In my last newsletter I promised to share with you some case studies and the results of treatment with the Sankaran method. I hope you find these interesting and that they help you to appreciate the beauty of homeopathy. Both of these patients had tried various methods of healing, with limited success, prior to trying this particular homeopathic approach. (Please read the previous newsletters, Part One and Part Two for background information).
Case One
D. K., a young adult male with a history of Lyme disease, was referred to me because all of his teeth ached and were sensitive to hot and cold.
After being bitten by a tick during his sophomore year in high school, he was treated with antibiotics. He was seemingly healthy for a couple years after that. However, the night before he was to leave for college, he came down with a fever and felt fatigued. He went off to school but had to drop out because of his overwhelming physical and mental fatigue. After trying a number of treatments, including anti-anxiety drugs, he was finally diagnosed with Lyme disease.
This time, months of antibiotics did not work.
Various alternative treatments, including supplementation, acupuncture and frequency treatments finally got him healthy enough to return to school. Now, approximately four years later, his symptoms have returned, and he has had to take a leave from work.
His complaints are many; he is very anxious, and he has terrible brain fog; he says, “I am not me.” He cannot think through the simplest task. He is not able to socialize or talk well. He sees everything as though it is a half-mile away, and his vision is cloudy, like he is looking through foggy glass. It takes extreme effort to concentrate and he develops a terrible headache. He gets very dizzy getting up from a sitting position and that dizziness lasts several minutes. He feels weak physically andmentally. Before becoming ill his mind was very clear and strong, and he was physically very strong. He used to exercise and lift weights regularly. Now it is a tremendous effort to do anything. He feels like there is a film around his head blocking his brain from working. He feels like there is frost on his brain that he wants to scrape off. His head feels dead and there is no spark, that there is something stopping his brain from working. He said that a pipe is supposed to let water flow freely but he feels that his flow is only drip-by-drip.
Answering questions during my initial interview was a challenge for him. He developed a major headache while trying to concentrate enough to respond appropriately. He is simultaneously afraid he won’t get better and determined to find a way to recover his health.
The above case description was a distillation of an interview that lasted about 70 minutes.
I felt that the essence of his case was not about competition, survival, or structure, but rather about how he reacted to the environment around him, and his sensitive nature. I, therefore, decided to look into the plant family (review the previous two newsletters for background information, Why Some Holistic Dentists Think I an Not Holistic – Part One and Holistic Dental Approach; Treating the Inner Energetic Level – Part Two ).
The core of D.K.’s problem was that his brain not functioning properly. He said that if he could think clearly and not have to struggle to do so, he would be fine. The Cruciferae family has the main sensations of obstruction, of being blocked or stopped up, and of interrupted flow, much like he described his brain. Once I decided upon the family, I then had to decide which plant within the family would be best. Dr. Sankaran has a chart that helps one choose the correct remedy. The effects that the symptoms have on the patients, (for example, how desperate they are, whether or not they are resigned to the situation or feel hopeful, etc.) lead to the proper remedy. In this case I chose the remedy Sinapus Alba (white pepper). Happily, this has had a dramatic positive effect; D.K. feels great and has returned to work. In fact, he told me he has zero complaints, physically or mentally, and his teeth feel fine!
Case Two
R. G., an adult female, came to me because she is constantly getting cavities, and dentists have not been able to help reverse the ongoing decay processes. She is conscientious about both her diet and her dental hygiene, but fails to achieve a positive result. She has random pains in different teeth at different times.
R.G. is a child of abusive alcoholics and suffers from both Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Asperger’s Syndrome. She has seen therapists over the years with moderate success.
The soles of her feet are very sore to walk on, initially, upon awakening. She has sinus pain and feels pressure behind her eyes. She tends to build up a lot of tartar on her teeth. Her biggest problem is the way in which she reacts to stressful situations; she shuts down and withdraws into herself. She feels unsafe (stemming from her violent family) and panics. She stops trying to communicate and she cannot make a decision about what to do next. She goes into a panic mode; her whole body tenses up, her heart palpitates, her breathing becomes heavy, and she wants to escape to a safe quiet place. Having grown up with a very controlling mother, R.G. felt it was unsafe to be who she really was; she had to hide everything she thought about herself and life in general.
I felt the essence of this case was about survival, about being on the lookout for an attack, thus I looked to the animal kingdom.
Taking into consideration the calcium problem (the soles of her feet beingpainful, and her tartar buildup) I was drawn towards the mollusk family, specifically the snail which can retreat into its shell for safety and close down its operculum. This was the remedy given.
In a short time R.G. noticed that the soles of her feet were no longer painful, her teeth were no longer painful and she did not shut down during stressful situations.
When patient’s first come in I ask them on a scale of 1 to 10 where they subjectively see themselves. 1 equals wanting to be in bed all-day and 10 is feeling fantastic. In case one, D. K. said that he was a 2. He now says that he is a 10. R.G. initially said that she was a 3. She now feels that she is a 7 and I am confident, that as treatment continues, she will progress even higher.
From some of the feedback I have received, some practitioners believe the Sankaran approach discredits classical homeopathy. Actually it is deeply rooted in Hahnemann’s teachings. No matter the approach, a good homeopath will be successful in most instances. Of course, no one is always successful. All approaches are valid but for me the Sankaran method has greatly improved the number and depth of successes.
© 2013, Mark A. Breiner, DDS
The information presented is for educational purposes only. You should consult a qualified health practitioner for diagnosis and treatment.
