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Homoeopathy For Occupational Disorders

Dr. Muhammed Rafeeque A.A.  B.H.M.S

(Article published in Homoeopathic Heritage, published by B. Jain Publishers, New Delhi)

Introduction

There is a close association between man and the environment. The surroundings in which the human being dwells have an impact on the mind and the body. Similarly, the situations in the working environment can cause a positive or negative impact on the workers. It has been found that a disturbed mind of a worker affects his working capacity, which in turn affects the productivity of the company as a whole. Employees are affected by financial stress, job related issues, discords between superiors or co-workers, occupational hazards, injuries etc. A number of workers are exposed to agents like light, heat, radiation, chemicals, noxious gasses, insecticides, toxic heavy metals, pollutants, biological agents like bacteria and viruses, fungi, insects etc. Psychosocial hazards are also one among the major factors since the mind and the body are closely related entities that can cause an impact on each other. Considering all these facts, nowadays experts closely watch the employees and their problems are solved by proper scientific approach.

Occupational health involves the application of preventive medicine in all areas of employment in order to promote and maintain the highest degree of physical, mental and social well-being of the workers. The standards maintained by this special field help to protect the workers from risk factors and prevent diseases to a great extent. Apart from health promotion, it also aims at specific protection, early diagnosis and treatment, disability limitation and finally the rehabilitation of disabled workers. For the practical application of these goals a team of experts such as psychologists, psychiatrists, ESI doctors, labor officers, life style experts, engineers, scientists etc are appointed by the concerned authorities.

Homoeopathy is of great help in the management of occupational diseases as it negates to a great extent the ill effects caused by all sorts of occupational hazards. Proper application of our medicine can free the body and mind from all psychological traumas. It can even manage incurable cases by giving the palliative treatment. In order to shed light on the role of homoeopathy in the field of occupational diseases, rubrics given in Synthesis repertory and a few rubrics from Murphy repertory are mentioned below.

Mind and occupation

Mind- Ailments from- money- from loosing:- arn, ars, aur, calc, ign, nux.v, puls, rhust, verat.
Mind- Anxiety- money matters, about:- bry, calc.fl, calc.sil, choc.
Mind- Absentminded- work, when at:- hura.
Mind- Anger- work-aversion to:- bov, m.aust.
Mind- Anger- work- cant:- calc.p.
Mind- Anxiety- work- preventing work- anxiety:- mosch.
Mind- Anxiety- working while:- graph.
Mind- Awkward- working while:- nux.v, puls, spong, sulph.
Mind- Concentration- difficult- working while:- hydrog, plect.
Mind- Confusion of mind- working while:- merc.
Mind- Delusions- unfit- work, for:- meph.
Mind- Delusions- work- harm, will do him:- arg.n.
Mind- Despair- work, over his:- anac.
Mind- Excitement- working, when:- mur.ac, olnd.
Mind- Fear- mental exertion- of mental exertion, literary work:- nux.v, sil, sulph.
Mind- Fear- job, to lose his lucrative:- calc, ign, puls, rhust, sep, staph, sulph, verat.
Mind- Fear- occupation- of:- sel.
Mind- Fear- unfit for work- of becoming:- cean.
Mind- Fear- work- of:- arg.n, con, kali.c, nux.v, puls, sil, sulph.[refer book for 3rd grade drugs]
Mind- Hurry- haste- occupation in:- acon, aur, camph, carb.v, cimic, hep, kali.c, kali.p, LIL.T, op, puls, sep, SUL.AC, thuj, viol.t.
Mind- Hurry, haste- work in:- calc.fl, cimic, op, sep, sul.ac, sul.i.
Mind- House keeping- women unable to :- lyc, nx.v, sil, sulph.
Mind- Impatience- working, when:- gink.b, nux.v, sep.
Mind- Indifference, apathy- intellectual occupation- to usual:- androc.
Mind- Insanity, madness- job- from fear to lose the:- calc, ign, puls, rhust, staph, sulph, verat.
Mind- Irritable- working, when:- plan.
Mind- Laziness(aversion to work):- CARB.S, CHEL, CHIN, GRAPH, LACH, NAT.M, NIT.AC, NUX.V, PHOS, PIC.AC, SEP, SULPH, TUB, ZINC.P.[refer book for 2nd &3rd grade drugs]
Mind- Laziness- postponing the work:- cench, nat.m.
Mind- Mental exertion- agg- impossible- continuous active work is:- agar, arn.
Mind- Mental exertion- aversion to- literary work:- ip, nux.v, rhust.
Mind- Mistakes- making- work in:- acet.ac, all.c, androc, bell, chin.s, meli, nat.c, phos, sep.
Mind- Occupation- changing constantly:- sanic.
Mind- Slowness- work, in:- cact, hydrog, m.arct.
Mind- Thoughts- vanishing of- work at:- asar, hep.
Mind- Thoughts- wandering- work, at:- sol.t.ae.
Mind- Industrious, mania for work:- AUR, bar.c, cocain, COFF, eucal, hyos, ign, iod, lacer, lach, lyc, op, sep, spig, TARENT, tub, valer.
Mind- Insolence- servants- to chiefs, of:- lyc, nat.m.
Mind- Hard for inferiors& kind for superiors:- lach, lyc, plat, verat.

