Arthritis
From Wiki4CAM
Arthritis is a general term. It literally refers to inflammation of joints. There are more than 100 types of arthritis. History and physical examination are the essential criteria to make diagnosis and treatment. Arthritis can occur in men and women of all ages. [1]
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Causes
Arthritis involves the breakdown of cartilage. Cartilage normally protects the joint, allowing for smooth movement. Cartilage also absorbs shock when pressure is placed on the joint, like walking. Without the usual amount of cartilage, the bones rub together, causing pain, swelling (inflammation), and stiffness. Other causes may include broken bone, infection (usually caused by bacteria or viruses), an autoimmune disease (the body attacks itself because the immune system believes a body part is foreign) and general "wear and tear" on joints. Often, the inflammation goes away after the injury has healed, the disease is treated, or the infection has been cleared.
With some injuries and diseases, the inflammation does not go away or destruction results in long-term pain and deformity. It leads to chronic arthritis. Osteoarthritis is the most common type and is more likely to occur as age goes up. It may occur in any of the joints, but most commonly in hips, knees or fingers. Risk factors for osteoarthritis include being overweight, previously injuring the affected joint, using the affected joint in a repetitive action that puts stress on the joint (baseball players, ballet dancers, and construction workers are all at risk).
Further, the cause is different from one type of arthritis to another. Following are some types of arthritis and their causes.
Osteoarthritis - Trauma/infection/ageing Rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis and systemic lupus erythematosus - Auto-immune Septic arthritis - Infection Gouty arthritis - Deposition of uric acid crystals in the joints and subsequent inflammation Pseudo gout - Precipitation of calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate crystals in the connective tissues
Types of arthrits
As mentioned above, there are over 100 types of arthrits are there. Following are few types of arthritis which are more prevalent.
Rheumatoid arthritis (in adults) Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (in children) Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) Gout Scleroderma Psoriatic arthritis Ankylosing spondylitis Reiter's syndrome (reactive arthritis) Adult Still's disease Viral arthritis Gonococcal arthritis Other bacterial infections (non-gonococcal bacterial arthritis ) Tertiary Lyme disease (the late stage) Tuberculous arthritis Fungal infections such as blastomycosis
Arthritis and autoimmunity
Some of the rheumatic diseases fall under autoimmune disorder, in which there is a failure of immunological process and the organism fail to recognise its own constituent. The patho-physiology of autoimmunity unfortunately involves the production of antibodies against the bodies’ own connective and other tissues, resulting in damaging of the tissues. These antibodies or immunoglobulins (Ig) in general are referred as IgG, IgA, IgM, IgD and IgE. Different medical condition is caused by different immunoglobulin (rheumatoid arthritis –IgM, systemic lupus erythematosus –IgG, IgA or IgM). These are identified by specific tests. However these tests do not show positive in all cases.
Signs and Symptoms
Signs and symptoms differ from type to type. Following are the general symptoms of arthritis. Joint pain Joint swelling Stiffness, especially in the morning Warmth around a joint Redness of the skin around a joint Reduced ability to move the joint
Exams and Tests
Detailed medical history is important to see if arthritis or another musculoskeletal problem is the likely cause of the symptoms. Physical examination may show that fluid is collecting around the joint. (This is called an "effusion.") The joint may be tender when it is gently pressed, and may be warm and red (especially in infectious arthritis and autoimmune arthritis). It may be painful or difficult to rotate the joints in some directions. This is known as "limited range-of-motion."
In some autoimmune forms of arthritis, the joints may become deformed if the disease is not treated. Such joint deformities are the hallmarks of severe, untreated rheumatoid arthritis.
Tests vary depending on the suspected cause. They often include blood tests and joint x-rays. To check for infection and other causes of arthritis (like gout caused by crystals), joint fluid is removed from the joint with a needle and examined under a microscope. Specific types of arthritis can be refered for further information.
CAM therapies for arthritis
Conventional therapy manages mainly with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to alleviate the pain. Many of CAM therapies are beneficial in arthritis.
Ayurveda
The ayurveda suggests that arthritis is caused primarily by an excess of ama and lack of agni. This can be caused by poor digestion and a weakened colon, resulting in the accumulation of undigested food and the buildup of waste matter. Poor digestion allows toxins to accumulate in the body, and problems with the colon allow the toxins to reach the joints. So, the way to treat arthritis is to stimulate the digestive fire (agni) and to suppress the ama. Ayurveda distinguishes three categories of arthritis, corresponding to vata, pitta, and kapha. To treat this condition properly, it is vital to carefully diagnose which type you have. [2]
Acupressure
Acupuncture
Herbalism
Osteopathy
Herbalism
Homeopathy
Homoeopathic approach is comprehensive and considers the individual’s mental, physical, pathological, lifestyle and other factors. Study of the case is of utmost importance. Case history includes, whether inflammation is present or not, number of joints involved, site of the joints involved, aggravating and ameliorating factors, type of pain and about extra-articular manifestations like rash, fever, nodules, etc. in order to understand the disease and choose a right remedy. Some of the frequently used homeopathic remedies are below.
Twelve tissue homeopathic remedies for arthirits
Ferrum phosphoricum At the commencement this remedy should be given in repeated doses when there are febrile symptoms present, and later on in the disease it may be given as an intercurrent. The joints are painful on moving, motion sets up and increases the pain. Tenalgia crepitans.
