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Chickenpox is a viral infection caused by the varicella-zoster virus. It is a highly contagious disease presented with mild fever and skin rash with blister formation followed by scabbing. It spreads easily through droplets of a sneeze or cough of an infected person. A person may also contract the infection by touching the fluid of the blisters of chicken pox. Although chickenpox most commonly appears in children, it may also arise in adults. Homeopathic medicines for chicken pox help boost the immune system to fight the viral infection and treat the condition in a natural manner. Aconite, Belladonna, and Rhus Tox are the top grade homeopathic remedies for chicken pox.

Homeopathic Treatment of Chicken Pox

Homeopathy carries a scope to treat viral infections and their associated symptoms like chicken pox. The suitable homeopathic medicines for chicken pox are selected individually for each case. Consultation from a homeopathic physician should be taken prior taking homeopathic medicines for chickenpox and self-medication should be avoided.

Homeopathic Medicines for Chicken Pox

Aconite – For Initial Inflammation of Chicken Pox

Aconite is a natural medicine for the first inflammatory period of chicken pox. Aconite is prepared from a plant named Aconitum Napellus or Monkshood. The natural order of this plant is Ranunculaceae. The key features to use it are red skin rash with hot skin. High fever is present with the rash. The person is highly anxious and restless along with the above features. An increased thirst for water is usually present.

Belladonna – For Inflammatory Stage of Chicken Pox

Belladonna is a natural remedy for chicken pox prepared from a plant named Deadly Nightshade. The natural order of this plant is Solanaceae. Belladonna also works well in first inflammatory stage of chicken pox. The key indications for using Belladonna include a skin rash with a bright red, dry, hot, burning, smooth and sensitive skin. High fever, rapid pulse, and a severe headache are present in most of the cases.

Rhus Tox – For Chicken Pox with Itchy Eruptions

Rhus Tox offers a natural cure for chicken pox with itchy eruptions. The eruptions may be vesicular or pustular and are attended with intense itching. Sweating worsens the itching. A burning sensation along with itching is present. The burning mostly arises after scratching the eruptions. The person may be highly restless and experience prominent body aches.

Antimonium Tart – For Chicken Pox with Rash and Vesicles/Pustules

Antimonium Tart is a natural remedy for chickenpox where there is rash accompanied by pustules and vesicles. The eruptions are painful, dry up, and get crusted afterward. They also tend to leave marks on the skin. The pustules tend to leave bluish-red marks. This medicine is also indicated for the slow development of eruption in chicken pox.

Thuja and Merc Sol – For Chicken Pox with Large Pustules

Thuja and Merc sol are useful homeopathic medicines for chickenpox with large pustules. There is profuse suppuration (pus discharge.) These medicines are used during the stage of maturation in cases of chickenpox. Among them, use of Thuja is known to prevent scar formation in chicken pox.

Antimonium Crudum – For Chicken Pox with Pustules with Yellow-brown Scurfs

Antimonium Crudum is indicated for chickenpox with pustules with yellowish or brown scurfs. These eruptions are itchy and get sore upon scratching. These eruptions are painful to pressure. The character of pain may be shooting in nature. Diarrhea may be present along with the above symptoms.

Bryonia – For Slow Development of Eruptions in Chicken Pox

Homeopathic medicine Bryonia is prepared from the root of plant Bryonia Alba. It is commonly known by the name of White Bryony or Wild Hops. This plant belongs to the natural order Cucurbitaceae. Bryonia is useful in cases of chicken pox where there is a slow development of eruptions. It is also indicated for a suddenly receding rash in chicken pox. Dryness on the skin may be marked, and there may be prominent body aches. A Suddenly receding rash may be attended with difficult respiration in cases where Bryonia is required.

