This book review is reprinted from the British Homoeopathic Journal Volume 87, January 1998, with permission from Peter Fisher, Editor.
Homeopathy for Musculoskeletal Healing
Asa Hershoff
Berkeley, California: North
Atlantic Books
$20. ISBN 1-55643-237-2
Paperback 314 pp.
Reviewed by Adam Ward
The author of Homeopathy for Musculoskeletal Healing is a naturopath and chiropracter currently living in Santa Monica, California. The purpose of the book is to gather and consolidate knowledge and give practical guidance for the treatment of musculoskeletal problems from the homoeopathic literature. Each remedy discussed in the text was researched in more than 150 books. Inevitably, from such a large data source, there were found to be differences in opinion and the author has tried to balance this by providing accurate and complete information. In addition, traditional styles of describing remedies have been updated with modem terminology and physiology wherever possible.
Musculoskeletal problems are extremely common and result in pain and dysfunction which impinge upon the lives of many ordinary people, resulting in significant reduction in quality of life. Homoeopathy offers a safe and valuable contribution towards treatment.
The book is divided into several sections, the first of which is concerned with an introduction, suitable for the beginner in homoeopathy, which describes the principles of homoeopathy. The presentation, which takes up approximately 60 pages, is fairly standard in content and is nicely illustrated with line drawings and charts.
The following section is titled 'Condition Charts' which are grouped into General Topics, The Spine, The Extremities, Arthritis and Headache. There are 31 charts in all, covering types of pain and general symptoms together with specific problems. Much use is made of line drawings to illustrate specific problems, together with clear lists of selected remedies associated with relevant symptoms, signs and modalities. Problems are summarised, usually in one paragraph, and really require some pre-existing background knowledge of musculoskeletal disorders. This is followed by a discussion of suggested remedies which is expanded in the line diagrams. The final part includes an unusual sub-heading of 'Body Language' which forms a significant section of the chart. It includes interpretations of posture with linguistic associations such as 'shoulders droop with failure and depression' and 'shoulder problems can mean a sense of impotency, disempowerment, feeling beaten; unable to raise a hand to help oneself or pull oneself up'.
The next section of the book is a Materia Medica consisting of 61 remedies. Headings include key-notes, musculoskeletal symptoms, symptom profiles, dosage and clinical conditions. It includes most of the polycrests together with those remedies frequently used for specific musculoskeletal problems. The majority of remedies are covered in two pages and are inevitably fairly brief so that an experienced practitioner would need to have more comprehensive references to hand. Nevertheless, they form concise and very practical guides which would be of particular value for the beginner.
The final major section, the Therapeutic Guide, is the equivalent of a short repertory. The same comments apply to this as to the Materia Medica in that an experienced prescriber with extensive knowledge of repertorisation would require more comprehensive data. The appendix includes remedy relationships, a resource list which is entirely American, a bibliography and an extensive general index.
This book provides a good introduction to the use of homeopathy in the treatment of musculoskeletal problems and is sufficiently comprehensive to be of practical use both for the lay reader and the professional therapist who may not have much knowledge about homoeopathic treatments. Even for the more experienced practitioner, the layout of the book means that it can be used as a convenient desk reference in conjunction with a more comprehensive Materia Medica and repertory.
British Homoeopathic Journal
January 1998