Ailments from/during work

[Ailments from sedentary work:- acon anac, con, nux.v, sep]
Back- pain- Dorsal region- scapulae-left- inner angle of left- sitting bend, needle work or type writing:- ran.b.
Back- pain- Lumbar region, stooping on- working in the garden- after:- agar.
Extremities- Bursae(housemaid's knee):- ARN, calc.p, cann.s, kali.m, NAT.M, SIL, stann, STICT.
Extremities- Numbness- upper limbs- working agg:- phos.
Extremities- Pain- sore, bruised- foot- shop- girls working in a:- squil.
Extremities- Pain- sprained as if- wrist- work during:- caust.
Extremities- Pain- tearing- upper arm- work agg:- rhus.t.
Extremities- Stiffness- fingers- work at:- lyc, merc.
Extremities- Trembling- upper limbs- work, fatigue:- cupr, plb.
Eye- Chemosis- evening- work- while at:- mez.
Eye- Pain- burning- work during:- graph, nat.c.
Expectoration- Bloody- working:- merc.
Extremities- Stiffness- fingers- cutting with scissors:- con.
Generals- Mountain- climbing- ailments from mountain:- ars.
Generals- Weakness- sporting:- arn, ars, coca, fl.ac, rhust.
Head- Pain- work- from:- anac, bufo.
Mind- Ailments from- position- loss of:- ign, pers, plat, staph.
Mind- Ailments from- discords between- chief & subordinates:- graph, lach, lyc, mag.m, merc, nat.m, nit.ac, nux.v, sulph.
Mind- Restlessness- working, while:- cit.v, cortico, GRAPH, voes.
Male genitalia- Erections wanting- work with aversion to:- onis.
Male genitalia- Sexual desire- wanting- work- aversion to work- with:- caust.
Male genitalia- testes- painful when driving:- brom.
Mouth- Salivation- mental work, during:- merc, merc.c, nit.ac.
Perspiration- Occupation, during:- berb.
Rectum- Pain- gripping- driving, while:- glon.
Respiration- Catching- working:- sars.
Respiration- Difficult- work during:- nit.ac.
Respiration- Difficult- athletics, in:- coca.
Sleep- Falling asleep- sitting- work, at:- nat.c.
Sleep- Falling asleep- work during:- bism, mur.ac, phel, ran.b, sulph, zinc.
Sleep- Sleepiness- work- scientific work,during:- tarax.
Sleep- Oppressive- work at:- mur.ac.
Sleep- Sleepiness- afternoon- work at:- nat.ar.
Sleep- Sleepiness- overpowering- working:- bism, lact, mur.ac, phel, ran.b, sulph, tarent, zinc.
Sleep- Sleepiness- standing- work at:- phel.
Sleep- Sleepiness- work during:- am.c, aur.m, bism, caust, euphr, ign, lact, lyc, mur.ac, nat.c, phel, ran.b, sulph, zinc.
Sleep- Sleepiness- work- aversion to work with:- am.m, clem, colch, coloc, mag.m, ther.
Sleep- Yawning- work- aversion to work- with:- ang, mag.m, tong.

