Increase the duration slowly

· Keep your hands freely on your thighs

· This is one asana that you can do even after meals; rather it is said that in this asana if you sit after meals, your all digestive juices are directed towards your stomach and intestines and apt digestion takes place

(10) Yogamudra-

· Sit in Padmasana (Lotus posture), i.e, take both your feet on opposite thighs and sit

· Your thighs should touch the ground as far as possible

· Now place both your hands behind on the central aspect of lumbar region, one above the other

· Now inhale

· While exhaling, bend forwards to touch your forehead to the ground

· Again inhale and come back to upright position

· Breathe slowly and deeply while performing it and concentrate on your breathing

(11) Paschimottanasana-

· Sit with both legs spread forwards together

· Hold your toes with hands while bending forward and try to touch the forehead to the lap

· Try to bend as far as possible

· Slowly but surely you will be able to do

(12) Feet rotation-

· Sit similarly like above with feet spread forwards together

· Rotate the feet clockwise and anti-clockwise (5 to 10 times)

(13) Leg thrust-

· Keep your legs straight while sitting

· Keep your hands besides you

· Now move your legs in knees upwards and downwards in a rhythm

· When you get your legs downwards, it should impact a thrust on the ground

(14) Kagasana-

· Bend your knees and sit in squatting posture on your toes

· Keep palms on bent knees

· Sit for 1 to 2 minutes in this posture

(15) Butterfly movement of thighs-

· Bend your knees along with a bent in the groins in such a way that your knee caps should face outwards

· Bring your feet together to touch the private area

· In this posture, feet touch each other in soles while touching ground too, knees are wide apart facing outwards, and you are sitting on your buttocks

· Now hold your both feet with both hands and move the knees (legs) downwards and upwards in a rhythm (like a butterfly)

· Over the period of time, the knees should touch the ground when taken downwards

· Perform this for 1 to 2 minutes

Next,

Lie in supine position, with face upwards towards ceiling, toes pointing up, and hands by the sides of the body with palms touching the ground.

(16) Utaanapadasana-

· Inhale

· While exhaling, lift both your legs to an angle of 45 degrees to 60 degrees while lying down

· Knees should be kept straight

· Put pressure on your palms to lift the legs

· Breathe slowly and deeply and keep in this posture for some time

· Get back to original position

· Repeat 2 to 3 times

· Try with alternate legs if it is not possible initially to lift both legs together

(17) Pavan-Muktasana-

· Lie supine

· Bend the right leg in the groin as well as at the knee joint and bring it up

· Now entangle both hands in each other and curl them around the lifted right knee

· Pull the knee further upwards towards the face with hands

· Now lift your neck and try to touch the knee with your nose

· Do it with left leg

· Now lift both legs together and repeat

(18) Cycling in air-

· Lie supine

· Lift both the legs and move in the air like pedaling the cycle, in both directions

(19) Lateral leg lift-

· Lie on your right side laterally

· Keep your right palm on your right temple and keep the left hand ahead of you in front of chest on the ground

· Now lift your left leg in the air straight way up and bring back to touch the right leg on ground again

· Perform on opposite side too (5 times each)

(20) Side-way knee and leg movement-

· Again lie supine

· Keep palms touching the ground

· Bend legs at knees and keep the soles touching the ground

· Now move the bent knees sideways to touch the ground and again get back to normal position, alternately on both sides

· Repeat 5 times on either side

Now lie on your tummy

(21) Shalabhasana-

· It is a kind of opposite Uttanapadasana (refer 16)

· Lie on your tummy and inhale.

· Your hands should be firmly on the ground besides your body

· Now while exhaling slowly lift your legs up by about 45 to 60 degrees

· Breathe slowly and deeply

· Get your legs back to ground

· Repeat 2 to 3 times!

(22) Naukasana-

· Lie on your tummy

· Extend both your hands above your head and join the palms together as in namaskara pose

· Now lift the neck up to the chest along with your hands

· At the same time, also lift your legs at the hips with both knees straight

· This posture looks just like a nauka, means, boat

· The entire weight of the body should be carried on your tummy touching the ground

· Breathe slowly and deeply

(23) Dhanurasana-

· Lie on your tummy

· Bend your knees

· Hold the toes with backward stretched hands and hold your weight on tummy

· At the same time lift your neck up to the chest (like in naukasana)

· The end posture looks like a dhanu, means, a bow

· Breathe slow and deep

(24) Shavasana-

· This is the last asana to be done

· Lie supine with totally relaxed body

· Hands by the side

· Lie like a corpse

· Feel that you just cannot move

· But keep your senses alert

· Concentrate on your breathing

· Lie in this position for 2 to 5 minutes

Shavasana should be performed before one goes on to performing Pranayam, because mind and body has to fee rejuvenated before you embark on the next breathing exercise.

