In the world of homeopathy, many plants or substances used to create homeopathic remedies have often been revered for great medicinal purposes. Among them, is homeopathic pulsatilla. It is considered to be one of the oldest and most useful remedies you can have in your medicine cabinet.
For instance, the pulsatilla plant has a history in the treatment of ulcers and eye inflammation. As a homeopathic remedy, it also treats eye infections, digestive disorders, sinusitis, women’s health problems, mood disorders, allergies, and joints problems, while also having a potent antiviral effect of treating colds, the flu, and even herpes simplex.
Read on to learn more about homeopathic pulsatilla, including its many uses and health benefits.
What Is Pulsatilla?
Pulsatilla is a perennial herb that grows up to the height of about 18 inches and has silky bristles or hairs on its stem. It bears delicately divided leaves with a violet flower and yellow stamens. The plant has botanical names of Anemone pulsatilla and Pulsatilla pratensis.
Pulsatilla nigricans is considered a particular subspecies that is often used to make the homeopathic remedy. It also belongs to the Ranunculaceae family, and it is native to Eastern and Central Europe, including Southeast Norway, Western Denmark, and Bulgaria.
The pulsatilla flower has been used medicinally since the age of classical Greece, and the name comes from the term for Easter and Pasch since the plant blooms around the Easter festival. Other names include small pasque flower, hartshorn plant, anemone, windflower, wild crocus, prairie smoke, and twinflower.
According to myths, the envious Greek goddess Flora transformed the nymph Anemone into a windflower, and this drew the attention of her husband, Zephyr. As a result, Zephyr deserted Anemone and discarded her to be blown by the wind.
The flower may have also been originated from the blood of Adonis, while the Greek goddess of love, Aphrodite, wailed over the slain body of Adonis. Roman legend also attributes this plant from the tears of the goddess Venus and was used to treat weepiness.
It is also documented that some Native Indians would jam their noses with sepals of the plant to stop bleeding. They would also mash the leaves of the plant and apply it topically to ease rheumatic pain.
How Pulsatilla Treats Mood Disorders
Today, German experts in homeopathy have evaluated various studies of herbal pulsatilla, and suggest it should be avoided except in its homeopathic form. In 1805, homeopathy founder, Dr. Samuel Hahnemann, had proven homeopathic pulsatilla and was extensively used to treat many patients, including himself. Since that time, there is a lot of scientific literature that supports the use of this homeopathic herb.
For instance, a study published in 2012 in Homeopathy: the journal of the Faculty of Homeopathy shed some light on the anti-anxiety abilities of pulsatilla. The study observed 24 albino mice that were divided into four equal groups—a control group (10 ml of ethyl), a standard group (1 mg of diazepam), and 10 ml of either pulsatilla 3x or 6x. The homeopathic pulsatilla remedy groups appeared more effective than the other groups.
Pulsatilla is also considered an appropriate remedy for other mood disorders such as depression and low self-esteem. The person that would require pulsatilla often needs to receive and give love, and they are also gentle, mild, and sweet by nature; however, the person’s depression may result from disappointment, anticipation, jealousy, grief, and loss. They are also very moody and emotional, and they desire a person’s consolation and company quite often, and they are an attention seeker.
Depressive symptoms often improve with fresh air and gentle motion, but they get worse at night and in the heat. When the person has low self-esteem, they often are very co-dependent, needy, and they also can’t say no to others. They are also likely to give in order to receive from others.
Homeopathic Profile, Uses, and Health Benefits of Pulsatilla
When it comes to homeopathic remedies, the remedy profile is significant to help determine whether pulsatilla is right for you. The person that responds best to pulsatilla is often sweet-natured and compliant while they avoid confrontation, and their moods change frequently and rapidly. One minute the person is easily moved from laughter to tears, and the next, they are highly prone to weepiness when ill. The person also dislikes fatty foods or a stuffy room, lacks thirst, and prefers fresh air.
What are the other health benefits of pulsatilla? Homeopathic pulsatilla is also a key remedy for women’s health problems, viral problems, sinusitis, ear infections, digestive disorders, eye infections, and allergies, as well as arthritis and joint conditions.
Other health benefits of homeopathic pulsatilla include treatment for acne, fibrocystic breast disease, vaginitis, prostate conditions, bronchitis, insomnia, nerve problems, and asthma and lung diseases. It also helps with hyperactivity, hay fever, headaches, hives, mumps, measles, varicose veins, drug detoxification, and incontinence like bedwetting and urinary problems.
1. Women’s Health Problems
Pulsatilla is a common homeopathy remedy for women’s health issues, including short, variable, late, or absent menstrual flow (amenorrhea) with severe pain (dysmenorrhea). There may also be a delayed onset of menstruation in puberty.
