Intercostalis and Bryonia For Posttraumatic Back Pain

By: Franziska Roemer, M.D.

Mrs. H., age 70, asked for a home visit in early February, 1996 because of severe back pain in the thoracic region. She had fallen on her left side when the street was icy two weeks earlier. At first, she had managed relatively well. After some days, the pain got worse. She described it as dull, over an area the size of a palm below the left scapula; better at rest and leaning back firmly in a chair, worse on movements such as standing up and on slight touch. She had not been able to dress herself for two weeks, needed rest and had problems concentrating. Medicated rubs and Arnica taken by mouth had only helped with the contusion and hematoma in the shoulder but not the pain in the back. The spinal processes were not painful on pressure and strong percussion, and there was no rib compression pain on examination, so it was decided not to have X-rays, which the patient also did not want.

An ampule each of Bryonia e rod. 12x Wala, Arnica e planta lota 12x Wala and N. intercostalis Gl 30x was injected, producing three weals to the left of the thoracic spine. The patient experienced immediate relief and read until late as she felt her head to have cleared. She was almost symptom-free on getting up the next day, got dressed, did her shopping and prepared for her work again. She was most surprised and deeply grateful that the medicines had helped so well.

The same injection was repeated (organ preparation in 15x). No further visits were required. Medication continued for a time, taking the ampule contents by mouth.

Original title: Kasuistik Nervus intercostalis und Bryonia bei posttraumatischem Rückenschmerz. Der Merkurstab 1996; 49(5):424.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.14271/DMS-16944-DE
English by A. R. Meuss, FIL. MTA.
This translation is published with the kind permission of the journal Der Merkurstab.

JAM Vol. 13(4), 1996

Citation: Roemer, F. (1996). Intercostalis and Bryonia For Post-Traumatic Back Pain (A. R. Meuss, Trans.). Journal of Anthroposophic Medicine, 13(4), 54.