Pranayam-

We are going to see 8 basic steps of Pranayam here. There are many more and much difficult poses too of Pranayam but these 8 are the time tested techniques approved by Yog Guru Ramdev, which I am illustrating here. These steps not only give you physical fitness on ALL levels but also improve one’s mental and visual acuity, concentration power, and positive attitude. And a blissful calmness ensues!

• Fisrt sit in sukhasana (normal folded leg posture), padmasana (lotus posture), or vajrasana (please refer earlier asanas for padmasana and vajrasana)
• People who cannot sit down on mat can even perform Pranayam sitting on a chair
• Before starting Pranayam, sit with your eyes closed and try to concentrate on your slow and deep breathing for 1 to 2 minutes
• Perform all steps with eyes closed (once you know all) to enhance one’s concentration level and feel the bliss

Steps—

(1) Bhasrika-

· Inhale deeply but little forcefully and exhale in the similar fashion

· You should inhale and exhale fully to utilize your maximum lung capacity

· Believe that with each forceful and deep inhalation, you are acquiring all the positive energies of the universe and with each exhalation you are shedding all the negativism about life

· Inhale through your chest and not abdomen to expand lungs fully

· With each exhalation, slowly pull your navel inwards and upwards

· Do this for 5 to 10 minutes (Starters, go for 5 minutes only)

(2) Kapalbhati-

· This is the most important part of Pranayam

· With each normal inhalation (not forceful), exhale forcefully with a thrust

· While exhaling forcefully, each time draw your navel inwards and upwards

· Initially do this step slowly (may be 30 to 40 exhalations per minute)

· Improve it by slowly increasing the exhalations to 55 to 60 per minute

· People having high blood pressure and other cardiac problems should perform this under supervision and slowly

· Do it for 5 to 15 minutes

· Don’t let yourself fatigued during the step (initially it happens). If it happens, take mid-breaks and do again later after a few relaxing exercises

In between you can do following relaxing exercises-

1. Sit in upright posture with legs folded. Put your hands on both knees. Now rotate the shoulders in both directions keeping neck erect. Do it 5 times in both directions
2. Put your finger tips of both hands on the shoulders. Rotate your arms clockwise and anti-clockwise 5 times each.
3. Bring your both arms parallel to the ground, straight at right angles to the body. Now rotate the wrists in clockwise and anti-clockwise directions 10 times each
4. Keeping the arms straight, open and close the fists (flexing and extending at the finger joints)

Next--

(3) Bahya Pranayam-

· Inhale deeply

· Now exhale slowly and completely; hold your breath

· While doing so, flex your neck and put the chin in sternal pit

· At the same time, draw your navel inwards and upwards and also hold up the perineal muscles

· All this act is done in complete and held exhalation

· Keep in this position just for 2 to 5 seconds (depending upon your level of comfort) and inhale slowly and get back to normal position

· Remember to do this act under expert supervision initially so that you don’t do mistakes

· Repeat 3 to 5 times

(4) Agnisar-

· Inhale deeply and slowly

· Exhale forcefully and completely

· Now hold your breath and move the abdomen inside out (5 to 10 times initially, or as per your level of comfort) without inhaling

· Once you master this technique, you can do it for 15 to 20 times while holding your breath

· Now inhale slowly and deeply

· Repeat 3 to 5 times

(5) Ujjayi-

· Inhale deeply an slowly

· While inhaling, make a sound through your larynx (you should sense that the sound is coming from deep inside the throat)

· Now close your right nostril and exhale slowly

· Repeat 3 to 5 times

(6) Anulom-Vilom-

· Close your right nostril first with your right thumb

· Inhale slowly and deeply through the left nostril

· Now close the left nostril with the ring finger and little finger of right hand, while opening the right nostril and exhale through the right nostril

· Now inhale through the right nostril

· Again close the right nostril with the right thumb, while opening the left nostril and exhale through the left nostril

· It should occur rhythmically without the feeling of discomfort

· Do it for 5 to 10 minutes

(7) Bhramari-

· Close your eyes with cups of your hands with index fingers on the forehead (just above the eyebrows)

· With the thumb, close your ears near the tragus (the projection outside your ear). Do not put fingers in your ears

· Now inhale deeply and then exhale slowly with a sound through your nose (ummmm)

· Repeat 5 times

(8) Udgeet-

· Inhale slowly and deeply

· Now slowly exhale while chanting “Om”!

