Rheumatoid Arthritis and its Treatment

Rheumatoid Arthritis and Homeopathy

Weather is known to have an effect on rheumatoid arthritis. It is quite known that arthritis patients show an increase in their symptoms during cold weather. Winters can be very bad for some of them. Even wet weather aggravates the condition for many patients. Some RA (rheumatoid arthritis) patient seems to be too sensitive about weather changes. So much so that they often come up saying that they know ? it,s going to rain? as their joints start to ache.

Homeopathy can be a great boon for all those suffering from rheumatoid arthritis. As Homoeopathic prescription is based upon carefully analysis of the symptoms of the patients, it becomes a system of medicine that understands and treat the patients individualized disease characteristics deeply enough to ensure the complete elimination of the disease from the roots.

What is rheumatoid arthritis and how homoeopathy can help?

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic disorder that affects the joints. The lining of the joints (synovium) gets inflamed and slowly gets destroyed. This causes the patients to suffer from pain, aches and stiffness in joints and eventually the joints to get deformed. The exact cause is uncertain but it is believed that it is an autoimmune disorder. This means that body’s own defense cells attack the joint lining and cause gross changes in them. Although it affect anybody at nearly all ages, this disorders is more common in women and is more common between the ages of 20-50. Diagnoses of arthritis is made on combination of factors; by assessing medical history, performing a physical examination, ordering specific laboratory tests, and x-rays

The Scope of homoeopathic treatment in rheumatoid arthritis is very favorable. But the patient needs to understand that the homeopathic system is aiming to clear out the disease from the body and not trying merely to suppress or give temporary relief .Thus it could take a while before one experiences relief. The time for its treatment is dependent on various factors-The chronicity of the disease (the duration since the disease has been in the body), genetic propensity and the extent of damage.

Although it is not very clear as how homeopathy works in rheumatoid arthritis, it is hypothesized that homoeopathic medicines regulate the immune system and deactivates the misdirected immune cells. They also help in reducing the inflammation in the joints too. Reversal of deformity with homoeopathy is still under debate and nothing conclusive can be said about it.

What kind of homoeopathic medicines are used in treating rheumatoid arthritis and how safe are they?

Homoeopathy works on the principle of ‘like cure like ‘ this in homoeopathic terms means that substances which in their raw states produce symptoms similar to the disease have the potential to stimulate the body’s own restorative process for a similar illness when given in an activated dilution.

Homoeopathic medicines that are used in treating rheumatoid arthritis are mainly from all plant, mineral kingdom. They are then highly diluted and succused (shaken in a specific way).These activated dilutions then stimulates our body’s own restorative systems to eradicate the disease. When rightly prescribed, they are extremely safe.

Is it possible that one can use homoeopathic medicines on their own?

Firstly one has to realize that rheumatoid arthritis is a complex chronic disorder and needs to be evaluated properly before any prescription is made. Secondly, homoeopathy is a very individualized system of medicine. For example the prescription for the arthritis patient that gets an increase of symptoms in cold weather will be totally different from the one who shows an increase during wet weather. That is why Homoeopathy is called as a symptom based system of medicine. Selecting the right homeopathic medicine also requires complete analysis of our body on various levels- mental physical and the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis. Thus one should completely avoid self medication.

This feature ( authored by Dr. Vikas Sharma ) was earlier published in The Tribune(north India’s largest circulated daily newspaper). Dr. Vikas Sharma is regular Homeopathic columnist for The Tribune.You can mail him at vikas@drhomeo.com