Murphy- Emergency- overexertin:- ARN, ars, ham, mill, rhust.
Murphy- Emergency- writers cramp:- brach, cupr, cycl, MAG.P, STANN, ruta, tril.
Murphy- Mind- work- ailments from- laundry work agg:- sep.

Night watching

Female- Abortion- night watching from:- bapt.
Female- Metrorrhagia- night watching, after:- puls.
Head- Pain- sleep- loss of – night watching from:- ambr, bry, carb.v, COCC, colch, nux.v, puls, sulph.
Mind- Anxiety- night watching, from:- aur, caust, cocc, cupr, NIT.AC, nux.v.
Sleep- Sleeplessness- night watching, from:- cocc.

Business

Generals- Weakness- business men, worn out:- clem, lyc.
Head- Pain- forehead, in- businessmen:- arg.met.
Mind- Ailments from- business failure:- ambr, calc, cimic, coloc, kali.br, nat.m, nux.v, ph.ac, puls, rhust, sep, sulph, verat.
Mind- Anxiety- business about:- acet.ac, anac, bar.c, bry, calc, NUX.V, psor, puls, rhust, sulph.
Mind- Business- incapacity for:- agn, caust, chinn.s, kali.b, mit, sel, sul.i, tab.
Mind- Businessmen- worn out businessmen- suited to:- coca, kali.p, NUX.V.
Mind- Fear- business of:- graph, lil.t.
Mind- Fear- business failure of:- arg.n, lyc, psor, sil.
Mind- Forgetful- business about:- sel.
Mind- Indifference, apathy- business affairs, to:- agar, arg.n, arn, calc, fl.ac, gink.b, ham, kali.bi, kali.p, myris, nat.ar, ph.ac, phyt, psil, puls, sep, stram, sulph.
Mind- Insanity, madness- business failure, from:- cimic, lil.t.
Mind- Laziness- business- thriving- quits his:- calc.
Mind- Laziness- business- transacting when:- nux.v, opun.v.
Mind- Loathing- business, at his:- ars.h.
Mind- Memory- weakness of memory- business for:- agn, androc, chel, fl.ac, hyos, kali.c, kreos, phos, sabin, sel, sulph, tell, tep.
Mind- Neglecting- business:- op, opun.s, sulph.
Mind- Prostration of mind- business, from:- podo.
Mind- Dullness- cares for his business, from:- ph.ac.
Mind- Timidity- business, in transacting:- op.
Mind- Dementia- cares about business from:- lil.t.
Mind- Discouraged- business, aversion to:- calc, puls.
Sleep- Disturbed- thoughts- by, business of:- bell, ham, hyos, sulph.
Sleep- Sleeplessness- cares, from- business of:- ambr, calc, hyos.
Sleep- Waking- frequent- thinking of business, with:- ham.

