Arthropathies and Homoeopathy : Articles

:: Arthropathies and Homoeopathy

Skeleton, the body frame, the attached muscles, ligaments and sheaths form the basic structure of human beings. So, the disorders associated with these parts form the biggest malady in human beings.

Back – There is a statistical record that the disorders of back are the commonest cause of sickness related absence from work. Back problems can be roughly divided into:
1) Disorders related to vertebral column 2) disorders related to spinal musculature.
How Homoeopathy helps?
Homoeopathic remedies help to tackle the root cause of the disorder. They alleviate the pain as well as prevent further damage to the stressed ligaments, muscles and bones.

In cervical spondylosis, there is spinal disc degeneration in cervical, i.e., neck region. The symptoms may include neck pain, giddiness etc. Remedies like Rhus tox, Lachananthes, Gelsemium, etc. along with certain neck exercises can avoid inconvenient neck belts.

In case of lumbago (low back pain) one must rule out spinal pathology, kidney stones, white discharge in women due to pelvic inflammatory disease, prostate pathologies and chronic fatigue syndrome or paraspinal musculitis. The treatment must be directed to tackle the cause. For example, women who have undergone caesarean section with spinal anaesthesia often complain of lumbago (low back pain). Remedies like Hypericum, Ledum pal etc. help them to get rid of it. Other remedies like Sepia, kali carb, Rhus tox, Arsenicum album, Lucopodium etc. help to relieve lumbar pathologies.

Arthritis of various joints – Arthritis is an inevitable degenerative process that affects various joints with age.
1) Shoulder pain – Though there can be various causes of shoulder pain, the most common are traumatic, degenerative or inflammatory in origin. Remedies like Ferrum met, Sanguinaria, Arnica, etc. are helpful particularle in shoulder pain.
2) Hand and wrist pain – Remedies like Ruta, Actea spicata, Kalmia, etc. act particularly in wrist pathologies.

Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease that mainly occurs as a result of aging process. It affects different joints including hip, knee, joints of hand, etc. There is aching type of pain usually provoked by the use of the joint. As the disease progresses, there can be limitation of movements and in later stages, there can be deformities.
Homoeopathic medicines like Ruta, Pulsatilla, Rhus tox, etc, act in 3 steps.
1) Alleviate pain
2) Arrest further progress of the disease and
3) Revert the pathology to certain extent. (Depending upon the individual response to drugs)

In Rheumatoid arthritis, RA factor, i.e., rheumatoid factor is positive. If it is an early rheumatoid arthritis, Homoeopathic remedies are capable of curing it completely. In later stages when deformities set in, Homoeopathic remedies arrest further damage and revert them to some extent. At least with these remedies, without any side effects, patients can carry out day-to-day activities without any hassles!

Published in Indian Express.