Clinical Case: Balance in Tics
Understanding Tourette’s Syndrome
When we hear the term ‘Tourette’s syndrome’, our minds often conjure up stereotypical images seen in films: people suddenly shouting swear words or moving in bizarre ways. But the reality is very different and far more complex. For those who live with it, Tourette’s is not a cinematic ‘twist’, but a daily companion – sometimes noisy, often exhausting, but always deeply human.
Put simply, Tourette’s syndrome is a neurological disorder that originates in the brain, specifically in the areas that control movement and sound. It manifests itself through tics: involuntary movements or sounds that are beyond one’s control.
But what is it like to have a tic? Imagine having to hold back a sneeze or not scratching a spot that’s itching terribly. The person feels a build-up of muscle tension or discomfort (called a premonitory urge) that can only be ‘released’ by making that movement or uttering that sound. It is not a choice, it is not a whim and it is not a way of seeking attention: it is a physical response to a faulty signal from the nervous system.
Patient Profile
Subject: 25-year-old man with a medical diagnosis of Tourette’s syndrome
Symptoms: complex motor tics (shoulders and neck) and brief vocal tics. The patient reports a sensation of ‘internal pressure building up’ prior to the tic, accompanied by social anxiety and sleep disturbances.
Step 1: The Energy Ritual and the Evening Ritual
The process began by working on the vibrational component and the peripheral nervous system, with the aim of ‘loosening the body’s electrical grip’.
Pranotherapy (Rebalancing the Chakras):
The first session focused on two key energy centres:
- Ajna Chakra (Third Eye): Located between the eyebrows. Here, pranotherapy was used to calm the brain’s ‘command centre’. The aim was to relieve the hyperactivity of the basal ganglia, thereby reducing anxiety-inducing mental projections.
- vishuddha chakra (throat): Located at the base of the neck. It plays a key role in Tourette’s syndrome, as it is the point through which motor commands pass to the shoulders and head, and is also the site of vocal tics. The treatment helped to release the ‘blocked’ energy in this area, reducing the physical need for motor release. the
- Solar Plexus Chakra (Manipura).
In Tourette’s syndrome, the tic often acts as an outlet for energy that cannot be managed at a deep emotional level. Releasing tension from the Solar Plexus and ‘connecting’ it to the Heart can help the young person to see the tic not as an external enemy, but as energy to be integrated and calmed.
Incorporating chamomile:
At the end of the day, the use of chamomile tea was introduced. This was not intended merely as a drink, but as a ‘calming and antispasmodic’ measure to prepare the body for rest, preventing the tension built up during the day from erupting into a night-time storm of tics.
Results of Step 1:
Following the initial sessions, the patient reported a 30% reduction in the frequency of tics and a feeling of ‘greater inner space’. Sleep became deeper, allowing the nervous system to regenerate.
Step 2: Functional Bud Therapy (Constitutional Strengthening)
Given the excellent results achieved through energy rebalancing, it proved beneficial to ‘anchor’ this sense of well-being in the physical body through the use of concentrated bud extracts (Sarandrea’s ExtraGem range), in order to influence the autonomic nervous system.
The Action Protocol:
To address the root cause (internal tension) and emotional somatisation, the following have been included:
- Tilia tomentosa (Linden):
- Action: A powerful modulator of the nervous system. It acts on the hyperexcitability associated with tics and anxiety.
- Dosage: 5 drops in the morning, 5 in the afternoon and 5 in the evening. This helped to keep the electrical excitation threshold low throughout the day.
- Ficus carica (Fig):
- Action: Regulates the autonomic nervous system. Used to manage anxiety and the ‘tightness in the stomach’ (abdominal tension) that the patient reported experiencing prior to stressful situations.
- Dosage: 5 drops in the morning only, in combination with Linden, to help stabilise your emotional state from the moment you wake up.
Step 3: Evolution and Strategic Integration
Given the excellent response but persistent mental fatigue resulting from the effort required to control the tics, the addition of a third treatment option is now being considered.
The recommended supplement: Ribes Nigrum
We recommend taking 5 drops of Ribes Nigrum in the morning for two reasons:
- Silent Inflammation: The constant muscle movements associated with tics create a state of micro-inflammation and oxidative stress, which leave the patient feeling exhausted.
- Adrenal Support: To counteract the post-excitement exhaustion typical of the Fico Carica, blackcurrant helps maintain steady energy levels without causing nervousness.
Step 4: Spagyric Integration (The Union of Mind and Body)
After stabilising the nervous system with bud extracts (lime and fig) and calming the energy flows through pranotherapy, the patient still exhibits a vulnerability: emotional stress, which acts as a ‘trigger’ for the tic.
This is where the spagyric remedy comes into play, as it delivers not just molecules, but ‘archetypal information’.
The Chosen Remedy: Melissa officinalis (Ebe or Spagyric Quintessence)
In spagyric plant alchemy, lemon balm is governed by Jupiter (for its ability to bring peaceful expansion and order) and by Venus (for harmony and relaxation).
- Action in the clinical case:
Spagyric Melissa acts on ‘rhythm’. Tourette’s syndrome is a disruption of motor and mental rhythm. The spagyric remedy, containing mineral salts extracted from the calcination of the plant, helps to ‘embody’ the calm of the higher centres in the peripheral nerves. - Action on the ‘Signature’:
It helps the 25-year-old to ‘digest’ (Jupiter’s plants also work on digestion and the energetic liver) the frustrations and anger which, if not expressed properly, erupt as motor tics.