Fine work

Back- Pain- sewing, while:- iris, sec.
Extremities- Trembling- upper limbs- fine work, with:- sulph.
Extremities- Pain- wrist- sewing while:- kali.c, lach.
Extremities- Cramps- fingers- sewing:- kali.c.
Extremities- Numbness- hand- sewing while:- crot.h.
Extremities- Trembling- hand- type setting from:- plb.
Eye- Pain- exertion of vision, from- fine work:- carb.v, cina, coloc, con, jab, merc, mur.ac, nat.m, RUTA, seneg, sulph.
Eye- Pain- sewing, while- fine work- on:- carb.v, coloc, con, merc, nat.m, RUTA.
Eye- Pain- sewing, while:- apis, ars.met, cina, dig, lyc, mang, mez.
Eye- Pain- pressing, pressure, etc- fine work, during:- con, ruta.
Eye- Pain- sore- work- sore feeling after close:- arn.
Eye- Redness- sewing:- ARG.N, NAT.M, ruta
Eye- Strain- sewing, from:- arg.n.
Head- Heaviness- sewing while:- petr.
Head- Pain- sewing:- cina, lac.c.
Mind- Anxiety- sewing:- sep.
Stomach- Nausea- sewing from:- lac.d, sep.
Vision- Dim- exertion- fine work in:- agar, calc, nat.m, RUTA.
Vision- Hypermetropia- overuse of eyes in fine work:- arg.n.
Vision- Loss of vision- exertion- sewing, in:- berb, nat.m, ruta.
Vision- Run together- objects- sewing, while:- berb, calc.
Vision- Run together- letters- exertion of vision at fine work, from:- nat.c.
Vertigo- Sewing, while:- graph, lac.d, lact, mag.c, phel, sul.ac.

Manual labour

Back- Jerk- work at:- manual:- nit.ac.
Back- Pain- manual labor, from:- sulph.
Back- Pain- aching- lumbar region- stooping on – working in the garden- after:- agar.
Back- Pain- stitching- dorsal region- scapula- manual labor:- ferr.
Back- Weakness- manual labor:- lach, NAT.M, sil.
Back- Weakness- cervical region- manual labor:- agar, kali.c, lach, nit.ac, sil,verat.
Chest- Constriction- manual labor from:- calc.c.
Cough- Manual labor- from:- led, nat.m.
Extremities- Pain- tearing upper limbs- manual labor, from:- iod, rhust.
Extremities- Stiffness- upper limbs- manual labor, after:- RHUST.
Extremities- Trembling- hand- manual labor- MERC, plb, sil.
Generals- Manual labor:- am.m, bov, ferr, kali.c, lach, mag.c, merc, NAT.M, nit.ac, phos, sil, verat.
Mind- Anxiety- manual labor during:- aloe, anac, graph, iod.
Mind- Anxiety- manual labor- from:- iod.
Mind- Manual work, fine work- mental complaints from:- graph, iod.
Respiration- Difficult- manual labor:- am.m, bov, lach, nat.m, nit.ac, sil.

Murphy- Emergency- back injuries- lifting, ailments from:- ARN, BRY, CALC, HYPER, lyc, RHUST, ruta.
Murphy- Generals- work, manual, fine, agg:- graph, iod, kali.p, sil.

Mechanical injuries

Generals- Injuries (blows, bruises, fall):- ARN, CALEN, CAMPH, CANN.I, CON, HEP, HYPER, PULS, RHUST, SUL.AC.[refer book for 2nd & 3rd grade drugs]
Generals- Weakness- injuries from:- acet.ac, arn, calen, camph, carb.v, dig, sul.ac.
Mind- Ailments from- injuries, accidents, mental symptoms from:- bell, cic, glon, hyos, hyper, mag.c, NAT.S, op, stram, verat.

Murphy- Emergency- bruises:- arg.m, ARN, bad, cic, con, dros, form, glon, HAM, hep, hyper, iod, LED, lith, olnd, PHOS, puls, RUTA, SUL.AC, symph.
Murphy- Emergency-Cuts:- arn, CALEN, carb.v, cic, ham, hyper, lach, led, nit.ac, phos, sil, STAPH, sul.ac.[Refer book for 3rd grade drugs]
Murphy- Emergency- electroshock, electricity- ailments from:- hell, morph, phos.

