A Case Report of Burning Mouth Syndrome Treated with Individualised Homeopathy

Abstract

Introduction Burning mouth syndrome (BMS) is a rare disease of unknown origin. No efficient treatment is known, and integrative approaches are warranted. So far, individualised homeopathy (iHOM) has not been evaluated or reported in any peer-reviewed journal as a treatment option.

Methods At the Centre of Complementary Medicine at a university institute in Switzerland, a 38-year-old patient with BMS and various co-morbidities was treated with iHOM between July 2014 and August 2018. The treatment involved prescription of individually selected homeopathic single remedies. During follow-up visits, outcome was assessed with two validated questionnaires concerning patient-reported outcomes. To assess whether the documented changes were likely to be associated with the homeopathic intervention, an assessment using the modified Naranjo criteria was performed.

Results Over an observation period of 4 years, an increasingly beneficial result from iHOM was noted for oral dysaesthesia and pains as well as for the concomitant symptoms.

Conclusion Considering the multi-factorial aetiology of BMS, a therapeutic approach such as iHOM that integrates the totality of symptoms and complaints of a patient might be of value in cases where an association of psychological factors and the neuralgic complaints is likely.

Keywords

burning mouth syndrome - pain management - integrative medicine

Highlights

• During the course of treatment, validated questionnaires were used for the documentation of the results and details on the homeopathic prescriptions were given alongside the conventional treatments.

• There was a likely causative correlation between the received treatment and the clinical outcome of the patient.

Availability of Data and Materials

Data for this report are confidential. Anonymised material may be obtained from the author.

Ethics Approval and Consent to Participate

Approval of the Ethics Committee of Bern Canton was obtained with the request ID 2017–00848, after receiving the patient's consent that the coded case data would be summarised and evaluated.

Consent for Publication

Informed consent for publication was given by the patient. The signed document is confidential.

Authors' Contributions

Dr. K. Gaertner was responsible for data documentation and the preparation of the manuscript. Dr. M. Frei-Erb supervised the first author and added to the manuscript.

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