Remedy selection and choosing the best fitting remedy can be a tricky business. Often you will choose a remedy and Bingo!..... it has all the symptoms we’re looking for and so prescribing is easy. However, sometimes two or three remedies share the same symptoms and look equally relevant to the person we’re trying to help.
This is a very common issue when using Homeopathy. We spend time gathering the details of the symptoms for the condition of the person we are trying to help, we check our resources in search of the best fitting remedy and find that there are two or more remedies showing the symptom picture, we try to narrow it down as best we can but sometimes find that we’re still left with two or more that fit the bill. So how do we decide which one is the best remedy selection for now?
Making sure we have the right Information to help with Remedy Selection
Sometimes we can have too much or too little information and that makes if difficult to narrow down remedies.
When gathering the information we look for symptoms that are different from the person’s normal state.
We discount symptoms that are normal for the person, e.g. if they are thirsty but they are normally a thirsty person then we remove this symptom.
Is there a striking or unusual symptom? For example, a Dry mouth but with no thirst?
C.L.A.M.S.
CLAMS is a very useful acronym to help us remember what information to collect.
Concomitants – this is a secondary symptom that occurs alongside the main symptom, but may not seem related, e.g. Main symptom headache with back pain.
Location – where is the ailment being felt – where is the main complaint? e.g. A sore throat – which side is it? Does the pain extend to another location like the ear?
Aetiology – Is there an identifiable cause for the complaint. Was there an accident that caused a physical injury, was there exposure to elements like cold winds or excessive sunshine, was there an emotional trigger, perhaps a shock such as receiving bad news or having an argument with a friend/relative.
Modalities – what makes the symptoms better or worse? e.g. stomach pain that is better for having heat on it or headache that is worse for lying on left side.
Sensation – what sensations can be felt? Is there pain, if so is it stabbing, sharp, stinging, burning? Is there throbbing? Is there tingling? Does it feel hot? Does it feel cold?
ONCE CLAMS INFORMATION HAS BEEN GATHERED
We always prioritise the symptoms – what are the most important ones, for example the main symptom and/or the strongest symptoms. Is there an unusual symptom, something striking? These go high on our list. Our chosen remedy covers these symptoms and will often lead us to one remedy only.
We go through the rest of the symptoms placing them in priority order and then compare remedies to see which one fits the best.
To compare remedies we look through a book about remedies (known as a Materia Medica) such as Robin Murphy's - Nature's Materia Medica, or we can use specialised Computer software to help us choose.
Sometimes, despite our best research, two remedies remain equally well indicated. They will be very similar in their actions and therefore it’s likely that they will both be useful in treating the condition, so really there is no wrong choice here.
In these situations, we will give the first remedy, and if that doesn’t quite work to complete satisfaction, we’ll give the second one. Giving the body 2 very similar remedies can be just what is needed to affect relief for the condition. Remember, homeopathic remedies are highly diluted substances and so trying a remedy and then finding it hasn’t helped as much as we hoped is completely safe.
At SWIFT, our team will continue to support you throughout your journey and work for a good outcome every step of the way.
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