Injuries to the spine can range in severity from strains, sprains, subluxations, slip disks, herniated disks, ruptured disks, dislocations and fractures. Dislocations and fractures can cause loss of sensation and movement in those parts below the lesion. If serious injury to the spine is suspected do not move the victim. Prevent movement by placing rolled blankets along side the head and trunk and call the emergency services. In order to discover the nature of the pathology laboratory investigations must be performed. In muscles and skeletal injuries Chiropractic and Osteopathic manipulation may be effective. In cases were there are nerve injuries, spinal cord damage or disk problems non-force techniques are indicated.

Give Arnica immediately to prevent shock and relieve pain. Massage, bodywork, and physiotherapy are helpful in rehabilitation. If spinal cord injury is suspected immobilized the victim and give Hypericum. The following is a repertory for specific conditions followed by a regional materia medica on back injuries and pain. For remedies not listed in the regional materia medica refer to the Materia Medica of First Aid or a larger works for more details.

Materia Medica

Aesca (1): Disk problems (3). Weakness, weariness and lameness in the small of the back, sore and tried mornings when awakening. Constant dull backache, walking is almost impossible, scarcely able to stoop or to rise after sitting, pain esp. across hips and sacrum. Darting and shooting pains in upper and lower extremities; worse < left side, paralytic feeling in arms, legs and spine. Worse < exercise. Better > by rest.

Agaricus. Disk problems (3): with great sensitivity of a single vertebrae. Pain in lumbar region and sacrum, esp. during exertion; in the daytime, and while sitting. Crick in the back. Violent electric-like shocks that shoot from lumbar region to lower part of body. Worse < by pressure on dorsal spine, which causes involuntary laughter, Extremities go to sleep easily. Formication in all the extremities. Coldness of glutei. Twitching of the cervical muscles. Worse < cold, cold air, after eating, after coitus, cold weather, before a thunder storm and pressure. Better > moving about slowly.

Arnica (3): Useful immediately after the injury to remove shock and trauma. Concussion to the spine. Lumbago form over exertion and straining. Weakness of cervical muscles with great sensitiveness to pressure. Crawling in the vertebral column, pressing pain between scapulae seeming to extend form the posterior wall of the stomach and cutting thrust extending into chest while walking. Every part of the body feel sore. Sciatica from overexertion, burning, stinging, tearing pains. Worse < from excitement. Better > by rest.

Bellis (2): Useful for shock and trauma to deep tissues and organs, especially of the pelvis concomitant to back injuries. Internal injuries, sometimes called the "internal Arnica". Lameness as if sprained. Much muscular soreness. Sore bruised feeling of the pelvic region. According to the old homeopaths it is a princely remedy for old laborers esp. gardeners. Worse < left side, hot bath, and warmth of bed, before storms, cold bathing, and cold wind.

Berberis(2): Disk problems. Pain form back to stomach or vice versa, going around abdomen towards the bladder. Tenderness of back aggravated by acrid, sour vomiting > pain and numbness in back during menses. Tearing, stitching or throbbing awaking tearing in limbs, increased urination. Worse < when sitting or lying, mooring on awaking,

Bryonia (3*): Disk problems. Drawing and stiffness of cervical muscles, esp. right side. Shooting stitches in back through to chest, violent pain in first dorsal vertebral or ribs, extending through thorax to lower portion of sternum and impeding respiration. Small of the back pains as if bruised when lying upon it. Sciatica, pain in lumbar extends to the thigh, atrophy of affected part. Worse < morning, by even a light touch on spine, and < from slightest motion, every spot on body painful to pressure. Better > by rest, lying on the painful side.

Calcarea Carb (2): Lumbago from over lifting. Drawing pains between scapulae and pressure that impedes respiration, painfulness in bones of spine to touch> Pain in small of back so that he can hardly rise from a sitting position. Muscular debility and soreness. Stiffness when beginning to move parts feel subjectively cold and icy coldness in and on head. Trembling of inner and outer parts, weak feeling in back Worse < mental annoyance, can hardly, softening of spine with contraction of limbs. Worse < from cold, damp, from washing. Spinal irritations from sexual excesses or masturbation.

Cicuta (1): Painful tension on inner surface of scapula. Sensation of a vesicle or ulcer on right scapula painful to touch, Spasmodic symptoms and convulsions on mechanical injuries. Concussion to the spine.

Hypericum (3): Disk problems (3). After a fall, slightest motion of arms or neck extorts cries. Concussion to the spine. Cervical vertebra very sensitive to touch. Violent pains and inability to walk or stoop after a fall on coccyx.

Kali Carb (2) Backache, while walking she feels as if she must give up and lie down, after confinement, miscarriage, uterine, rheumatic or neuralgic backache, which feels as if back were broken or bruised during rest, not during movement. Sweat, backache and weakness. Weakness of the back and legs. Stitching pain in back at 3 am. has to get up and walk about to get relief, gnawing in coccyx. Sciatica, with pain in the hip bones as if bruised, drawing in the left thigh. Numbness of limbs. Limbs tired, cold. Worse < coition, cold weather, from soup and coffee, in morning at 3 am, lying of the left and painful side. Better > warm, moist weather, during day, while moving.

Lycopodium (2): Stiffness and tensive pain in neck and occiput, pain as form sprain in nape, with sensitiveness to touch. Burning, pressing and drawing in back, worse < by fanning back. Sensations if flesh were loose on lower part of the back. Pains and aches across the small of back, better > by passing urine. Stitching in back on breathing. Burning as from glowing coals between the shoulders. Limbs and extremities cold, with feeble circulation. worse < in afternoon from 4 to 8.

