After a month of skeletons poised on neighbors’ lawns, I was “spurred” on to write about bone spurs.
Most often, bone spurs show up on shin bones and knees. However, an exostosis can also show up in the mouth on the maxillary or mandible (upper or lower jaw bones), and a calcaneal spur can occur on the heel bone. If you’ve never had one, they’re often painful and unsightly.
Homeopathy offers a few medicines for consideration, but in my clinical experience, two remedies are most commonly utilized.
Bone Spurs
Generally, a common homeopathic choice for exostoses occurring anywhere on the body is Calcarea fluorica 12X or C (also known as Calcarea fluorata). Either X or C will work; since it's not a protocol, it doesn't matter. Calc fluor has been historically shown to dissolve bone spurs over time.
Heather, a young girl with a prominent bone spur on her shin, once came to me in my practice. The bump was embarrassing in her daily life but also affected Heather’s athleticism. Because the spur was quite tender to the touch, her athletic pursuits held excruciating potential. The fear of that pain caused her not to play as aggressively as she could.
The homeopathic solution took some time — about six months — but her healing was complete. Heather utilized Calc fluor 12X, twice daily, until she was very much better. In fact, the bony prominence completely disappeared. Indeed, once again, Calc fluor was clinically proven right before our eyes.
Calcaneal Spurs (Heel Spurs)
Bone spurs in the feet, such as calcaneal spurs, may feel especially painful on the first movement in the morning. The pain may improve slightly as the movement continues. However, it can possibly regress if the foot is overutilized. For instance, walking or standing too long may cause the pain to increase.
For this type of bone spur, I generally elect Symphytum officinale 200C (or CK) mixed with Rhus toxicodendron 30C. (These two separate medicines can be taken at the same time by mixing them together in the mouth. Alternatively, the remedies may be purchased already mixed together during the manufacturing process if one has access to OHM Pharma.)
This Banerji Protocol, generally utilized twice daily until very much better, pulls double duty. Symphytum is our go-to medicine for bone conditions, while Rhus tox addresses the function of the ligaments and muscles around the heel spur.
Win-win!
When to Stop
As with all homeopathics, knowing when to stop utilizing the medicines is crucial. You often hear me say, “Until very much better.” But what does that mean?
When the condition is so much better that it’s no longer obvious or at the forefront of your mind, it’s time to stop. The condition is very much better.
It’s the same principle adhered to by folks who use conventional pharmaceuticals. They wouldn’t take an Advil if they didn’t have a headache. They wouldn’t take cough medicine if they didn’t have a cough. They wouldn’t take Tagamet if they didn’t have indigestion.
Remember: Homeopathy is also medicine. It is only taken when necessary to address a condition. Homeopathy is not a vitamin or a supplement. We don’t take medicines ad infinitum. If the condition reappears later, one can always restart the homeopathic schedule that was previously successful or pivot to another medicine more tightly fitting the current symptoms.
I address this subject more thoroughly in my blog post, When to Stop. I urge you to make that post required reading. It will help improve your ability to make these judgment calls as you observe the homeopathic medicine act.
Remedy Cards
Be sure to scroll down to receive your free Remedy Cards documenting these two homeopathic medicines for bone spurs.
If you’ve not yet begun collecting my Remedy Cards, get cracking! Many of my blog posts, like this one, contain Remedy Cards at the bottom of the post that you may download for free. Print them out and start developing your own Remedy Card Rolodex. The next time a condition I’ve covered strikes, you’ll be prepared.
Better yet, join my Mighty Members, where we’ve done all the work for you. Members can download digital booklet collections of the Remedy Cards organized by year as a bonus gift.
Pass on the good news of Practical Homeopathy®!
Warmly,
P.S. Remember, all my Mighties (Joette’s Mighty Members) qualify for a 10% discount on course purchases. If you need assistance getting your discount, email contact@practicalhomeopathy.com for more information.
Would either of these remedies work for spurs on the lower spinal column?
They’re specific for bone spurs in general.
Such great info! Thank you! Question, if the bone spur is on the big toe knuckle bone, would that be considered an “anywhere” spur or would the heel spur remedy be best for any spur on the foot?
They’re specific for bone spurs in general.
I tried to get the remedy cards but it said it looked like spam
Jean, wait a day or so and try again.
