The
Role of Ultrasound as an aid in Homoeopathy
By Dr.
Vijay & Daxa Vaishnav
http://www.drvaishnav.com/Dr.
Vijay Vaishnav is Asst. Professor of Materia Medica and Dr.(Mrs.) Daxa
Vaishnav is Asst. Professor and In-charge, Head of the Dept. of Gyn.
& Obst. at Smt. CMP Homoeopathic Medical College, Mumbai. They have
also been teaching at various seminars and colleges in India, as well as
in the UK and the USA. They are also in private practice at Santacruz in
Mumbai. They have a website www.drvaishnav.com that aims to help
bring homoeopathy closer to the masses and also be educative to students
and practitioners.What
is Homoeopathy?
Homoeopathy is derived from two Greek words “homoeos meaning
similar and “pathos meaning suffering. Translated literally,
it means “similar suffering . It is a system of medicine
propounded by Dr. Samuel Hahnemann, a German physician, a little over
200 years ago.Dr.
Hahnemann, who had a successful practice, had his reservations about the
allopathic system of medicine prevalent at that time, and in disgust, he
quit his practice. In order to survive, he started translating books,
since he was fluent in German, French, English and Latin. In one such
book- a Materia Medica by Dr. CuIIen, he came across a statement that
was difficult to believe. Dr. CuIIen had written that the Peruvian or
Cinchona bark could cure malaria because it was bitter and had
astringent properties. Dr. Hahnemann knew of many other substances that
were bitter and astringents, but they did not cure malaria. He took a
few grains of the powder of Cinchona daily, and soon developed all the
symptoms of malaria- the chills, bodyache and fever. He realised that
Cinchona cured malaria not because it was bitter, but because it had the
capacity to produce symptoms, similar to malarial fever.Thus was
born Homoeopathy Similar Suffering’, and the law of cure- Similia
Similibus Curentur, that is, let likes be cured by likes’. In simple
terms, it means, “any substance that can produce a set of signs and
symptoms in a healthy person can be used to cure a similar set of signs
and symptoms in a diseased person .This law
of similars has been a part of medical practice, since the time of
Hippocrates, the Father of Medicine, and is also mentioned in the
ancient Indian scriptures, the Vedas. Homoeopathy, however, as we know
it today, was first formulated only 200 years ago. Even the term
Allopathy was coined by Hahnemann to describe the type of practice
prevalent, at that time.The
present day homoeopath has to go through the same grind as an allopath,
while being trained to be a physician. He has to study the same subjects
and use the same textbooks and learning methods like the MBBS student.
He has, of course, in addition to this, certain homoeopathic subjects
that he has to master.Role of modern day investigations
To be a good homoeopath,
one has first got to be a good clinician and that is why a homoeopath
has to have a thorough knowledge of anatomy and physiology, followed by
the subject of pathology and then medicine, surgery and gynaecology.
Apart from the regular investigations of the blood, urine, stool, ECG
and X-Ray of the chest, a good knowledge and judicious use of the latest
diagnostic methods are also very important.Ultrasonography (USG) –
Homoeopathy is known for its efficacy
in the treatment of renal and gall bladder calculi. Not all cases,
however, are curable with homoeopathy and the USG helps to decide, which
case is suitable for treatment. If the size of the renal or gall bladder
calculus is much bigger that the lumen of the ureter or the CBD
respectively, it is nearly impossible to expect any good results. (Some
stones do regress in size with homoeopathy, and are subsequently
expelled.) The presence of hydronephrosis and hydroureter with a
calculus suggests the necessity of urgent relief in the obstruction. If
the gall bladder shows calculi (which a homoeopath recognises by the
acoustic shadows on USG), it is also necessary to look at the thickness
of the wall of the gall bladder. If the wall is more than 4mm in
thickness, it indicates a chronic calculus cholecystitis and the
homoeopath knows that even if he is able to help remove the gall stones,
he will not be able to prevent their formation in the future. A BULIDA
scan will also help confirm whether the patient has a non-functioning
gall bladder and hence incurability with medical treatment.
Gall bladder calculi before treatment
USG of Gall bladder after homeopathyWe
recently had a case of jaundice’. The patient’s relative brought the
investigations, which were as follows:S.
Bilirubin – 5.0, SGPT – 196, SOOT – 158, Hepatitis B Surface Antigen –
(-ye). The family physician had not got any other investigations done.
The patient wanted to start homoeopathic treatment for what she believed
was Viral Hepatitis. The above investigations indicated a surgical cause
of jaundice and we advised an USG, which reported a diffused enlargement
of the pancreatic head (3.5 x 3 cms) and a few enlarged lymph nodes in
the perigastric region. A CT-scan of the abdomen confirmed the same and
the patient was treated not with homoeopathic medicines but with an
ERCP, where a pappilotomy and CBD stenting was done.
Polycystic Ovarian DiseaseThe USG
is also a useful tool for us, when we are treating patients with
gynaecological conditions. In ovarian tumors, a single solitary cyst of
<6 cm size with a clear fluid, usually regresses with homoeopathic treatment. In contrast, a multiloculated cyst would need further investigations to define the scope of homoeopathy in its treatment. We have also seen very good results with homoeopathy in the treatment of PCOD (Poly cystic ovarian disease).
USG shows an intra-uterine pregnancy after
homeopathyEchocardiography – A homoeopath can treat
patients with valvular heart lesions, once confirmed by
echocardiography. He cannot bring the heart valves back to normal but
the aim is to be able to prevent the complications related to the
valvular lesions and treat other concomitant conditions like recurrent
respiratory tract infections, etc. There are specific homoeopathic
medicines available to tackle the effects of the lesions of different
valves. Homoeopathic drugs like Convallaria Majalis, can be considered
to be good adjuvants to allopathic treatment in cases of Congestive
Cardiomyopathy and CCF.
Deep Vein ThrombosisColour Doppler – We have seen cases of DVT
(Deep Vein Thrombosis) responding very well to homoeopathic medicines
with recanalisation of the affected veins. Serial Colour Doppler studies
help the homoeopath confirm that the medicines are having the desired
effect. They are also an important evidence to prove the efficacy of
this system of medicine in this and other such conditions.The
recent advances in investigative procedures, especially diagnostic
imaging have gone a long way in raising the standards of health care
globally. India too, has, over the past few years, seen the development
and manufacture of state-of-the-art medical equipment. Our dream of the
future is an integrated approach to the treatment of sick persons, where
personnel from the allopathic, homoeopathic and other “alternative
systems of medicine join hands to work towards the health of mankind.
Image of recanalization of
the vein after homeopathyFirst
published in Recovery, a journal of Larsen and Toubro Medical Equipment
Division, Jan-March 2003 issue. Reprinted with the permission of the
Editor.
Dr.
Vijay & Daxa Vaishnav 4 Indra
Dhanush North Avenue, Santa Cruz (West) Mumbai,
400054
Copyright © Dr. Vijay & Daxa Vaishnav 2000