· Repeat at least 5 times

That is the end of 8 steps of Pranayam. Now don’t get up immediately. Sit in that posture of absolute bliss for at least 1 to 2 minutes and then begin your daily chores with the amazing surge of energy! God bless!

Download Free Exercise Guide from DrShreya.com

Hello all!

As a free gift from drshreya.com to all its patients, friends, colleagues, and fellow homeopaths and doctors, we are releasing an Exercise Guide (an e-book) to help all start with the basic exercise regimen right from the comforts of their home.

To download this e-book, please go to http://www.freedrive.com/file/1291876 and get your free copy today!

We would love if you share this link with all your friends and family so that we can hope to have a fit and fine world sooner or later.

Enjoy exercising!

Let’s Know About Pericarditis and Its Homeopathic Treatment!

Inflammation of cardiac lining, pericardium may be acute or chronic. It may co-exist with myocarditis and may produce pericardial effusion that may be fibrous, serous or even purulent or hemorrhagic, depending upon the etiology.

Causes-

The causes may be viral infections, uraemia, blunt chest injury, myocardial infarction, rheumatic fever, chronic diabetes, tuberculosis or even bacterial infections.

Signs and symptoms-

Restrosternal pain radiating to the shoulders and neck is often the presenting symptom. The pain is mostly aggravated by movement, deep breathing, change of position, exercise, swallowing, etc. Low grade fever and other constitutional symptoms like bodyache, lethargy are common.

Diagnosis-

Clinically, percarditis can be diagnosed by hearing the pericardial friction rub during the held inspiration and expiration with the stethoscope diaphragm. ST elevation with upward concavity is often diagnostic of pericarditis along with T-wave inversion if myocarditis is also present.

In primary stages it is important to diagnose this condition for any physician to be able to treat efficaciously and not let it convert into chronic constrictive pericarditis.

Homeopathic Treatment-

Homeopathic medicines chosen after minutely considering the characteristic symptoms often help the patient to get relieved in the acute stage itself. Complete rest during the treatment is mandatory. Good, nutritious but light diet is necessary too.

Now let’s see some of the important homeopathic medicines and their application in cases of pericarditis-

(1) Aconite- fever +

- Fear and worry

- Excessive restlessness along with the pain

- Decreasing pulse rate

- Post-rheumatism

- Helpful in 200 and higher potencies when symptoms match correctly

(2) Bryonia alba- If pericarditis is coupled with pleural or pericardial effusion

- Post-pneumonic pericarditis

- Excessive irritability during pain

- Pain aggravated by movement (though this is the common symptom of the disease, in Bryonia, this is increased multifold)

- Wants to lie down

- Enhanced cardiac rate

(3) Cimicifuga- If pericarditis is associated with myocarditis

- Thrashing pains as if someone is kicking chest

- More pain towards left side

- Associated with headache and pain in eyes

- Patient is lethargic and giddy

(4) Cactus- Pressing pains as if someone has clasped the heart

- Cannot move due to clutched feeling

- Pain aggravated to a great extent by slightest motion

- Fast pulse rate

- Cannot lie on left side

(5) Digitalis- Reduced heart rate

- Comparatively no severe pains

- Deficient pulse that does not match the cardiac rate

- Fever, fear without restlessness

- Sometimes associated with vomiting, stomach upset, cyanosis

(6) Colchicum- Ailments from rheumatic fever, renal problems

- Inefficient cardiac action

- Excess thirst

- Coated tongue

- Nausea, vomiting

- Little work leads to giddiness

(7) Spigelia- Out of proportion pains

- Pricking type of pains that occur suddenly

- Palpitations

- Irregular pulse

- Can sleep only on right side

- Better by lifting the shoulders

- Breathlessness by movement

- Worrisome attitude

These medicines thus should be used according to symptom similarity to be effective. For any type of cardiac pain Mag phos is said to be extremely efficacious when used in 200 or 1000 potency. The biochemic remedies like Calc phos, Kali phos, and Kali mur are also very effective in dealing with such types of cardiac maladies!