Symptoms of Chicken Pox

The symptoms of a chickenpox infection appear around 7 to 21 days after exposure to the varicella-zoster virus. The early symptoms of chickenpox are vague and include a headache, tiredness, fever, appetite loss, nausea and body aches. Following these symptoms, rash and eruptions appear on the skin. The eruptions are fluid-filled vesicles/blisters or pustules (pus-filled eruptions). The eruptions break open and ooze the liquid. Afterward, crusts form over the eruptions. At a given time the blistered eruptions, as well as crusted eruptions both, may be present simultaneously. The eruptions firstly develop on the face, torso followed by their spread to other body parts. The eruptions can be severely itchy. But scratching the eruptions should be avoided as it increases the chances of severe skin infection. In severe cases, the eruptions can spread to the eyes, throat and the mucous membranes of anal area and urethra. It usually takes around 7 to 10 days for all the eruptions to heal and get covered with scabs. A person with chickenpox is contagious from one to two days before the eruptions appear and continue being so until all the eruptions get scabbed over.

Complications of Chicken Pox

Chickenpox can lead to complications including pneumonia, dehydration, toxic shock syndrome, encephalitis, bacterial skin infection. If a pregnant woman gets chickenpox, then certain complications may arise in the baby including low birth weight, brain damage, shortened limbs, vision problems like cataract or a life-threatening chickenpox infection.

Chicken Pox and Herpes Zoster

Following a chicken pox infection, varicella-zoster virus remains dormant in the nerve cells. This virus can reactivate any time during lifetime and cause herpes zoster/shingles. A lowered immune system usually reactivates the virus. Another complication known as post-herpetic neuralgia may follow herpes zoster infection.

Peripheral neuropathy is a condition that arises when the peripheral nerves malfunction or get damaged. The peripheral neuropathy can be a mononeuropathy (damage to a single peripheral nerve) or a polyneuropathy (malfunctioning of multiple peripheral nerves at the same time).  One of the leading causes of peripheral neuropathy is diabetes mellitus, but there can be many other reasons. Other reasons for peripheral neuropathy include an injury to nerves, low levels of vitamin B12, infections like shingles (an infection of the nerves caused by varicella zoster virus leading to fluid-filled tiny painful bumps on the skin) and Epstein-Barr. Other causes are Hepatitis C and autoimmune diseases like Guillain-Barre syndrome (an autoimmune disorder which causes weakness, tingling, numbness in feet and legs and eventually spreading upwards), lupus (an autoimmune disease that causes butterfly-shaped rash on the face, joint pains, headache, fever, tiredness, chest pain, dry eyes and memory loss) and necrotizing vasculitis (disorder causing inflammation of blood vessels). Excessive alcohol intake, tumors pressing on the nerves, chronic liver/kidney disease, thyroid disorders, certain medications including phenytoin, thalidomide, toxins like arsenic, mercury, inherited disorders like Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease causing damage to peripheral nerves are some other causes of peripheral neuropathy. In some cases, there may be no identifiable cause.

Homeopathic mode of treatment remains quite effective in managing cases of peripheral neuropathy. The approach to homeopathic treatment for peripheral neuropathy is entirely symptomatic management. It gives wonderful results in managing symptoms like numbness, tingling, pin needle sensation, and weakness in limbs. Though homeopathy might not offer help in severe cases and cases with serious causes of peripheral neuropathy but it can definitely have good scope in providing treatment to many mild to moderate cases.

Concept of individualised medication is highly emphasised in homeopathy to offer best results. As per this concept, the symptoms of the patient in a given case of peripheral neuropathy serve as the basis of homeopathic prescription. Hence, every individual case requires a detailed case analysis to find the presenting symptoms unique to them. Every case of peripheral neuropathy also needs to be thoroughly investigated to rule out the cause behind it and for proper prescription from a huge number of homeopathic medicines for peripheral neuropathy. A person should take homeopathic medicines for peripheral neuropathy under the supervision of a homeopathic physician and avoid self-medication.

Homeopathic medicines for peripheral neuropathy address the root cause behind it. In this way, rather than temporary relief, it provides a long-term help in symptom management. The results vary as per the intensity of the symptoms, the cause of the problem and individual response of the person to the medicines. Homeopathic treatment is recommended for cases of peripheral neuropathy having mild to moderate causes but in serious causes like Guillain-Barre syndrome, conventional mode of treatment is advised as homeopathy cannot help in such cases.

The homeopathic medicines for treating peripheral neuropathy are very safe to use among people of all age groups. This is due to the fact that homeopathic medicines are derived from natural substances, hence have no side effects at all and also never make a person dependent on them.

