Homeopathy for Stuttering

About three million Americans stutter, or repeat words or word sounds, which results in the disruption of the normal flow of speech. Stuttering is a communication disorder that may develop at a young age, only occur under pressure or in anxiety-causing situations, or develop due to a traumatic event. Some people outgrow or learn to control their stutter with the help of a speech therapist. Many homeopathic remedies are well suited to treat the root causes of stuttering and can be effective at reducing the severity or frequency of stuttering.

Which Homeopathic Remedies Are Recommended for Stuttering?

When choosing the best homeopathic remedies, the homeopath considers the “whole picture.” What situations cause the person to stutter? How does the person react? In general, it is recommended to start with the lowest potency of the remedy, such as 6C or 12C. If the problem does not resolve, the stutterer is encouraged to try a higher potency of the same remedy. (The name of the remedy is given in italics, and its common name follows in parentheses.)

• If the person is speechless after a scare, the first remedy to try is Aconite (monkshood), which is excellent for sudden frights.
• When a person feels agitated after being asked a question and feels embarrassed and shy, Mercurius (mercury) is a good remedy.
• If a person stutters when nervous, the stuttering can be helped by Causticum (potassium hydrate), particularly when it is accompanied by hoarseness.

• For a person who is nervous and displays tic-like movements, and if the stuttering gets worse when the person gets excited, Agaricus (fly agaric) can be useful.

• For someone who is imaginative yet also excitable, and tends to get red-faced, the homeopath recommends Stramonium (thorn apple). This is especially useful for a person who struggles to get the words out and, when the words come, they seem to be spat out violently.
• For a person who tends to have muscle spasms and has labored speech, Cuprum metallicum (copper) can be helpful.
• For a person who produces incorrect syllables when speaking, Selenium (selenium) can be an effective treatment.
• If a person is overworked or overtired and begins to stutter, which leads to frustration, Nux vomica (vomit weed) can be of assistance.
• To help with other forms of stuttering, Arsenicum (arsenic oxide) has been shown to be effective.

What Is Homeopathy?

Homeopathy is a form of alternative medicine that was first conceived in the late 1700s by a German physician named Samuel Hahnemann. After noticing that bark from the cinchona tree was used successfully to treat malaria, Hahnemann developed a method to create highly diluted natural substances derived from minerals, animals, and plants. Homeopathic remedies are chosen based on the concept of “like cures like:” that is, a substance that can cause the symptoms of an ailment can also cure it.

Is Homeopathy Safe?

Modern science and allopathic (conventional) medicine cannot easily explain why and how homeopathy works. As a result, homeopathy has caused controversy in the medical establishment.

However, homeopathic remedies have been found to be effective in a variety of double-blind studies. During World War II, the British government studied the effectiveness of homeopathic remedies on volunteers, and found that the patients who received the homeopathic remedies showed significant improvement.

Furthermore, homeopathic remedies do not have dangerous side effects, unlike some allopathic medications and herbal remedies.

What Is Stuttering?

Stuttering is a speech disorder. When a person stutters, he or she may struggle to begin a word, or may repeat a word, a syllable, or a word sound over and over. Some people stutter more when they are speaking to a crowd or talking on the telephone. Curiously, stutterers do not generally have fluency problems when they sing.

The risk factors for stuttering include:

• Having a parent, sibling, or other family member who stutters.
• Being male.
• Being over age three and a half.
• Having stuttered for six to 12 months, or more.
• Tending to make speech-sound errors.
• Having difficulty making oneself understood.
• Having difficulty following directions.

Stuttering occurs most often in children between two and six years of age, the formative years of language development. Most children grow out of stuttering without the intervention of a speech therapist. It is estimated that less than 1% of adults stutter. Famous adults who stutter include James Earl Jones, Tiger Woods, Johnny Damon, John Stossel, and Julia Roberts.

Several possible causes for stuttering exist. The disorder tends to run in families, although researchers have not yet identified the gene or genes responsible for stuttering. Developmental stuttering, which children outgrow, happens when a child is searching for the right word and is having difficulty finding it. One form of stuttering, called neurogenic, results from the brain being unable to control the various mechanisms involved in speaking, such as the tongue, lips, and vocal cords. Another form of stuttering is called psychogenic, which means originating in the mind. This form of stuttering often occurs in people who have suffered some trauma or who have mental illness.

Additional Resources

Bozzuto, Anne, RN, BSN, MA, and Bozzuto, Thomas M., DO, DI Hom. Homeopathy: Herbs, and Hypnosis: Common Practices in Complementary and Alternative Medicine. In Jacksonville Medicine, January 2000, pp. 11–18.

National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders on Stuttering.

Reichenberg-Ullman, Judyth, ND, MSW, DHANP. Homeopathic Treatment of Stuttering.

Risk Factors from The Stuttering Foundation