If there’s still a problem, try another browser.
My son has OSD (osgood schlatters) in both of his knees. at times it is painful for him b/c he’s growing fast now at 15. He does have these “knots” or bone growths at the bottom of the knee from it. Is this something that would help oSD? Curious to know because recommended treatment is just ice / heat and motrin as needed and we did physical therapy for a while too.
The best way to know if a homeopathic medicine encompasses certain condtiions is to read your materia medica on each. Having said that, you’re on the right track.
My brother-in-law had heel spurs some years ago.
He was very sceptical when I said, I can fix that.
“How can you” he said, “it’s BONE, it’s on an X-ray!”.
So I said, the body put it there, the body can take it away.
I first gave him a plausible but ‘wrong’ remedy, just to test for psychological effect.
I then gave a minimal dose of helca lava, which did the trick. No recurrence.
It’s worth remembering that homeopathic prescriptions are ideally individualised.
Nice job,Will but they’re less individualized than one might think. H.L. is my 2nd choice because Symmphytum/CP, acts on 80-85% of the population suffering from this condition. That leaves only 15-20% remaining for HL.
We individulaize AFTER we’ve offered the primary medicine for the condition without results.
What about spurs on the big toe joint from arthritis or Hallux rigidus? Also is the Calc Flour Cell Salt the same as the Clac Flour 12x?
Generally, the location of bone spurs matters not.
Yes, Calc fluor 12 falls into the cell salt category.
They are the same.
Would this work to dissolve a torus palatinus?
TP is an exostosis…indeed a bone spur.
If you decide to go with it, please give me a heads up months from now.
Absolutely I will! Thank you, Joette!
A friend has a bone spur on the top of her foot. She is not familiar with homeopathic medicine, but is willing to try it.
I am wondering should calc fluor 12x be used or the Banerji protocol with two medicines since it’s on her foot?
Protocols are specific: name of condition, name of medicine, potency and frequency.
Hi Joette,
I’ve completed the Gateway study groups and was doing research for my son’s diagnosis “There is transitional anatomy at the lumbosacral junction with a presumed hypoplastic 12th rib pair. The transitional vertebra has broadened transverse processes, on the left likely articulating with the sacral ala.” His pediatrician called it an “anomaly” where the lowest and last lumbar vertebrae is attached to the first sacral vertebrae on the left side. They say it’s congenital, from birth, but he has had imaging in the past and we were never told about it, so I wonder… He’s been having chronic lower back aches for a year now, mainly bothering him in the mornings, upon waking. He plays sports, so it’s possible a hit or something else, like his major growth spur of the last 2 yrs, irritated it and caused the discovery because of the pain. Supposedly, as much as 20-40% of the population has it, but it doesn’t cause symptoms in everyone, so it goes “undiagnosed”. According to Gemini, the pain can be caused by abnormal mechanics, inflammation at the false joint, or nerve compression. We’ll speak to his chiropractor about it at our next appointment, just received the diagnosis. He’s had bone spur in his foot a few years back, so that’s why I wonder if the transitional anatomy discovered between L5 and the sacrum is anatomy from birth or something funny going on. Would you recommend Calc Fluor at all for elasticity and the “false joint”? I’m not sure if the “false joint” is extra bone, I’ll learn more at our appointment. Or, would you recommend an anti-inflammatory, and pain relieving regimen, along the lines of Mag Phos (instead of Ibuprofen), Cell Salts (he has enough other things, like allergies, that every cell salt fits him at some level), Symphytum 200, and Rhus Tox 30 for pain, and maybe even Arnica 200 and Hypericum 200 if the pain calls for them? I’ve been massaging his back every morning. He gets better once he gets going, and has less pain or no pain in the evenings, so Rhus Tox “rusty gate” remedy sounds like a fit.
Thank you in advance for considering a response and my momma heart looks forward to your homeopathic expertise very much!
What’s keeping you from moving forward using what you’ve already decided are pretty good choices?
You’re on a good track using the symptoms to determine the remedy. Good job.
If you haven’t already looked at his diet, I urge you to do so.
Eliminate inflammatory foods such as oxolates, grains, processed fare etc. and replace with bone stock, red meat, eggs, butter, perhaps raw milk and L.Reuteri yogurt.