RA : RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS : TREATMENT WITH HOMEOPATHY

Homeopathy has been found to be very effective in treating rheumatoid arthritis mainly because it is an autoimmnue disorder – which basically means that the body’s own defences start eating up the joint tissue.

Homeopathy works by optimising the functions of our defence system. A well-directed treatment can slow down or even stop the progression of this disease. Homeopathic medicines can be of great help when these are supported by conventional treatment.

RA or rheumatoid arthritis (rue-ma-TOYD arth-write-tis) involves inflammation in the lining of the joints and/or other internal organs. It affects many different joints. It is chronic in nature and can be a disease of flare-ups. RA is a systemic disease that affects the entire body and is one of the most common forms of arthritis. Inflammatory cells release enzymes that may digest bone and cartilage. The involved joint can lose it shape and alignment, resulting in pain and loss of movement.

Another feature of rheumatoid arthritis is that it varies a lot from person to person. For some people, it lasts only a few months or a year or two and goes away without causing any noticeable damage. Other people have mild or moderate disease, with periods of worsening symptoms and periods in which they feel better. Still others have severe disease that is active most of the time, lasts many years, and leads to serious joint damage and disability.

The cause of rheumatoid arthritis is not known. However, it is known that RA is an autoimmune disease. The body’s immune system does not operate as it should, resulting in the immune system attacking healthy joint tissue and causing inflammation and subsequent joint damage. Researchers suspect that agent-like viruses may trigger RA in some people who have an inherited tendency for the disease. Many people with RA have a certain genetic marker called HLA-DR4. Researchers know that there are other genes that influence the development of RA.

Finding the right homeopathic remedy is often a challenging job in chronic disorders. Among the most common homeopathic preparations for RA are Arnica, Rhus toxicodenron (from poison ivy), Bryonia (wild hops), Apis (from bee venom) and Ledum (from marsh tea).

Avoid self-medication is such diseases. Homeopathy is an individualised therapy, and a practitioner needs to take a detailed history of your health, lifestyle, preferences and symptoms to categorise your “constitutional type” and match this information to a vast data bank of remedies before a prescription can be made.