Schwannoma is a tumor affecting the nervous system. It grows in the schwann cells of the peripheral nerves that control the muscles used for daily activities such as walking, writing, or swallowing. Schwann cells protect these nerves and support their function. A tumor in these cells can affect nerve function and cause neurological problems. These tumors are slow-growing and generally benign but may turn malignant. It can occur anywhere in the body, depending on which symptoms can occur.
As the tumor grows, it exerts pressure on the nerve and causes symptoms. Dizziness, tingling, numbness, abnormal sensations, muscle weakness, and paralysis are common concerns. Homeopathic treatment for schwannoma includes medicines for managing the neurological symptoms.
Role of homeopathy in schwannoma
Schwannoma causes neurological and emotional symptoms that can be difficult to manage. Homeopathic medicines can help relieve neuropathy that causes numbness, pain, muscle weakness, and paralysis in the affected area. Constitutional homeopathic remedies can help in reducing neuromuscular complaints and mood issues. They can help relieve fatigue, sleep, and memory problems during the treatment, thus improving quality of life.
Six effective homeopathic medicines for schwannoma
Colocynthis
Common name: Bitter cucumber
Colocynthis can help relieve neuropathy and promote neurological functions. It is indicated when complaints are associated with digestive troubles, weak bowel movements, and neuralgic pain in the abdomen. Other symptoms include muscle cramps, spasms, headache with nausea, vomiting, and vertigo on turning the head. It can help relieve tearing eye pain, facial neuralgia, sciatica, contraction of muscles, and difficulty in walking. It is helpful when the complaints are more on the left side of the body.
Conium maculatum
Common name: Poison hemlock
Conium can help reduce muscle spasms, pain, restlessness, excitement, and nervousness with inflammatory and nerve-related conditions. It can help relieve pain, muscle weakness, headache, and vertigo on turning the head or lying down. Other symptoms include nerve pain, sensitivity to light, paralysis of the eye muscles, hearing difficulty, trembling, arm or leg stiffness, difficulty walking, and gait problems. It is indicated in general weakness, depression, social avoidance, poor memory, and inability to make mental effort.
Magnesium phosphoricum
Common name: Phosphate of magnesia
Mag. phos. is indicated in nerve conditions with spasms, cramps, and pain along the nerve course. Other symptoms include sharp pain around the affected nerve course, a feeling of pressure in the head, vertigo when closing the eyes, pain in the eyes, blurred vision, the appearance of lights before the eyes, and twitching of muscles around the eyes. It can be helpful for nerve problems with radiating pain, muscle twitching, pain and weakness in the hands and legs, cramps in the calves, and involuntary movements of the hands. It can help relieve mental exhaustion with an inability to think clearly.
Lycopodium clavatum
Common name: Clubmoss
Lycopodium is indicated for headache with severe pain in the temples and vertigo that occurs in the morning on rising. There is ear pain, ringing in ears, humming sounds, noises causing echo, difficulty in hearing, lack of confidence, and learning issues. It can help relieve anxiety, fear of being alone, depression, memory, and concentration problems. It can also help with sudden pain, intolerance to sound and smell, weak muscles, and general fatigue. It is indicated for sciatica with pain and numbness, twitching, and jerking movements with difficulty lying on the painful side.
Gelsemium sempervirens
Common name: Yellow jasmine
Gelsemium can help manage pain, dullness, weakness of muscles, and fatigue in nerve-related affections. There is headache, dizziness, difficulty swallowing and making jaw movements, problems with coordination, and paralysis of the affected muscles. It can help relieve heaviness in the eyes and head, facial pain extending to the ears, deep pain in the eyes, blurred vision, oversensitivity to light, mental fatigue, and lack of interest in things around. It is indicated in muscle twitching and cramps, fatigue due to muscle weakness, and pain in the neck, back, and lower limbs with trembling.
