Homeopathy Made Simple (Part 1) – First Steps to Homeopathy First Aid
First-aid homeopathy is simple to learn and easy to use.
With a little practice and a handful of remedies, even complete beginners can make a big difference to everyday injuries and health niggles – from cuts, bruises, and burns to bites, stings and sprains.
Homeopathic remedies are inexpensive, long-lasting, and safe for all ages – including babies, children, the elderly, and pregnant women. They’re also easy to obtain.
You’ll find common and not-so-common ones in our online shop, while sometimes natural health stores, pharmacies and even supermarkets carry the more common ones.
In this first part of our Homeopathy Made Simple series, you’ll discover exactly how to get started with homeopathy first aid: the 20 most useful remedies to keep on hand, a quick remedy finder for common conditions, and simple guidelines on how to take them. Let’s begin!
Prepping for Homeopathy First Aid
The first thing to do is to put together a small home-use kit of common remedies – ten or so will do at the start.
Add a couple of homeopathy books that explain how and when to use these remedies. Here’s our list of suggested books for those doing the Homeopathy in 30 Days course.
Then, when the unexpected happens, you will have what you need at your fingertips to start making a difference rather than being caught short and unprepared.
Taking Your First Steps – One Remedy at a Time
When you first start using homeopathy it is best to practice with simple first-aid problems such as minor cuts, burns and bruises until you are familiar with how the remedies work.
There is very little variation in the symptoms arising from first-aid injuries so, unlike acute or chronic problems that need more thought, it is easy to choose the correct remedy.
A blow to the thumb from a hammer, for example, will produce the same set of symptoms no matter who you are, and so will respond to one or two symptom-matching remedies.
For this reason it is best to rote-learn a small number of first-aid remedies or have a simple reference list to refer to when the need arises.
We have included a list of the top 20 remedies for first-aid problems in this article, along with a simple remedy finder to help you along the way.
You will only have to look at other remedies beyond this list if the presenting symptoms are unique or unusual for the situation.
As your confidence grows with first-aid remedies, start practicing on acute conditions such as coughs, colds, and headaches where it is much more important to prescribe for the symptoms of the individual rather than the common ones of the condition.
Colds, for example, are quite different from one season to the next and even between individual sufferers. Because of this, the remedies that treat them will differ and the home prescriber has to pay more attention to the unique rather than the common symptoms of the sufferer if a prescription is to be successful.
How to do this will be explained in the next article of this series: Homeopathy Made Simple (Part 2): Treating ‘Family and Friends’ Ailments.
The 20 Most Useful Remedies for Everyday First-Aid
With a small investment in some common remedies you will be well-prepared for most first-aid situations – at least as far as homeopathy goes.
The following remedies provide a good foundation for any first-aid kit. A ‘remedy finder’ that guides you on when to use them has been included at the bottom of the list.
- Aconite Napellus (Acon.) – The first remedy to think of for panic, fear and shock, especially if the person is agitated, restless, and hyperventilating. Also useful for anaphylaxis. (Learn more about Aconite.)
- Apis Mellifica (Apis) – Great for allergic reactions or hives and bites or stings with rapid swelling – the affected area will be puffy, white or rosy, feel hot, and improve with cold compresses. (Learn more about Apis.)
- Arnica Montana (Arn.) – A good remedy for recent or active bruising, soreness of muscles and joints, and after dental work. Also helps nosebleeds from injury or on lifting heavy objects, and the early stages of a black eye. Use in the first 24 hours following a fracture to control bleeding and swelling, and to promote healing. Shock with lack of awareness. (Learn more about Arnica.)
- Arsenicum Album (Ars.) – First remedy to think of for food poisoning, especially from spoiled meat. The vomiting and diarrhoea is accompanied by chills, exhaustion, and restless anxiety. (Learn more about Arsenicum.)
- Belladonna (Bell.) – Often suits heatstroke or exhaustion. The skin will be hot and red, the face flushed, eyes glassy, and the head will throb. (Learn more about Belladonna.)
- Calendula Officinalis (Calen.) – Wonderful for superficial wounds, grazes, and even lacerated skin. It promotes healing and reduces the risk of infection. (Learn more about Calendula.)
- Cantharis Vesicatoria (Canth.) – An excellent remedy for blistering burns or scalds, including sunburn, 2nd to 3rd degree burns, and wasp stings. The pain will be searing and soothed by cold compresses. (Learn more about Cantharis.)
- Cocculus Indicus (Cocc.) – A key remedy for motion sickness and faintness, especially if worsened by loss of sleep. (Learn more about Cocculus.)
- Euphrasia Officinalis (Euphr.) – Comes from the herb eyebright, and relieves irritated and streaming eyes and nose, or persistent pain following the removal of a foreign object. (Learn more about Euphrasia.)