Mag Phos (1): Spasmodic pains in muscles with radiating pains. Sharp, shooting neuralgic pains better > by warmth. Cramps in the calves. Sciatica, inability to lie in bed at night, must stand all the time, paroxysm in violent lighting-like shocks , worse < right side, cold touch, night. Better > warmth, bending double, pressure, fiction.

Natrum Sulph (2): Concussion to the spine. Soreness up and down spine and neck, piercing as from knives between scapula and in middle of sacrum, while sitting in the evening> Pain in back as if ulcerating, all night, can only lie on right side, hepatic region sensitive to touch. Violent pains in back of neck and at base of brain. Opisthotonos. Sciatica, pains in some motions, always when getting up from sitting or when turning in bed, can hardly find a position which pain hip and limb is tolerable, > relief from changing position does not last long. Worse < Music, lying on left side, < dampness of basement, damp weather. Better, dry weather, pressure changing positions.

Rhus Tox (3*): Stiffness of nape, with pain as if a heavy weight were upon it. Pain as if the cervical muscles as if a sleep. Constrictive pain in dorsal muscles while sitting, better > by bending backward, worse < by bending forward. Stiffness and aching in lumbar region, worse > from motion and from lying on something hard. Spinal irritation from ovarian and uterine trouble, esp. if caused by straining, lifting or becoming wet. Tearing pain in back. Sciatica, caused by lifting and straining, stinging, burning, tearing pain, with a sensation of coldness and numbness. Worse < rest, first motion, Better > by continual motion.

Ruta (3): Pain in dorsal vertebrae as from a fall. Injuries to bones, periosteum and fibrous tissues. Lameness. Very acute pressive, drawing pain in right side of spine, opposite to liver, esp. on inspiration. Painful jerking in spine, worse < from pressure of hand, which causes aching beneath last short rib impeding respiration. Sciatica, pain deep in marrow of the bone, as if broken, arising from injuries and contusions. Worse < lying down, cold, wet weather.

Symphytum : Broken and penetrating wounds to the bones. Non union of fractures (calc-p.). Irritable bone at point of fracture.

Thuja (2): Drawing pain in small of back, os coccyges and thighs, preventing erect position, after prolonged sitting, pressive, bruised sensation in the back and loins early on rising, worse < on turning trunk or while standing. Better > when walking. Cramp-like pain in lumbar region after long standing when attempting to walk feel a if he would fall. Feels as if limbs are made of glass.

Zinc (1): Useful in disk problems and dislocations. Constant pain in back and limbs render like miserable. Pains transfer from one side to another. Tendency toward convulsion do to injury to the spine. Burning pains along whole of the spine < sitting. Sciatica, < when over heated, and exertion. Tearing, trembling, and lameness in limbs with fidgety feet, feet in constant motion. Worse < touch. .

Repertorium

BACK INJURIES - aesc., ARN., Bell-p., BRY., Calc., cic., HYPER., Kali-c., Lyc., mag-p., Nat-s., nit-ac., RHUS-T., RUTA., Thuj.

Lumbar remains sensitive to jar of walking - arn., BRY., Thuj.

dislocations - ARN., BRY., CALC., calc-f., caust., Coloc., hyper., lyc., nux-v., phos., RHUS-T., Ruta., stront-c., sulph., zinc.

disks, slipped, herniated., or ruptured - AESC., arn., AGAR., Berb., BRY., Coloc., HYPER., kali-c., mag-p., ruta., tarent., Tell., zinc.

lifting, ailments from - ARN., BRY., CALC., HYPER., Lyc., RHUS-T., ruta.

pain, after - ARN., BRY., calc., Con., HYPER., Kali-c., Nat-s., RHUS-T. Ruta., Thuj.

spasm - acon., arn., Ars., bell., bry. calc., Calc-p., cham., cic., Cimic., Coloc., Crot- c., hyper., Lach., kali-c., MAG-P., Mygal., Nat-m., Nat-s., Nux-v., oena., Phys., rhus-t. ruta., sep., stram., syph., tab.

spinal, injuries - asec., Apis., ARN., calc., Con., HYPER., Led., NAT-S., Nit-ac., Rhus-t., Ruta., Sil., tell., thuj.

concussion, from - Arn., cic., HYPER., NAT-S.

lies on back, jerking head backwards - cic., Hyper.

lifting, from - Arn., CALC., RHUS-T., Ruta.

lumbar region remains sensitive to jar walking - thuj.

sciatica, injuries from - arn, BRY., Coloc, Hyper., kali-c., led., lyc., MAG-P., Nat-s., RHUS-T., Ruta., zinc.

shock., from - Arn., HYPER., NAT-S., Nat-m., Nit-ac.

wounds, spinal - Calen., HYPER., ruta., symph.

generalities -

bruised , sensation as if - ARN., Bellis., bry., kali-c.

burning - kali-c., lyc.

drawing pains - bry., ruta., thuja.

extending , pain -

chest, to. arn.

sternum, from the thorax to. bry.

lameness - asec., ruta.

modalities -

< afternoon, 4 to 8 pm., LYC.

< cold, calc., kali-c.,

< excitement, arn..

< exercise. asec., arn..

< left side, bellis.

> lying on painful side, BRY. kali-c..

> motion. rhus-t., thuj..

< motion. bry., kali-c..

> rest. asec., arn.. Bry., kali-c.

< rest. rhus-t.

> warmth, calc., mag-p., rhus-t..

shock - arn., bellis.

soreness - arn., bellis., nat-s.

stiffness - bry, lyco., rhus-t.

stitching - bry., kali-c.

breathing, on - BRY., Kali-c.

weakness - asec., arn.

Disclaimer: This information is supplied for educational purposes only. It is not for the treatment of any individual person or disease. If you are suffering any particular complaint please consult a physician or call emergency services.