Kalium muriaticum In acute arthritis, for the swelling or when the tongue is coated white. It may be alternated with Ferrum phos. Movement aggravates the pains. It is useful especially after Ferrum phos. Natrium muriaticum Chronic arthritis, joints crack (if tongue and other symptoms correspond, acts probably by increasing the eliminations of the urate of sodium). Synovitis, gout, sore hamstrings (verified).
Natrium muriaticum Acute gout (after Ferr. phos.) Chronic gout, profuse, sour-smelling sweat. Rheumatic arthritis, especially of finger joints. Urine dark red. Pains go suddenly to heart; sore hamstrings. It seems to have also a marked effect in hot painful swellings of the knee joint.
Magnesium phosphoricum Useful as an intercurrent remedy for the pains (violent). The keynote is excruciating pains, spasmodic in character.
Kalium sulphuricum In rheumatic arthritis where the pains shift from one joint to another, aggravated by heat. Shifting and wandering rheumatic pains in the joints. Fungoid arthritis. Tumor albus, white swelling.
Silicea terra Suppuration of the joints.
Calcarea sulphurica Suppurative process in the joints.
Natrium sulphuricum In acute cases (attacks) of gout. This remedy should be alternated with Ferrum phos.. In chronic gout it alone suffices. Gout in the feet, acute and chronic. Rheumatic arthritis, especially in joints of fingers, pains suddenly go to heart, urine dark-red.
Calcarea phosphorica Rheumatic gout worse at night and in bad weather. Hygroma patellae. Hydrops genu.
Calcarea fluorica Gouty enlargements of the finger-joints. [3]
Other Homeopathic medicines
Colchicum autumnale This is the great old school remedy for gout; every case gets it in some form; and, strange to say, in the homoeopathic school it is one of the first remedies thought of, but not every case of arthritic trouble receives Colchicum from the careful homoeopathic prescriber. The typical case calling for Colchicum is where the swelling is red or pale, with extreme tenderness to touch, a tendency to shift about from joint to joint, and pains which are worse on the slightest motion. If the general symptoms of great prostration of the muscular system and abdominal bloating be present Colchicum is the remedy. Gastric symptoms and cardiac complications also characterize. It is more indicated when the smaller joints, fingers, toes, wrists and ankles are affected; the pains are very violent, patient cannot bear to have the parts touched or to have anyone come near him. Arnica has this fear that the part may be hit by anyone passing; it has also arthritic pains in the foot, worse towards evening, and a red, big toe joint which feels as though it had been sprained, so Arnica may be indicated well in gout. The Colchicum patient is apt to be exceedingly irritable and the gout is not apt to decrease this irritability. Unless Colchicum be given according to these indications it will do no permanent good. The habit of giving Colchicum to every case of gout in order to palliate the trouble may cause it to attack the heart or fly to other parts. Indeed in potency it is homoeopathic to gout, with metastasis to the heart.
Aconitum napellus Aconite is most useful in acute attacks of gout in the joints of the feet. It corresponds only to the onset and if continued for a day or two will cure many cases.
Ledum palustre Ledum is a useful remedy in gout as well as in many articular troubles. We have the symptoms that the ball of the great toe is swollen, sore and painful on stepping, drawing pains worse from warmth, pressure and from motion. It has also gouty nodosities in the joints; it differs from Bryonia in having a scanty instead of a profuse effusion; it is, perhaps, better adapted to hot swelling of the hip joint than is Bryonia. All the pains of Ledum travel upwards. Ledum is also useful after abuse of Colchicum. It may be the first remedy to use when the patient comes from allopathic hands, having been dosed with large doses of Colchicum, which is a very asthenic remedy, producing great muscular weakness, as we have seen. Ledum, it must be remembered, is a cold remedy, and attending all the symptoms is a general chilliness and lack of animal heat. Another drug having gouty nodosities in the joints is Guaiacum. This remedy has tearing pains in the extremities and contractions of the muscles. It is also especially useful for gouty inflammation affecting the knee joint.
Ammonium phosphoricum This is a useful remedy in constitutional gout where there are nodosities in the joints. It is not so much a remedy for the acute symptoms, but for chronic cases where there are deposits of urate of soda, concretions in the joints and the hands become twisted out of shape. Antimonium crudum has gouty nodes in the joints, but it is easily selected from its gastric symptoms. Urinary symptoms, strong urine, etc., would suggest Benzoic acid, and much red sand Lycopodium, both of which may be found useful in gout. Staphisagria has a similar application to gout when it becomes systematized, as has also Ammonium phosphoricum.
Rhododendron chrysanthum Rhododendron has enlargements of the joints not due to gouty deposits, worse during rest and on approach of a storm.
Urtica urens This remedy is said to cure more cases of gout than any other. Under its use pain and swelling subside and large quantities of sand are passed.
Picricum acidum Halbert mentions this remedy as useful in arthritis deformans, and thinks that treating the disease from the homoeopathic standpoint will yield best results. [4]
Hydrotherapy
Meditation
Mud Therapy
Naturopathy
Unani
References
- ↑ Medline Plus Medical Encyclopedia
- ↑ Holistic online.com-Ayurveda-Arthritis
- ↑ Boericke W., The Twelve Tissue Remedies of Schussler
- ↑ Dewey W. A., Practical Homeopathic Therapeutics