- Glonoinum (Glon.) – Suits heat stroke with a congestive headache, surging of blood to head and heart, and pulsating pains. (Learn more about Glonoinum.)
- Hypericum Perforatum (Hyper.) The main remedy for injuries to nerves or nerve rich areas such as finger tips and the spine. Useful for wounds or dental work with shooting nerve pain, or painful lacerations and puncture wounds. (Learn more about Hypericum.)
- Ledum Palustre (Led.) – A good remedy for puncture wounds, bites and stings or twisted and sprained joints, especially ankles. Early stages of a black eye. Wounds and swellings may be cold and mottled, and the pain will be soothed by a cold compress. (Learn more about Ledum.)
- Nux Vomica (Nux-v.) – The main remedy for hangover or indigestion from over-indulgence. Also useful for food poisoning with constant retching or urging at the toilet. (Learn more about Nux vomica.)
- Phosphorus (Phos) – Treats many after-effects of electroshock. Also a remedy for nosebleeds when blowing the nose. (Learn more about Phosphorus.)
- Rhus Toxicodendron (Rhus-t.) – A good remedy for contact allergic reactions with red, swollen and itchy blisters such as may be caused by poison ivy. Also useful for sprains and strains that improve with motion. (Learn more about Rhus-tox.)
- Ruta Graveolens (Ruta.) – A wonderful remedy for sprains, strains and ganglions, especially of the wrists and ankles. Suitable for injuries to tendons or bone periosteum that may also arise from dental work. (Learn more about Ruta.)
- Silicea Terra (Sil.) – The ‘homeopathic scalpel’. Used to help the body expel embedded foreign substances such as splinters and glass shards. (Learn more about Silicea.)
- Symphytum Officinale (Symph.) – The main remedy for fracture repair once the bone has been set. Not to be used before setting (use Arnica instead at this time) as it stimulates rapid bone production that will be disturbed by the setting. Also useful for punctured or ruptured eyeballs. (Learn more about Symphytum.)
- Tabacum (Tabac.) – A good motion sickness remedy when nausea, dizziness, chills, and sweating are present. Symptoms are worsened by tobacco smoke. (Learn more about Tabacum.)
- Urtica Urens (Urt-u) – Useful for scalds or burns with continuous stinging or burning pain. (Learn more about Urtica.)
Simple Remedy Finder – What to Use When
Scan the following list for the problem you want to treat, note the remedy (or remedies) indicated and then check the remedy list to see which one suits best.
An instruction sheet on how often to give each remedy is available in a link at the bottom of this article.
Allergic reactions or hives: Apis.
Anaphylaxis: Acon; Apis.
Bites and stings: Apis; Arn; Canth; Led.
Black eye: Arn; Led.
Blisters: Canth; Rhus-t.
Bruises: Arn; Led.
Burns and scalds: Canth; Urt-u.
Crushed fingers or toes: Arn; Hyper.
Cuts, scrapes and puncture wounds: Arn; Calend; Hyper; Led.
Dental work: Arn; Hyper; Ruta.
Electroshock: Phos.
Eye injuries: Arn; Led; Euphr; Symph.
Food poisoning: Ars; Nux-v.
Fractures: Arn; Symph.
Heat stroke or exhaustion: Bell; Glon.
Hyperventilation: Acon.
Motion sickness: Cocc; Tabac.
Nosebleeds: Arn; Phos.
Overindulgence and hangover: Nux-v
Panic or Shock: Acon; Arn.
Poison Ivy: Rhus-t.
Splinters, thorns, glass shards: Sil.
Sprains and strains: Arn; Hyper; Led; Rhus-t; Ruta.
Tailbone (coccyx) injuries: Hyper.
How Often Should You Take First Aid Remedies?
The frequency with which a remedy is given for a first aid condition depends on the intensity of the situation – the more intense the symptoms, the more frequent the dose.
The golden rule of homeopathy is that once symptoms improves, stop taking the remedy. Only re-dose if improvement slows or symptoms start to return.
This approach avoids too-frequent dosing with the remedy that may cause an aggravation– a temporary intensification of symptoms. An aggravation usually means that the remedy has been taken too often.
The following link provides a guide on how often to dose for the intensity of your first-aid or acute problem. Its instructions are suitable for any remedy preparation – pills, liquids, creams, and even olfaction doses: How Often Should I Take a Dose of My Remedy.
Where to Next on Your Homeopathy Journey?
For a small investment and a little planning, homeopathy can prepare you for most minor emergencies. All that remains is for you to practice – the more you practice, the faster you learn, and the better you become at homeopathic prescribing in first aid situations.
While it is always important to seek medical advice for serious injuries and situations, don’t forget that even during an emergency, homeopathy can help. A few doses of the needed remedy while waiting for further help can make all the difference when every minute counts … and the remedies are so easy to give.
What are you waiting for? Collect a few of the key remedies and start practising.