Some Homeopathic Children Types—

(1) How the child enters the doctor’s office-

- Wants to hold mother’s neck- Silica

- Wants to lean always- Calc carb

- Holds mother’s fingers and doesn’t leave even while checking- Bismuth

- A child with bronchitis, likes to be carried inside in sitting position- Antim tart

(2) School behavior and pattern of study-

- very sharp, quick to act- Lachesis

- plays mischief with teachers- Zincum met, Lachesis

- Doesn’t sit in the single classroom, keep roaming- Tuberculinum

- Writes papers in exams very fast- Tub

- May crackle paper, throw off, and write again- Tub

- Propensity to sleep in class- Calc carb

- Good listeners- Natrum mur

- At home, child will sit, leaning against wall, and ask for the pen kept at a distance- calc carb

- Pulls the hair of the kid sitting ahead of him in class- Medo, Tarentula

- In rage, attacks nose of his friend- Merc sol

- Propensity to set things on fire, strikes the matchstick often- Hepar sulph

- Drosera- Dictates the things, people around have to obey him

- Disobedient child- Merc sol, Amm carb, China, tarantula, Viola odorata, Lyco

- Child grows up into a completely different personality, talks philosophical, very mild soft speech- Viola odorata

- Sings in class, sings anytime, loves to do so, makes his own rhyming ends, changes words from song, makes different verses- Stramonium

- It’s difficult to learn poems- Nux vomica, Cham, Sulphur

- Fluent in languages- Nux vom

- Good in mathematics- Lachesis

- Loves science- Sulphur

- Loves to study at night- Lachesis

- Hates mornings- Mag mur

(3) Behavior-

- Laughs on reprimands- Graphites

- Child spits off when father scolds- Stram

- Destroys the most favorite toys- Stram

- Loves singing- Stram

- Extreme anger, bangs head against wall- Tub, Tarentula, Medo

- Emotions dominated by intellect- Viola odorata

- Always talks loudly- Lyco

- Extreme talkativeness- Arg met

- Craves chocolate ice-cream- Phos

- Hates to pass through narrow spaces- Stram

- Too much negative thinking- Arg nit

- Feigns sickness- Antim crud, Moschus

- Does not allow to examine pulse- Antim tart

- Hates dancing- Borax

- Always hurries others to do things fast- Suphuric acid

- Cunning, ungrateful- Merc sol

- Coughs in presence of doctor- Moschus

- Steals money/food- Calc carb

- Steals anything (kleptomania)- Tarentula

- Walks into the trouble every time- Agaricus

- Impulse to climb up- Stram

- Child talks, sings but will not answer when questioned- Agaricus

- Interrupts parents during doctor’s interview and corrects information- Lyco

- Takes short cuts for everything they do- Calc carb

- Extremely sympathetic and will go out of the way to help those in trouble- Phos

(4) Choice of toys and games-

- Plays with doll, considers it as her own thing, likes to carry the doll around everywhere she goes- Puls

- Likes glow toys- Phos

- Electrical games, likes to play relentlessly, extreme restlessness while playing- Merc sol

- Likes to play Business game- Lyco

- Loves to play outdoors but whatever he plays, he has to own the set (eg- cricket set) so that he will be in command- Lyco

- Loves to play with soft toys- Stram

- Plays with apparently absurd things, like kitchen utensils- Sulphur

- Loves hide-n-seek, wrestling, WWF etc- Belladona

A Case of Suppressed Skin Eruptions Leading to Asthma!

Asmita* was very happy when her trips to skin specialist bore fruit and her allergic rashes and cracked finger tips were healed after a course of about 2 months. She used to develop sudden rashes all over her body (no causative factor was found till then) and once the rash used to appear, her finger tips used to crack badly. The cracks used to itch and bleed when scratched. The rashes also itched profoundly and she was fed up. The skin specialist had given her a course of anti-allergic medication and some steroid application for her skin and finger tips. With all that she was a happy girl after 2 months and her skin appeared normal.

It was when she developed sudden wheezy chest after 5 to 6 months in the month of June, she approached me. Her breathing was subnormal and her chest had lots of wheezes heard on stethoscope. She was breathless and the attack was asthmatic! She did not have a family history of asthma, neither she had any history of similar attacks in past. But this attack terrified her and her family members.

Upon closer interrogation and case-taking, she revealed this history of suppressed skin eruptions. Upon observing closely, her eruptions truly had vanished but what this suppression gave her? An attack of asthma!