Top 7 Homeopathic Medicines for Peripheral Neuropathy

Some of the majorly indicated homeopathic medicines for symptomatic treatment of peripheral neuropathy include Kali Phos, Arsenic Album, Picric Acid, Oxalic Acid, Hypericum, Causticum and Plumbum Met.

1. Kali Phos – For Numbness in Hands and Feet

Kali Phos is an effective, natural homeopathic medicine for managing numbness in hands and feet in cases of peripheral neuropathy. Kali Phos also helps in treating prickling sensation in hands and feet. Along with this, a general fatigue or weakness is also present. A person needing Kali Phos tends to have a nervous, sensitive and irritable nature. Kali Phos is also indicated for cases of muscle weakness.

When to use Kali Phos?

Kali Phos is a top-recommended medicine to manage numbness of hands and feet resulting from peripheral neuropathy.

How to use Kali Phos?

This medicine is usually preferred in 6X potency that can be used three to four times a day as per symptom intensity.

2. Arsenic Album – For Burning Sensation in Hands/ Feet in Peripheral Neuropathy

Homeopathic medicine Arsenic Album is useful for treating burning sensation in the hands and feet in cases of peripheral neuropathy. The burning sensation may extend to arms and legs. Arsenic Album is also helpful for weakness and heaviness in the limbs in cases of peripheral neuropathy. Apart from the above, a tingling sensation in the fingers is also an indicating feature to use Arsenic Album.

When to use Arsenic Album?

Arsenic Album offers best help to manage burning sensation occurring in hands or feet due to peripheral neuropathy.

How to use Arsenic Album?

Arsenic Album 30C can be used once a day. Higher potencies should not be taken without the advice of a homeopathic doctor.

3. Picric Acid – For Pin-needle Sensation in Hand/Feet

Picric Acid is a beneficial homeopathic remedy used to treat a pin-needle like sensation in the hands or feet in cases of peripheral neuropathy. This sensation may be present in legs and arms. A weak, tired feeling in the limbs is also present. Exertion tends to make the complaint worse, and the limbs may become cold.

When to use Picric Acid?

This medicine should be considered to manage pin-needle sensation in cases of peripheral neuropathy.

How to use Picric Acid?

Picric Acid 30C can be utilized once a day.

4. Oxalic Acid – To manage Numbness and Tingling in Limbs

Use of medicine Oxalic Acid is indicated in cases of peripheral neuropathy where there is numbness and tingling in the limbs. Sharp and excruciating pains in the limbs also point towards the use of this medicine.

When to use Oxalic Acid?

This medicine is prominently indicated to deal with peripheral neuropathy with marked numbness and tingling in limbs.

How to use Oxalic Acid?

This medicine can be used one to two times in a week in 30C power.

5. Hypericum – For Peripheral Neuropathy Due to Nerve Injury

Hypericum is a natural medicine to manage cases of peripheral neuropathy arising from a nerve injury. The main indicating features to use Hypericum are numbness, tingling in hands or feet attended with burning pains. A crawling sensation may also be present in the hands and feet in some cases.

When to use Hypericum?

Hypericum is an effective homeopathic medicine for treating numbness, tingling, burning pains of peripheral neuropathy resulting from nerve injury.

How to use Hypericum?

Initially this medicine in 30C potency can be used twice or thrice a day.

6. Causticum – For Muscle Weakness in Peripheral Neuropathy

Causticum is a leading homeopathic medicine for treating muscle weakness in cases of peripheral neuropathy. There is marked muscle weakness in the limbs along with a sensation of formication (like ants crawling) in the limbs.

When to use Causticum?

This medicine should be highly preferred when it comes to manage cases of muscle weakness in cases of peripheral neuropathy.

How to use Causticum?

This medicine can be taken once a day in 30C potency.

7. Plumbum Met – For Thinning of Muscles in Peripheral Neuropathy

Plumbum Met is an important medicine for peripheral neuropathy in which the patient experiences wasting or thinning of the muscles of the limbs. Lightening like pains in limbs can attend. These pains get better from pressure. Numbness and tingling in limbs may also be felt.

