Homoeopathy and Diseases: Joint Troubles

Joint troubles are extremely troublesome, pains, swellings, limited movements- all these might call for a change in lifestyle. You would have been climbing a 100 steps/day. Suddenly those pains in knee joints make it difficult for you to rise from your chair. This may not happen overnight but there is still the possibility of being crippled. Dangerous as it sounds, there are treatment options, physical therapy and most important of all preventive measures available. Yet most people begin reading about preventive measures once they start getting the troubles.

There are various types of joint troubles like inflammatory joint diseases (e.g. rheumatoid arthritis), degenerative joint diseases (e.g. osteo arthritis), crystal deposition disorders (e.g. gout), inflammations of the spine like ankylosing spondylitis, infectious arthritis, psoriatic arthritis so forth and so on. The causes, types of joint affected, the symptoms etc. vary with each type. Osteo arthritis is the most common of all joint troubles, followed by rheumatoid arthritis. 

Homoeopathy has much to offer for patients suffering from joint troubles. The physician makes the diagnosis from the symptoms and signs, orders a few blood tests and x-rays wherever necessary. Yet the focal point of homoeopathic prescribing is as always the detailed case taking. There are two options, either give an acute medicine to palliate the pains or go for the remedy that matches with the patient as a whole. The latter method is most recommended and works best for the patient. Caution during repetition of constitutional medicines is exercised. Too much repetition will lead to suppressions.

The homoeopathic medicines are not pain killers, steroids or any supplements. Rather they work to bring about a complete cure in most cases, or palliate the already damaged and crippled joints. With the correct remedy in the correct dose, there is no possibility of side-effects. A slight aggravation of the symptoms may follow for a few days. It is essential to remember not to resort to pain killers or sprays during this time. Hold steady. The pains and swellings lessen and the mobility increases. The time taken for the recovery varies from individual to individual. Some factors include how recent is the onset of the disease, how much damage has already taken place, the capacity of the body to respond to the medications, continuation of stress factors, exercises etc. The greater you care for your joints and the greater you stick to a healthy regime, the greater will be the recovery.

General considerations

·       Maintain the ideal body weight. Too much weight puts unwanted stress on the weight bearing joints like the hips and knees.

·       A balanced and healthy diet as always is necessary. Consume foods rich in omega 3 fatty acids (fish like tuna and mackerel, soy and canola oils, walnuts etc. ), vitamin C (citrus fruits, tomatoes, cabbage, green peppers, potatoes etc. ), D ( milk, yoghurt, sunlight etc.), and E (fish, peanuts and soy bean oil etc.), calcium and phosphate (milk, nuts, garlic, seeds, greens, beans, oysters etc.).

·       Avoid whole fat dairy, foods rich in trans fat and saturated fat, highly sweetened and salty food.

·       Moderate exercise program with low impact aerobics, power and strength training is helpful. Exercise helps reduce stiffness, improves strength and promotes weight loss. Walking is the easiest and cheapest of all.