Equisetum Hyemale: Homeopathic Medicine – Its Use, Indications And Dosage

Homeopathic medicine Equisetum Hyemale is derived from the plant ‘scouring rush’. It belongs to family Equisetaceae. To obtain this medicine the fresh scouring rush plant has to undergo potentization. It is a process of preparing homeopathic medicines which arouses medicinal properties from its crude form. After this process, scouring rush is converted into a magnificent homeopathic medicine — Equisetum Hyemale. It is the best medicine for treating various bladder and kidney-related problems.

 

Drug Action

This medicine acts best on the urinary organs. It is considered a great tonic for kidney and urinary bladder. This medicine helps treat cases of frequent urination and bedwetting. Other than this, its action is best felt on the head, gastric system, and back though in a limited manner.

Clinical Indications

Polyuria (excessive urination), bedwetting, cystitis, dysuria, bladder disorders, kidney disorders, kidney stones, kidney pain, urinary retention, haematuria

Scope As A Homeopathic Remedy

1. Urinary Complaints (frequent urination, cystitis, bedwetting, kidney pain, urinary retention)

Equisetum Hyemale is pre-eminently a remedy for managing several urinary problems. It helps treat urinary bladder and kidney-related problems. Firstly, it is the most-suited medicine to manage cases of frequent urination. Those who need it have frequent or constant urge to urinate and the urine is profuse. It can be accompanied by biting, prickling sensation or itching in urethral meatus. The frequency to urinate could worsen during the night hours, and it may have a person in and out of the bed several times. Next, it is an effective medicine to manage dull pain in urinary bladder. The bladder feels full even after it has been emptied. The bladder is tender on pressure. It is a well-known medicine that manages cases of bedwetting in children. It is particularly administered when there is no reason linked to bedwetting. In some cases, bedwetting among children is accompanied by nightmares.  Next, it gives great clinical results in cases of cystitis (inflamed urinary bladder). Those who need it have burning, and stabbing sensation in the urethra while urinating. Pricking sensation may accompany. There may occur severe pain as the last urine drops trickle out. It is one of the best medicines to manage retention of urine among women after childbirth. Another main indication for its use is involuntary urination among the elderly women along with involuntary stool. Besides these, it is well-indicated to treat kidney pain. The presence of pain is felt in the right kidney and it may extend into the lower abdomen. There is urgent need to urinate even as the pain in the kidney continues.

Key Indicating Features

Frequent urge to urinate & profusely

Urgency to urinate accompanied with biting, pricking sensation or itching in urethral meatus

Fullness in the bladder even after urination

Bedwetting among children without any reason

Bedwetting among children with nightmares

Involuntary urination among elderly women along with involuntary stool

2. Head (Headache)

Equisetum manages headache very well. It works well in cases of severe headache with marked pain in the upper part of the eyes. Headache is accompanied by heat in the face. In some cases, there could be stabbing pain that keeps changing its location. Lastly, it can be used in cases where a person feels compression over the entire scalp.

Key Indicating Features

Severe headache with marked pain in the upper part of the eyes

Stabbing pain in the head that changes location frequently

Compression felt over the entire scalp

3. Gastric Problems (Abdomen Pain, Anal Pain)

This medicine can be administered if the patient feels dull heavy pain on the sides of lower abdomen with frequent urge to urinate. It can also be used if pain is felt in the lower abdomen accompanied by breaking of the wind and resultant offensive smell. Frequent urge to pass stool is felt the entire day. It also acts well on the rectum. It is particularly beneficial in case of smarting pain in the anus during and after stool. Passing of stool can be accompanied with excessive breaking of the wind.

Key Indicating Features

Dull heavy pain on the sides of the lower abdomen with frequent urination

Pain in the lower abdomen with passing of offensive smell

Smarting pain in the anus during and after stool

4. Back (Backache)

This medicine helps relieve backache. The guiding symptom to use it is when backache gets worse while sitting, and it gets better upon walking or from lying on the back. Another indication for its use is pain in the sacral lumbar joint (it is the region between the lumbar and sacral spine in the lower back) and in left hip joint radiating down the outer side of the left leg.

Key Indicating Features

Backache worsens while sitting

Back pain gets better upon walking or from lying on the back

Pain in the sacral lumbar joint and in the left hip joint radiating down the outer side of left leg

Modalities

Worsening factors: Complaints get worse upon touch, pressure, sitting down, on right side and during the last trickling of urine.

Relieving Factors: Complaints get better upon lying, in the afternoon or from continued motion

Dosage

It can be used in tincture form to 6C potency. The tincture form is recommended to be ingested in hot water to relieve urinary tract irritability, difficult and painful urination, and kidney stones.

Relationship with Other Remedies

It can be compared with other remedies including Apis Mellifica, Berberis Vulgaris, Chimaphila, Sarsaparilla, Cantharis, Cannabis Indica, Ferrum Phos and Pulsatilla