When to use Plumbum Met?

This medicine is highly valuable to extend help for cases of peripheral neuropathy where thinning or wasting of muscles of limbs is present.

How to use Plumbum Met?

Plumbum Met 30C can be taken once or twice in a week. Higher potencies should not be taken without a physician’s advice.

What is peripheral nervous system?

The nervous system in our body is divided into two major divisions – the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system. The central nervous system includes the spinal cord and the brain. The peripheral nervous system consists of a network of nerves that lie outside the brain and spinal cord. The peripheral nervous system connects the nerves from the brain and spinal cord to the rest of the body (organs, limbs, and skin). Peripheral nerves are of three types – sensory, motor and autonomic. The primary functions of these nerves are as follow:
Sensory nerves are responsible for transmission of signals like pain, touch, temperature and other sensations to the brain.
Motor nerves are held responsible for control of muscles.
Autonomic nerves are responsible for regulating autonomic functions of the body such as bladder function, digestion, body temperature, and blood pressure.

Symptoms of Peripheral Neuropathy

 The symptoms of this disorder depend on the type of peripheral neuropathy.

Sensory neuropathy: The symptoms of sensory neuropathy are numbness, tingling, pricking, pin/needle sensation, hypersensitivity and burning sensation in the hands and feet. The symptoms can spread up the arm and leg.
Motor neuropathy: The symptoms of motor neuropathy include muscle weakness, paralysis, twitching/cramping of muscles, wasting/thinning of muscles, impaired balance, and coordination.
Autonomic neuropathy: The symptoms of autonomic neuropathy include rapid heart rate, bowel/bladder symptoms, diarrhea/constipation, blood pressure changes, increased/decreased sweating and erectile dysfunction in men.

Nerve pain can feel like an electric shock, or like a pinprick or even a burning sensation. It may be attended with other symptoms like tingling sensation and numbness. Nerve pain is a symptom of various medical conditions. It can disturb and alter your life. The countless nerves are the body’s messaging system — conveying sensations, like pain, to the brain. In case of nerve pain, the messaging system gets disturbed because of damage to the nerve from a physical injury or a disease or from a compressed nerve.

Homeopathic medicines for nerve pain are of great help in providing relief to the patient without any side effects as these are made of natural substances. They gradually bring down the intensity of the nerve pain. They work effectively in acute as well as chronic nerve pain cases. Along with nerve pain, they also extend help to manage attending symptoms like numbness, tingling, burning sensation. Conventional mode employs pain killers, antidepressant medicines, anticonvulsants, nerve blocks (injecting medicine in nerves) to deal with nerve pain cases. They provide short-term relief and additionally may lead to side effects if taken for long duration. Homeopathic medicines are free from side effects and carry great scope of complete recovery in many cases.

Homeopathic medicines for nerve pain are selected individually for every case. These remedies are given after carefully noting down the symptoms and identifying the reason for nerve pain. A well prescribed medicine in every case of nerve pain brings great results.

Homeopathy does not work only superficially rather works on a deeper level and aims at extricating the root cause of nerve pain varying from case to case to promote great cures.  For complete relief, a complete course of homeopathic treatment for specified duration needs to be followed as guided by a homeopathic doctor.

Homeopathy is a natural mode of healing and homeopathic medicines are undoubtedly safe and natural medicines that works in a very natural manner in cases of nerve pain to provide long-term results in these cases.

Top 6 Homeopathic Medicines for Nerve Pain

The leading homeopathic medicines for treating nerve pain are Magnesium Phos, Hypericum, Colocynth, Causticum, Spigelia and Ranunculus Bulbosus.

1. Magnesium Phos – For Nerve Pain Better From Warm Applications And Pressure

Magnesium Phos is the top natural medicine to treat nerve pains. It is very beneficial in cases of severe nerve pain where warm applications or pressure to the affected painful area provides relief to the patient. The pain may get triggered by exposure to cold air. The nerve pain can be of shooting, cutting or stitching type. The pain is almost unbearable. This medicine is especially helpful for cases of sciatica and trigeminal neuralgia.

When to use Magnesium Phos?

This medicine should be considered to manage nerve pain that worsens with cold air exposure and gets better from application of warmth and pressure over affected part.

