Case # 4: Subdural Hematoma After a Fall

October 7^th, 2010

Claire, a 47-year-old mother-of-two and music teacher, called for a routine follow-up consultation. Over the past year of consultations, homeopathy had helped her overcome her feelings of anxiety and being overwhelmed.
Claire reported she had been treating herself for a head injury. On Sept 14^th, 2010 she tripped over a power cord, fell and landed on her left knee, hitting her head on the corner of a piece of furniture at the orbital bone near the eyebrow. She noticed that she cried a pink tear right after the fall. But this stopped after a few minutes. She developed significant swelling above and around the eye and put ice on the area. Then she obtained Arnica 30c and Traumeel, and took Symphytum 30c, “just in case something was broken.” She also used grated apple compresses. Her eye “looked horrible” and at first she could not open it due to swelling. However, within a few hours of Arnica and Traumeel, she could open it and reported her vision had been fine. She said she healed in a remarkably short time, and was now feeling much better: “completely healed,” in her words. The discoloration around her eye “was completely gone.” She had been taking remedies over the past three weeks, maybe twenty to thirty doses total.
I asked if she had any remaining complaints. She reported that she still had a headache. She had also noticed that she got tired easily, needed more sleep than normal and mentally she could not think for long. “I may have had a minor concussion,” she admitted.
Upon further questioning, she revealed that since the accident she had been feeling overwhelmed again, now around people, and she continued to feel that way. She was dizzy on turning her head in both directions and felt she was slow in responding. She had trouble processing questions, especially when they were about dates. She said she could not “tell groups from one another.” For example she kept pointing to wrong groups (i.e. sopranos vs. altos) in conducting the choir. Otherwise she was fine, adding casually, “considering what happened, I am in very good mood and handled the accident well.”
Claire had not obtained any professional emergency treatment, either conventional or homeopathic and was only reporting these symptoms as part of her monthly follow-up consultation. I told her I thought she was still suffering from some of the effects of the brain trauma. I said it sounded like symptoms of a concussion, including a possible concussion of the spine in the neck area, and perhaps worse. This prompted her to report even more symptoms.
There had been increasing pain in her head, which was worse from thinking, and a general sensitive feeling in her head. She was sensitive to noise. She missed the countertop trying to set a bowl on it. She felt nervous around an exit door. She felt anxious near staircases or anything that required extra caution. She noticed increasing lethargy and general weakness. She desired to simply sit on a couch and sing, or do nothing. Her spelling had become noticeably worse and so had her pronunciation. Her spatial orientation had been affected. She was reluctant to bend down because of a strange fear of falling. She had difficulty with comprehension and ability to focus. For example, she listened to her 18-year-old daughter on the phone, and after about ten minutes of conversation she realized had not registered a thing her daughter had said. And her neck was hurting again, an old symptom, which had gotten better from homeopathic treatment. She paused. Then she added, but really, she was fine, and she did not think she needed to see a doctor.
Denial can be a mental symptom after injuries. At first she had only described her mishap and claimed she was “completely healed.” Upon being questioned, she revealed some subsequent symptoms and upon being told this could be serious, she admitted to several potentially serious signs of brain trauma. I asked what remedies she had taken lately. She had continued with Arnica 30c and Traumeel, as well as Symphytum 30c, in 3-5 pellet doses. “Says there is nothing the matter with him; SENDS THE DOCTOR HOME,” are keynote symptoms of Arnica. Knowing her to be a sensitive client I reasoned she might be exhibiting proving symptoms of Arnica.
I reiterated that brain trauma can sometimes have long-term and unexpected effects and that it would be appropriate to have a diagnostic evaluation. I pointed out other possible complications of brain injuries. The new instructions were: Discontinue current remedies. Begin with Arnica montana, Gelsemium sempervirens, Symphytum officinale, and Hypericum perfoliatum in alternation, in liquid Q-potencies, in olfactory doses, which was her usual dose, in standard protocol.³

October 26^th, 2010

Claire reported that she tried to rest yesterday but could not.  She had a persistent headache. On Monday she had a cranial-sacral treatment and it was difficult, because she re-felt her pain from falling on her head. Her whole head felt sensitive again and she felt agitated. She had noticed the difference from the new remedies immediately; her headache was almost gone within 24 hours. She felt thrilled about the improvement. But then some of the improvement had been removed by the cranial-sacral treatment, although it now ameliorated somewhat with the next doses of the remedies. She had been taking Arnica, Gelsemium and Symphytum and had gone through two levels of the Q-potencies since we last spoke. She subsequently took a break from the remedies during her menstrual period. While off the remedies, she noticed that she had regressed, suffering again from an intense headache and other symptoms (which she didn’t specify). After her period, she went back on her remedies, and immediately felt better.
Claire also reported that she had been happier overall in the past month. She had no other complaints, except that she got angry a few days before her period. “Less angry, though, than in the past.” She also noticed she was more sensitive to sound. “Oh, and … I almost forgot to tell you, after our last consultation I had an exam by a neurosurgeon who did a CT scan and found there had been some bleeding into the sub…sub… space, I have some kind of hematoma and the woman told me she would have to drill into my head, to release pressure or something. But I had seen such good improvement in my symptoms, I am not having it.” Concussion
She was right. The improvement was obvious. Her headache had reduced within 24 hours of treatment, although it was still there. What was even more important was that her confusion, her thinking capacity, spatial orientation and other symptoms had noticeably improved since our last consultation.
The only symptom that was more pronounced was the sensitivity to sound. Arnica has this symptom, and it was not there before she began the Arnica. This means the symptom was induced by Arnica, as was the previous denial that she, “didn’t need to see a doctor.” Claire needed a lesser dose of Arnica. This is done by further diluting it, without raising the potency by succussion. My instructions read: Continue on Arnica, diluted into three dosage cups, in alternation with Gelsemium and Symphytum in ascending Q potencies. We’d also add X-ray 30c, three doses a day for three days to antidote the effects of the scan.

November 24^th, 2010

Claire reported a vast improvement compared to a month ago. No more headaches. No more symptoms at all from the head injury. The sound sensitivity was gone. The fear of falling had not returned, and all the other “weird symptoms” were forgotten. I went over each symptom one by one and she had not had any of them for over a month. The recovery was complete. She felt well overall and even some of her normal chronic issues had not returned. I suggested she return to the neurologist for a repeat neurological exam to verify this. She promised she would do so.

December 21^st, 2010

Claire had a neurological exam and another CT-scan. “The doctor could not find anything wrong and no sign of the hematoma. She seemed strangely upset and said, ‘I must have made a mistake,’” Claire reported. Then she quickly added, “Hmmm. I think not!”

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Manfred Mueller, RSHom (NA), CCH is a professional homeopath and visiting consultant with the Program on Integrative Medicine, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, at Chapel Hill, USA. He has been President of the North American Society of Homeopaths since 2005. He is founder and Professor of Homeopathic Theory and Practice of The Homeopathic College, www.TheHomeopathicCollege.org, a distance learning school specializing in advanced homeopathic protocols. He can be reached by email at Manfred@TheHomeopathicCollege.org.

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[1]. The Mueller Method, available from The Homeopathic College. www.thehomeopathiccollege.org

[2]. Hahnemann S. Krankenjournal DF2, 1836-1842. Band 40. Karl Haug Verlag, Stuttgart 2003

[3]. Advanced Posology, tutorial by Manfred Mueller.  www.thehomeopathiccollege.org

[4]. Reverse Chronological Tautopathy, tutorial by Manfred Mueller.  www.thehomeopathiccollege.org

Reprinted with permission from The American Homeopath, Volume 19

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