Articles By B.T.Rudresh

Back in the Limelight

In the history of civilization, the invention of the wheel stands out to be at the very fountainhead of events that transformed man’s inert being to that of dynamism. This invention synonymous with movement has almost been taken for granted. So also is the instance of a man crawling in infancy to find the very strength of his feet. His efforts to stand on his own feet, in both meanings, stands out as the most important event in the walk of human evolution.

Man’s ability to slave development in his every step finds its root in the act of him straightening his spine. When one is termed “spineless” his every essence of capability is shown to be drained, similarly any growth sans the strength in its spine is a mere burden. A broken back yields nothing but liabilities to the life that has failed to hold it straight.

The wheel that has brought momentum and pace to the civilization has reduced the burden that was loaded on one’s back in both animals and man, yet the irony of civilization in its galloping pace has brought man to heap problems on his very back and strain himself to the stain of Spondilitis.

Luxuries and necessities that ancient man would have not even dreamt possible of has now been achieved yet another irony is that these very luxuries have brought on him backpain or spondilitis.

In the bargain man has forgotten that natures natural principles must be the source of treating diseases which have come naturally. This has resulted in him inviting new problems and accelerating the existing ones. Spondilitis is one such. Though there is no alarming threat to life as far as spondilitis is concerned but a minor altercation can make him to perpetually lie again on his back. At times even being able to lie down painlessly would be a welcome relief.

Man cannot see his own back, likewise for the problems that it comes with. Man fails to foresee them too. Spondilitis is the inflammation of one or more vertebra. There are 33 vertebrae in his back which are ‘S’ shaped, 7 are present in the neck region, 12 in the chest region and 5 in the waist, 5 in the sacral region and 4 towards the base of the spine. The muscles and inter-vertebral ligaments hold the column in its original position. In the center of the vertebral column where the fluid connects the brain, base and all the nerves of the body is the spinal chord.

There are many external causes for Spondilitis, viz., Arthritis, Rheumatoid-Arthritis, Deformance Arthritis, TB of the spine etc. Among the 32 bodies, the neck and the waist hold more flexibility, hence the increase in problem there. The rest of them are almost inert and devoid of excessive friction, hence less or nil problems face them. In day to day practice, the problems of the waist are more noticed, resulting in inter-vertebral slip of the disc if left untreated.

Prolapse (slip) of inter-vertebral disc is the main cause that can neutralize a man’s activities, where acute and agonizing pains from waist to toes are caused, mostly after strenuous work, lifting of weights, sudden severe coughs and sneezing. In such situations an individual is unable to lift his legs lying on his back, along with tingling numbness and heaviness of the lower limbs as symptoms. At times even the natural reflexes in the legs are also lost when this happens in the neck one faces difficulties in writing and loss of hand-grip along with the above symptoms.

Homoeopathy treats man in his entirety, covering his hereditary, environment and his harmonious relation with nature. The strains of his relationship with society, work-spot and family can bring on or worsen an existing complaint.

In my personal practice spanning two decades I have come across these problems with men who are rigid in their thinking, framing themselves into self-punishing thoughts of being duty conscious and principled. The ones with straitjacketed views have Spondilitis affecting them easily. A rigid mind might take away the adjusting capacity of the spine and give way to pain, thus those who learn to adjust and adapt to circumstances are seen to have a healthy spine.

Spondilitis is also due to urbanization, oversexed attitude and masturbation in men, other causative factors being excessive comfort, over relaxation, luxuries and complexities of modern living. In all back-pain is progressing as fast as civilization itself.

Giving relief to cases of spondilitis, be they in their early stages or even upto the stage where impending surgical intervention has been thwarted, I have relied on the basic tenets of Homoeopathy along with the medicines, viz., Arnica, Hypericum, Gnaphaphallium, Rhus-Taks, Kali Carv and such others along with the individual constitutional remedies.

Regular exercise, an orderly lifestyle and proper food habits are equally essential to supplement medicines, failing these, even the best of doctors on earth would be helpless to promote a remedy. Thus without deceleration the speed of life and altering the modes that will maintain the equilibrium of life, man can take away thoughts of back pain and impeding problems of his back.