Music, singing, piano playing

Cough- Piano playing- when:- ambr, CALC, cham, kali.c, kreos, ph.ac.
Extremities- Cramps- thumb- playing piano:- zinc.
Extremities- Heaviness- playing piano, after:- anac.
Extremities- Numbness- fingers- playing piano, while:- sulph.
Extremities- Paralysis- wrist- extensors- piano playing- from:- cur, plb, rhust.
Extremities- Cramps- fingers- playing piano or violin:- mag.p.
Extremities- Pain- upper limbs- playing piano:- gels.
Extremities- Pain- hand- playing piano:- merc.
Extremities- Stiffness- hand- playing piano:- zinc.
Extremities- Weakness- fingers- playing piano:- cur, stann, zinc.
Generals- Weakness- playing piano, from:- anac.
Generals- Playing piano:- anac, calc, cham, kali.c, nat.c, phos, sep, zinc.
Larynx & trachea- Pain- soreness, larynx- singers:- alum, arg.n, arn, ARUM.T, caps, cupr, ferr.p, lach, rhust, sil, stann, zinc.
Larynx&trachea- Inflammation- larynx- singers, in:- ant.c, arg.met, ARG.N, mang.
Larynx & trachea- Phthisis- larynx- singers & public speakers:- ant.c, arg.met.
Larynx & traches- Voice- lost- singers:- arg.met, ARG.N, arn, arum.t, bry, CAUST, graph, mang, sel.
Mind- Anxiety- playing piano, while:- nat.c.
Mind- Anticipation- stage fright- singers & speakers in:- GELS.
Stomach- Nausea- piano playing, from:- sulph.

Exposure to atmosphere & physical forces

Chill- Exposure, after- working- clay- in:- CALC.
Chill- Exposure, after- working- water- in:- CALC, rhus.t.
Chill- Water- working in from:- CALC, rhust.
Extremities- Chapped hands- working in water:- alum, ant.c, CALC, cham, hep, merc, rhust, sars, sep, SULPH.
Eye- Pain- pressing, pressure, etc- sun working in:- sulph.
Female genitalia- Menses- suppressed- working in water:- calc.
Generals- Mining- ailments from:- card.m, nat.ar, sulph.
Generals- Water- working in water- agg:- calc, calc.p, mag.c.
Generals- Water- working in water- hands in cold water- agg:- lac.d, mag.p, phos.
Head- pain- Light-gas, working under:- bell, GLON,nat.c, nat.s.
Hearing- Impaired- working in water:- calc.
Respiration- Asthmatic- sailors as soon as they go ashore:- BROM.
Skin- burning- Cold water- after working in:- thuj.
Teeth- pain- Damp places- from working in:- ars, CALC, dulc, RHUST.

Murphy- Emergency- frostbite:-AGAR,alum, nat.c, nux.v, paeon, petr, puls, sil, staph, sulph, zinc.
Murphy- Emergency- altitude sickness:- acon, arn, ars, CALC.C, CARB.V, COCA, lach, op, SIL. [refer book for 3rd grade drugs]
Murphy- Emergency- sun, exposure- ailments, chronic:- nat.c, nat.m, sol.
Murphy- Emergency- sunstroke:- AML.N, BELL, GLON, LACH, NAT.C, NAT.C, SOL, VERAT. [refer book for 2nd &3rd grade drugs]