What happened exactly?

What was achieved by giving the medicines to suppress her allergic focus? Nothing but masking the eruptions and itching! The allergic focus was not driven away from the body but just kept in latent position inside the body. This focus was however redirected in worse way towards lungs. The asthma was thus brought on by suppressed skin eruptions. Asmita* was a victim of ill-treated skin lesions. The skin eruptions had vanished, leaving her in worse condition of wheezy chest and breathlessness.

What did she need?

She needed nothing but milder form of treatment that can alleviate her asthma attack and restore her well-being by expressing her earlier skin lesions. And homeopathy could just do this.

Her symptom complex comprised of following major points-

(1) excessive breathlessness and cough

(2) mucus expectoration on and off

(3) worse by exposure to cold, better by warmth

(4) worse by lying down

(5) wheezes prominent on left side of chest

(6) extreme fatigue and prostration

She was prescribed a dose of Antim arsenicum 30.

Within 2 days, wheezes were reduced and she felt better physically. Cough was there a bit and slight breathlessness. Again she was given another dose of same medicine and within next couple of days the attack subsided completely. But in next 2 days, she developed a bit of rash on her left elbow that itched. She was scared that now she will again develop the same kind of allergy that she once had. But after explaining the ins and outs of this medication and earlier one, she was ready to go for further treatment for complete cure of her allergic rashes.

She was then prescribed a dose of Sulphur 30. With that dose, there was slight aggravation in the rashes (according to her) on her both elbows after about a fortnight and there were seen 2-3 cracks on her right index and middle finger tips. There was however no severe itching but only mild itching.

This was nothing but expression of the latent Psora.

Her major symptom complex was—

(1) dry skin that cracks readily with itching

(2) small eruptions with burning sensation

(3) itching more at night

(4) bleeding on scratching

(5) skin problem worse in winter

(6) better by warmth

She was prescribed Petroleum 30.

After this, there was progressive reduction in the skin lesions and once when there was no further improvement, I needed to give Petroleum 200. After this medicine, she further progressed steadily and got cured of all her rashes soon!

One must understand that any medicine is like a broom to clean the room. If you clean the room with your broom and keep the dust and disagreeable things in the corner of the room (just like the suppressant medicine), the dust is going to spread again throughout the room. Homeopathic medicine acts as a responsible housewife, who throws all the litter away carefully not to make the room dirty again and keeps it tidied up for better health!

(* name changed to protect the privacy of the patient)

How to get rid of recurrent mouth ulcers? (Aphthous ulcers or stomatitis)

Painful eating is the presenting symptom usually when a person gets ulcers in the mouth. This apparently casual condition can be extremely troublesome and painful in some when occurs recurrently.

Causative factors-

(1) The major cause behind recurrent aphthous ulcers bad oral hygiene. The patient usually says that he has these types of ulcers since long, may be since childhood. Dental caries may accompany.

(2) Nutritional deficiency can also be a very important cause in patients from underdeveloped areas. Also bad eating habits and lack of vitamin rich food are the reasons. Especially in children, these types of ulcers are found frequently due to their eating fads.

(3) Gastric upset is also regarded as one of the causes for recurrent stomatitis. The bloating, belching, and constipation contribute to the trouble, though direct relation has not been verified.

(4) High doses of antibiotics are often associated with mouth ulcers, unless coupled with B-complex vitamin supplementation.

(5) Allergic reaction to certain toothpastes, mouth washes, dentures, etc are also blamed.

(6) Emotional stress is often found to exaggerate the symptoms of aphthous ulcers. (psychosomatic)

(7) Some women have been typically seen to have excessive ulcers prior to their menses, when it may be considered as the part of PMS.

(8) Some conditions like ulcerative colitis, celiac disease, Crohn’s disease are also associated with mouth ulcers.

Treating mouth ulcers with Homeopathic Medicines—

Here, the foremost thing one should understand is that unless the causative factor is dealt with, no treatment is going to be of help. Therefore, steer clear of bad oral hygiene, dental problems, nutritional deficiencies, etc. There are certain innate tendencies also those need to be addressed while treating anyone homeopathically for mouth ulcers. Even one may have tendency to have mouth ulcers in families.