How to use Magnesium Phos?

This medicine gives excellent results in 6X potency that can be taken three to four times a day.

2. Hypericum – For Nerve Pain From An Injury

Hypericum is a powerful natural medicine prescribed for treating nerve pain occurring after trauma or injury to nerves. This medicine is best for patients who complain of tingling and burning pains in nerves. Numbness accompanies the pain at times. Pain in the back after spinal injuries can be wonderfully treated with this medicine. Hypericum is also very effective in treating nerve pain in fingers and toes after injury from sharp instruments like needles.

When to use Hypericum?

Hypericum is the best remedy to deal with cases of nerve pain especially burning, tingling types resulting from any nerve injury.

How to use Hypericum?

From low to high potency it works well in all potencies. Initially, it is best to use 30C potency two to three times a day.

3. Colocynth – For Nerve Pain In Legs (Sciatica)

Colocynth is the most prominently indicated medicine for managing leg pain from sciatica. It is especially suited for left-sided sciatica pain in the leg. The pain begins in the lower back and radiates down the leg to toes where this medicine is required. The guiding feature for its use is relief in pain from pressure and warm applications.

When to use Colocynth?

Colocynth should be highly preferred to manage sciatica especially of the left side with pain in the lower back going down the left leg.

How to use Colocynth?

Though it can be taken in any potency from low to high but the most frequently recommended is 30C potency that can be taken twice or thrice a day for good results.

4. Causticum – For Nerve Pain in Hands from Compressed Median Nerve (CTS)

Causticum is an important medicine that can be given to patients who have nerve pain in hands in cases of CTS i.e. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.  Those needing it complain of numbness and weakness in hands in addition to pain in hands. There may be thinning out of muscles of hands.

When to use Causticum?

Causticum is highly effective to help cases of pain in hands along with numbness and weakness in cases of compression of median nerve in carpal tunnel syndrome.

How to use Causticum?

It is recommended to use Causticum 30C once a day.

5. Spigelia –  For Nerve Pain In Face

Spigelia is a wonderful medicine considered an ideal remedy for nerve pain in the face (trigeminal neuralgia). It is mainly indicated for left-side nerve pain in the face. In cases requiring Spigelia, worsening of pain is seen from touch and cold.

When to use Spigelia?

This medicine can be used in cases of nerve pain on the left side of the face that gets worse from touch and cold.

How to use Spigelia?

It is advised to take Spigelia 30C once or twice a day.

6. Ranunculus Bulbosus – For Post-Herpetic Nerve Pain

Herpes is a skin disease in which eruptions appear on the skin along the course of nerves with severe nerve pain. Even when the eruptions disappear, the nerve pain persists for a long duration, which is referred to as post-herpetic nerve pain. This condition can be very effectively treated with natural medicine Ranunculus Bulbosus which is the top medicine for nerve pain after herpes. This can be used when the nerve pain is sharp stitching type. It gets worse by touch.

When to use Ranunculus Bulbosus?

The use of this medicine should be done to manage sharp stitching type of post herpetic nerve pain.

How to use Ranunculus Bulbosus?

This medicine can be used one to two times a day.

Causes of nerve pain

Nerve pain can arise from various causes. It may result from nerve damage, nerve compression, nerve injury and certain infections. Compression of nerves is one of the important cause behind nerve pain. Some of the important conditions arising from compressed nerves are sciatica, trigeminal neuralgia, and carpal tunnel syndrome. Sciatica is a nerve pain that begins in the lower back and travels down the legs along the root of sciatic nerve. Trigeminal neuralgia (pain on one side of the face along the course of the trigeminal nerve). Carpal tunnel syndrome is a condition affecting the hands resulting from compression of median nerve as it passes through carpal tunnel in wrist. Nerve pain can also result from diabetes, deficiency of nutrients like Vitamin B6 and B12, alcohol use disorder. Further causes are shingles (a painful skin condition with blisters on skin caused by varicella zoster virus), multiple sclerosis (an autoimmune disorder where the immune cells damage the protective covering of the nerves out of a misdirected response), injuries, radiotherapy and chemotherapy.