Matricaria chamomilla
Common name: German chamomile
Chamomilla is indicated in irritability, oversensitivity, impatience, and intolerance to sounds, light, smell, or touch. The person complains of throbbing headache on one side, ear pain, difficulty in hearing, jaw pain extending to the ear, and twitching of facial muscles and tongue. It can help in reducing neck and back muscle stiffness, painful swelling, burning sensation in feet, and paralytic weakness in legs. It helps relieve unbearable nerve pain with numbness, restlessness, difficulty sleeping, and staying calm.
Causative factors for schwannoma
The exact cause of schwannoma is not clear. Solitary schwannoma, those that occur singly, are often spontaneous. Most tumors may occur randomly. Sometimes, it can occur due to genetic mutations. Genetic conditions such as schwannomatosis, neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2), and Carney Complex can increase the risk of multiple schwannomas. People who have undergone radiation therapy may be at a greater risk of peripheral nerve tumors.
Symptoms of schwannoma
The growing tumor directly affects the nerve or exerts pressure on the nearby nerves, blood vessels, and surrounding tissues, resulting in symptoms. The types and symptoms of schwannoma depend on the location of the nerve within which it grows. It may appear as a visible lump that can be painful when pressed. Some may not experience symptoms at all, while some may experience them in varying degrees.
Brain and inner ear
The tumor can grow on the nerves in the brain and those connecting the brain with the inner ear. It is a common type called vestibular schwannoma or acoustic neuroma. It causes pain, ringing in the ears (tinnitus), dizziness, difficulty in balance, and hearing problems in the affected ear.
Face and neck
Schwannoma affecting the facial nerve may cause symptoms such as facial muscle pain, numbness, tingling on the affected side of the face, or paralysis of facial muscles. There may be difficulty in moving the eye, jaw, or smiling, and reduced facial expressions. Difficulty in swallowing and loss of taste may affect eating patterns. Visually noticeable tumors can be a cosmetic concern.
Arm or leg
Schwannoma growing in the nerves of an arm or leg can produce pain in the affected region. Other symptoms include numbness and tingling, muscle weakness of the arm or leg, difficulty in moving, lifting objects, or walking, and sometimes paralysis of the affected limb. It may cause carpal tunnel syndrome when the nerve in the arm is involved and tarsal tunnel syndrome when the nerve in the leg is affected.
Nerve root
Schwannoma can grow in the nerve root in the spine (spinal schwannoma). It causes symptoms such as back pain, numbness, tingling, and sharp, radiating pain along the nerve course. It can also cause knee pain, leg pain or weakness in the legs, and difficulty in walking, bending, and other activities. Muscle weakness and paralysis can result in loss of bowel or bladder control.
Other symptoms also include general aching, fatigue, burning sensation, headache, vomiting, and feeling of being unwell. Psychological issues such as mood changes, agitation, restlessness, hallucinations, confusion, and memory loss are common. People undergoing treatment for tumors may experience anxiety, depression, and emotional disturbances.
Treatment of schwannoma
Treatment depends on the location and severity of the tumor. Diagnosis is confirmed by imaging techniques such as CT scans, MRI, nerve conduction studies, and nerve and tumor biopsy. They can help identify the location, size, and extent of the growing tumor. In some cases, close monitoring is advised with no active treatment while in some treatment is required.
Surgical treatment
Surgery is considered if the symptoms are severe and the tumor is fast-growing. It may remove the tumor entirely or a part of it. However, there is a risk of affecting the nerve and its function. Surgery for vestibular schwannoma can cause hearing loss.
Radiation therapy
Treatment with radiation therapy focuses on destroying the tumor and preventing its recurrence.
Conclusion
Schwannoma is a rare type of tumor that affects the peripheral nerves resulting in neuromuscular problems. It commonly affects the nerves in the face, neck, arms, legs, and spine. It presents with nerve compression symptoms like numbness, tingling, weakness in muscles, and paralysis of the affected area.
Patients commonly experience mood changes, anxiety, and depression. Homeopathic medicines for schwannoma can help relieve neurological symptoms and emotional disturbances. They can help relieve nerve pain, numbness, weakness, and vertigo and reduce your symptoms of irritability, mood, and sleep difficulties. For safe and effective homeopathic treatment it is better to take advice from a qualified homeopathic doctor.
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