The homeopathic medicines act in 3 steps to cure the problem of recurrent mouth ulcers—

• Alleviate the pain and suffering
• Improve oral health
• Prevent recurrence in future

The major homeopathic medicines useful for the problem of aphthous ulcers are Merc sol, Kali chlor, Belladona, Hepar sulph, Sulphur, Phos, Lachesis, Natrum mur, etc. Apart from these, any other medicine may be indicated depending upon the constitution of the patient and his totality of symptoms of aphthous ulcers. Especially for chronic cases, homeopathy renders amazing cures and the patient feels blessed to be free from this troubling problem!

Auxiliary Treatment—

This is of prime importance in any such case and the homeopathic physician must educate the patient about these points.

(1) Maintain good oral and dental hygiene.

(2) Do not neglect any eruptions in mouth and consult your physician immediately

(3) Have nutritious diet and include sprouts, legumes, green vegetables in the diet so that one gets natural supplement of all vitamins and minerals.

(4) Drink adequate quantity of water. (at least 10 glasses per day)

(5) Take care of your gastric health and steer clear of hyperacidity, flatulence, constipation by seeking apt expertise.

(6) Do not consume high doses of medicines haphazardly without doctor’s advice.

(7) Have positive mindset and exercise regularly!

Ankylosing Spondylitis and Homeopathic Medicines!

When typically presented, ankylosing spondylitis is a chronic inflammatory arthritis that mainly affects sacro-iliac joints and spine. There is progressive stiffening and fusion of vertebrae.

The reason to consider this disease on priority is that with the increase in sedentary habit, this problem is increasing in younger population, right in their twenties and thirties. However, the reason behind this type of spondylitis is the histocompatibility antigen HLA-B27. Some Indian communities typically show high prevalence of this disease. Inflammatory foci in the vertebral column lead to fibrous deposits in the intervertebral discs leading to new bone formation (called syndesmophytes). This is the characteristic feature of this disease upon investigation.

Signs and Symptoms of Ankylosing Spondylitis-

(1) Recurrent episodes of low back pain and stiffness are the prime features.

(2) The pain may radiate to buttocks or thighs.

(3) There might be involvement of upper (thoracic and/or cervical) spine too but usually the lumbar and sacral stiffness occur earlier than upper spine involvement.

(4) If there is involvement of costo-vertebral joints, chest pain is the presenting symptom.

(5) Many patients develop tendonitis and fasciitis (plantar) over a period of time.

(6) Restriction of movements of vertebral column in all directions is visible.

(7) Characteristically, the pain is aggravated in the morning immediately after getting up and is better as the activity level increases during the day.

(8) Extra-articular features like iritis (inflammation of iris), pulmonary fibrosis occur is critical cases.

(9) Osteoporosis may be a sequel too.

Radiological investigation is must to diagnose a case of ankylosing spondylitis. But it is extremely crucial for a homeopath to collect the totality of symptoms and the characteristic symptoms, as there are high chances of labeling the common symptoms of the disease as characteristic and missing on to homeopathic remedial diagnosis.

Homeopathic medicines useful for ankylosing spondylitis—

As usual, homeopathic treatment must be based on individual case-history and not on the diagnosis of the case. The pain-relief should be the topmost agenda. The medicines like Bryonia, Rhus tox, Bellis perennis, Paris q, Lachnanthes, Calcarea phos, Kali carb, Hypericum, Ledum pal, Kali phos, Kalmia, Phytolacca, etc can be used for acute prescribing. It is absolutely must to know the physical characteristic symptoms, the aggravating and ameliorating factors, and associated symptoms of the patient to formulate acute prescription for him.

The family history of ankylosing spondylitis should trigger bells for a homeopath to take precautionary measures and preventing steps in any probable cases. This is one of the crucial points for a homeopath to be able to prevent the disease before it locates itself and creates further complications.

The syphilis and tubercular miasms dominates Ankylosing spondylitis. Therefore, one can base their homeopathic prescription upon the miasmatic diagnosis too. The ability of a physician to take note of miasmatic disposition and prescribe accordingly is one of the key factors that can save the patient from developing complications.

Auxiliary Treatment—

(1) Exercise- This is the primary line of treatment for any type of spondylitis prior to medicine. Let’s make it clear that without physical exercise, no patient of ankylosing spondylitis can feel better in long run. Therefore, it is every homeopaths duty to educate the patient about certain exercises those will help them avert further damage to their spine. Some yoga postures are tremendously beneficial for these patients.

(2) Non-contact sports like swimming are highly effective too.

(3) Posture training is must. Avoiding bad postures while at work can contribute to a great extent in the patients as well as in those who want to permanently keep this disease at bay!