Practical Action and Dosage:
In combination with ExtraGem bud extracts:
- Afternoon (5.00–6.00 pm): 3–5 drops of Spagiric Lemon Balm in a little water or directly under the tongue.
- Why this timetable? This is the moment when the fatigue of the working or university day reaches its peak, leading to a surge in evening tics. Spagyric lemon balm acts as an emotional ‘shock absorber’.
Why does Spagyria ‘Close the Circle’?
In our clinical case, the introduction of Spagiria enables a shift from symptom management to a journey of self-awareness:
- Pranotherapy (Mercury): It has ‘cleansed’ the channels and removed the excess energy (Prana).
- Chamomile and Gemmo (Salt): They relaxed the muscle fibres and modulated neurotransmitters at a biochemical level (Materia).x
- Spagyrics (Sulphur): Helps the boy’s soul to no longer need the ‘tic’ as an outlet for internal pressure. The spagyric remedy teaches the nervous system a new order (Jupiter).
Final Summary
- Morning: 5 drops of Tilia tomentosa + 5 drops of Ficus carica (to stabilise the autonomic nervous system).
- Afternoon: 5 drops of Tilia tomentosa + 3 drops of Melissa Spagirica (psychosomatic support and rhythm regulation).
- Evening: 5 drops of Tilia tomentosa + chamomile tea (to help you sleep and relieve muscle tension).
- On a regular basis (every fortnight): Pranotherapy session focusing on the Ajna, Throat and Solar Plexus chakras to keep the energy channels open.
PLEASE NOTE:
Safety Warnings and Drug Interactions
If the patient is taking conventional medication (neuroleptics, benzodiazepines or antihypertensives such as clonidine), the following guidelines must be followed:
- Time interval: Take bud extracts and spagyric extracts at least 2 hours apart from synthetic medicines to avoid interfering with absorption.
- Monitoring of Sedation: it is advisable to start with minimal doses of lime blossom, lemon balm and chamomile, as these may enhance the sedative effect of neuroleptics and anxiolytics; keep an eye out for any excessive drowsiness. (In the previous version, one ‘can’ infer that you are reducing the medication)
- Blood Pressure Monitoring: Spagyric lemon balm and lime blossom may cause a slight relaxation of the blood vessels; monitor your blood pressure if you are taking antihypertensive medication to avoid sudden drops in blood pressure.
- No ‘do-it-yourself’ approaches: Holistic integration complements MEDICAL TREATMENT; it does not REPLACE it. Any changes to medication dosages must be agreed exclusively with your neurologist or psychiatrist.
Expected result:
Not only does the patient report fewer tics (the physical component), but they also feel a sense of ‘renewed balance’. They no longer feel like a ‘victim’ of their involuntary movements, but learn to sense the tension before it turns into a tic, managing to regulate it through their breathing or thanks to the new stability provided by the mineral salt from the spagyric plant.
This is true holistic healing: when the remedy not only ‘suppresses the problem’, but ‘teaches the body how to get better’.
Conclusion: The Big Picture and the Harmony of the Three Levels
This case demonstrates that Tourette’s syndrome cannot be reduced to a mere ‘glitch in the motor circuits’. Rather, it is the result of an excess of energy and psychological tension which, unable to find a harmonious outlet, ‘explodes’ within the body as it seeks a direction.
The effectiveness of this approach lies in the seamless integration of the four pillars of the programme:
- Pranotherapy: It acts on the energetic level (Spirit/Mercury), calming the electrical impulses at the root (Ajna) and clearing the motor discharge centres (Throat).
- Buds and Bud Extracts (ExtraGem): These act at a biochemical level (body/salts), nourishing and regulating the body’s internal environment through lime blossom and fig, thereby lowering the nervous system’s reactivity threshold.
- Chamomile: Acts as an immediate remedy, soothing the ‘surface heat’ and preparing the body for deep muscle relaxation.
- Spagyria: It acts as the connecting link on the psychosomatic level (Soul/Sulphur). Through the use of Spagyric Lemon Balm, the remedy not only supplies molecules but also ‘instructs’ the system thanks to the mineral salts extracted from the calcination of the plant. Spagyria transforms the instinctive reaction of the tic into a new inner stability, acting upon the rhythm and archetype of serenity (Jupiter).
Strengths of the Integrated Approach:
- The Balance of the Three Principles: respect for the alchemical triad. Pranotherapy liberates the Spirit, Gemmotherapy supports the Body, and Spagyria realigns the Soul.
- Respect for the biotype: The use of minimal doses (5 drops of ExtraGem Sarandrea and 3 drops of spagyric extract) ensures deep efficacy without overburdening the body, whilst respecting the extreme sensitivity of patients with Tourette’s syndrome.
- The Hierarchy of Healing: The process did not seek to ‘suppress’ the tic, but to manage it. First, the disturbed energy was calmed; then, the exhausted organ was nourished; and finally, the emotional significance of the disorder was integrated.
- Synergy between Heaven and Earth: The practical work on the chakras (Ajna/Throat) has found its natural foundation in the earth’s remedies, creating a solid bridge towards a renewed sense of physical and mental autonomy.
Ultimately, the success of this approach is not measured solely by a reduction in tics, but by the young person regaining their own ‘personal space’, where the body is no longer a battlefield, but a place of peaceful expression.
Note: This diagram illustrates an example of the integration of leading energy and herbal therapy techniques, aimed at promoting the individual’s overall well-being.
Disclaimer: This case is provided for informational purposes and to illustrate a holistic approach. Medical and specialist supervision is always required for the management of Tourette’s syndrome.