Toxins & pollutants

Abdomen- Pain- lead from:- ALUM, ALUMN, ars, COLOC, nat.s, OP, plat, plb, podo, sul.ac, zinc.
Chest- Phthisis- pulmonalis- miners, from coal dust:- carbn.s, nat.ar.
Female genitalia- Abortion- lead poisoning, from:-plb.
Generals- Aluminium poisoning:- alum, bry, cadm.o, camph, cham, ip, puls.
Generals- Arsenical poisoning:- camph, carb.v, chin, chin.s, dig, euph, ferr, graph, HEP, iod, ip, lach, merc, nux.m, nux.v, ol.j, phos, plb, samb, sulph, tab, thuj, verat.
Generals- Sewer- gas poisoning:- bapt, phyt, pyrog, tub.
Generals- Copper- fumes agg:- camph, ip, lyc, merc, nux.v, op, puls.
Generals- Death apparent- carbon monoxide, poisoning from:- acon, bell, op.
Generals- Coal gas, from:- acet.ac, am.c, arn, bell, borx, bov, carb.v, carbn.s, coff, ip, lach, op, phos, sec.
Generals- Iron, after abuse of:- ars, calc.p, chin, chinn.ar, cupr, hep, iod, ip, merc, nat.m, puls, sulph, thea, verat, zinc.
Generals- lead, chronic effects of:- alum, alumn, bell, , CAUST, coloc, kali.i, nat.s, op, plat, sulph. [refer book for 1st grade drugs]
Generals- Paralysis- toxic- arsenic:- chin, ferr, graph, hep, nux.v.
generals- Paralysis- toxic- lead:- alumn, ars, cupr, kali.i, nux.v, op, pipe, plat, plb, sul.ac.
Generals- Paralysis- toxic- mercurial:- HEP, nit.ac, staph, stram, sulph.
Generals- Smoke- inhalation of smoke- agg:- ars, brom, calc, caust, chin, euphr, kali.bi, lyc, naja, nat.m, nux.v, olnd, puls, sep, SPIG, sulph.
Generals- Stone-cutters, for-silicosis:- agar-st, ars, brom, CALC, ictod, ip, lyc, mag.m, nat.ar, nat.c, nit.ac, penic, ph.ac, puls, SIL, sulph.
Generals- Mining- ailments from:- card.m, nat.ar, sulph.
Respiration- Asphyxia- coal gas:- carb.v, carb.s.
Vertigo- Oil, fumes of:- sabal.

Murphy- Toxicity- air, pollution, ailments from:- ars, sil, sul.ac.
Murphy- Toxicity- dust, agg:- blatta, brom, lyss, poth, sil.
Murphy- Toxicity- phosphorus, abuse of:- lach, nux.v, phos.
Murphy- Toxicity- stone cutters, ailments in:- CALC, IP, lyc, nat.c, nit.ac, ph.ac, puls, SIL, sulph.
Murphy- Toxicity- Stone cutters- stone cutters tuberculosis:- calc, lyc, sil.
Murphy- Lungs- asthma- dust, from inhaling:- blatta, brom, ip, kali.c, pot.a, poth, sil.
Murphy- Emergency- aviator's disease:- ars, bell, bor, coca, cocc, psor.
Murphy- Emergency- radiation, sickness, for side effects of:- ars, CADM.S, calc.f, chin, fl.ac, ip, nux., phos, rad.br, SOL, x.ray.
Murphy- Emergency- asphyxia- carbon monoxide from:- acon, bell, carb.v, op.
Murphy- Emergency- carbon gas poisoning:- acet.ac, acon, am.c, bell, bry, CARB.V, lach, op, phos.

Conclusion

The above are some of the rubrics that can be considered for treating occupational diseases. Nowadays, free homoeopathic treatment is provided for employees through ESI and other government dispensaries. A few years back, a suggestion to include homoeopathy in military health services was rejected by the defence ministry, may be because of a wrong impression that homoeopathy is slow-acting. While going through the recent reports on increased suicides and other psychiatric problems among our soldiers, I felt that the ministry should reconsider homoeopathy to tackle the problems which were not managed successfully by "fast acting" new generation anxiolytic and anti psychotic drugs.

References

Synthesis by Dr Fredrick Schroyens
Medical repertory by Dr Robin murphy
Social & preventive medicine by Drs Park& Park
Homoeo Mirror, HMAI, Bengalooru.

 

Family Homoeopathy