Severe premenstrual syndrome (PMS) may also respond to pulsatilla, especially if the sufferer is weepy and has indigestion and mood swings.
In pregnancy, the remedy is sometimes used for indigestion, stress incontinence, fatigue, and morning sickness. It also helps curb cravings for sweets. Pulsatilla may also act on the uterine muscles to help turn a breech or malpresented baby in the uterus during labor.
2. Antiviral Activity
A study published in the journal Research in Complementary and Natural Classical Medicine in 2001, found that the combination of pulsatilla pratensis and euphorbium resinifera exhibit antiviral activity against respiratory syncytial virus, human rhinovirus, influenza A, and herpes virus simplex 1.
Due to its antiviral activity, pulsatilla is a good remedy to have on hand for cold and flu symptoms. It is especially useful for the late stages of a cold, including a runny or stuffy nose, loss of smell, swollen ears, fever, sticky discharge from the eyes, and a thick yellowish discharge from the nose. You can also use it for moist coughs and headache relief during a cold.
3. Allergies
A study published in the journal Homeopathy in 2006, found that pulsatilla was among the homeopathic remedies that had a positive effect on allergies. For the study, the progression of 147 cases of respiratory allergy was reported.
Only two cases of nose, ear, and throat allergies from 105 cases showed no improvement, while no patient showed deterioration. There were also two cases that worsened, while three showed no improvement from 42 pulmonary allergy cases.
4. Eye Infections
Homeopathic pulsatilla is known to treat eye inflammatory problems such as conjunctivitis (pink eye), an inflamed cornea, and styes. The person’s stye may also have a link with a cold or an overall feeling of sickness. It is best to use pulsatilla during the early stages of a stye.
Pulsatilla is perfect when there is a profuse and bland yellow mucus or pus discharge from the inflamed eyelid. Mucus may also appear in the corner of a person’s eyes.
The person will also often feel worse from heat or at night, and better after fresh air or a cold compress. They also often have a dry mouth and don’t have a desire for liquids.
5. Digestive Disorders
Pulsatilla is best used for all types of digestive disorder symptoms, including nausea, vomiting, indigestion, diarrhea, and itchy and painful hemorrhoids. When it comes to the person’s stools, no two are alike.
The person’s mouth is dry, but there is no thirst, and either has a craving or aversion to rich foods that exacerbate the symptoms.
6. Ear Infections
Pulsatilla is known to treat ear infections and earaches. It is the perfect remedy to help relieve that severe throbbing pain of the ear. You can use pulsatilla when the ear infection feels worse at night, and it feels swollen, hot, and red around and inside the ear. The person may also experience itching, deafness, and a yellowish-green and thick discharge from the ear.
Pulsatilla is also very useful when the person’s lips are cracked, and the ears and nose feel stopped up. The homeopathic remedy is considered a great replacement to antibiotics for ear infections.
7. Arthritis and Joint Conditions
Pulsatilla is also considered a good homeopathic remedy for arthritic conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, especially when a person’s pain or inflammation changes location. The pain may shift from joint to joint.
It is also a good remedy for knee pains, which appear suddenly and the joints will be hot, pale, red, or swollen. Heaviness, trembling, stiffness, and restlessness are other symptoms of a person that requires pulsatilla for arthritis and joint conditions. The person’s pains are often worse at night or when it is warm, but the symptoms improve with coldness and open air.
8. Sinusitis
Many people turn to homeopathic pulsatilla when they experience yellow catarrh and terrible headaches linked with this type of sinusitis. Symptoms will include a sharp pain on the face with unbearable tenderness.
It is also used for individuals that feel watery discharges from the eyes with an inability to breathe properly. Stuffy environments will worsen symptoms, while fresh air and gentle exercise will improve symptoms.
Final Thoughts on Pulsatilla
Homeopathic pulsatilla can be found at the health food store or online in liquid or pellet form. You can also get homeopathic pulsatilla straight from your homeopath if they have determined that the remedy is right, based on your emotional, physical, and mental symptoms.
In general, it is best to take one pill or five drops of homeopathic pulsatilla every hour for intense symptoms or every four hours for milder symptoms. Once there is an improvement, stop the dosage, and repeat the remedy once the symptom has returned. If there is no improvement after three doses, contact your homeopath for further instruction, as you may need a different remedy or dosage for chronic or persistent symptoms.
Sources:
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Lockie, A., Encyclopedia of Homeopathy: The Definitive Home Reference Guide to Homeopathic Remedies and Treatments for Common Ailments (New York: DK Publishing, Inc., 2000), 61, 180, 184, 220, 224, 234, 256.
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