ARTHRITIS AND HOMEOPATHY

FACTS

· Arthritis is considered to be a leading cause of disability in the world.

· Joint pain is a common symptom that may be a manifestation of a variety of rheumatic disorders, including those related to inflammation, cartilage degeneration, crystal deposition, infection, and trauma.

· There are around 170 rheumatic diseases, but all have one common feature: they usually affect the joints.

· Some of these diseases affect small joints, some large joints and in some joints of spine get affected. Besides joints, they may also involve related structures like muscles, tendons, and bursa (small bags of lubricating fluid that separate two or more muscles and tendons).

· Some common joint disorders include Osteoarthritis, Rheumatoid arthritis, Gout, Cervical Spondylosis, Ankylosing and Infective arthritis.

· Common presenting symptoms are i.e. pain, stiffness, swelling, limitation of movement, weakness and fatigue.

· Immediately meet your doctor if :

1. Arthritis is seriously affecting the quality of your life.

2. Symptoms are not relieved even after treatment.

3. Your joint pains wake you up at night.

4. Your pain is so severe that you can walk only a short distance.

5. Your X-rays show significant damage in the joint.

· Monitoring of Arthritis - Monitoring of the disease from time to time is a must to know the progress of disease. It can be done with the help Blood tests and X-ray.

· Control body weight - People who are 20% or more over their normal bodyweight tend to have more problem with their arthritis. Excess bodyweight puts an extra strain on the weight bearing joints (like knee, legs, feet and spine) and increases the pain.

· EXERCISE AND ARTHRITIS - Exercising forms an integral part of the arthritis control plan and also helps in lifting your spirits. It helps to maintain normal muscle strength, joint structure and function of joint.

· Some tips for exercising include:

1. Before starting an exercise program always consult your doctor and get an individualized exercise plan made for yourself.

2. Identify the type of exercise you feel more comfortable with. Wear comfortable shoes and clothes.

3. If doing exercises for the first time, do it for 10-15 minutes and then gradually increase the duration. Moreover, always do some 'warm up' exercises (like gently stretching your body) before starting.

4. Brisk walking is considered to be the best exercise. Aerobic exercises like jogging, swimming, cycling are also very beneficial.

5. Cool down for 5-10 minutes after doing the exercises. Do this by continuing your exercise at a slower pace.

6. Do not overdo the exercises. Avoid any jerky movements during exercise.

7. Avoid exercising during flare-ups.

8. Stop exercising immediately if you have sudden pain in the joint, severe pain in chest, severe breathlessness, dizzy feeling or sick feeling in the stomach.

HOMEOPATHIC APPROACH

· The goals of treatment are to relieve pain, maintain joint function, prevent joint deformity and prevent complications.

· Reports of joint pain and tenderness in any type of joint disease are influenced by the patient's emotional state and pain threshold.

· There is no single specific remedy for all the cases of Arthritis, as homeopathy treats " MAN IN DISEASE NOT DISEASES IN MAN". HOMEOPATHY goes into your deep study, by considering your immediate sufferings, your past illnesses, your hereditary tendencies and family history, your emotional status as a whole - during illness and otherwise, your reactions and behavior while under stress your liking and disliking in food, drink, temperature, weather etc. and many more things which comprise the constitution of the individual to select an appropriate remedy to stimulate immune system as a whole. Therefore it becomes important to individualize each and every case at its merits and set parameters of improvement accordingly.

· With CONSTITUTIONAL HOMEOPATHIC TREATMENT, as the auto regulatory processes normalize, the destruction or degeneration processes are gradually stopped and the repair processes in our body are enhanced, resulting in healthy joints in a healthy individual, i.e. IN A HOLISTIC WAY.

· Parameters of improvements are

1. General improvement -Improvement in general health and associated complaints of general nature i.e. sleep, stamina, spirit etc.

2. Improvement at joint level - Increased capability, strength and mobility i.e. Clinical improvement in disease can be evaluated by INCREASE IN THE FREEDOM experience in the joint movement, increased ability to walk, diminished pain and discomfort at work involving particular joint etc. The quality of life improved, though subtle to evaluate but is an important tool for assessment of improvement. Increase in movements can be measured by noting down range or degree of angles.

3. Improvement in Lab Tests - Periodic x-rays and blood tests can help substantiate the improvements.