Rheumatoid Arthritis Homeo Approach
The course of RA can be quite variable
The course of RA can be quite variable.
Some patients may experience only a mild oligo articular illness of brief duration with minimal joint damage, but most will have a relentless progressive poly arthritis with marked functional impairment.
Etiology
The cause of RA remains unknown. It has been suggested that RA might be a manifestation of the response to an infectious agent in a genetically susceptible host.
A number of possible causative agents have been suggested, including Mycoplasma, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), cytomegalovirus, parvovirus, and rubella virus, but convincing evidence that these or other infectious agents cause RA has not emerged.
Pathology and Pathogenesis
Microvascular injury and an increase in the number of synovial lining cells appear to be the earliest lesions in rheumatoid synovitis.
Before the onset of clinical symptoms, the perivascular infiltrate is predominantly composed of myeloid cells, whereas in symptomatic arthritis, T cells can also be found, although their number does not appear to correlate with symptoms. As the process continues, the synovium becomes edematous and protrudes into the joint cavity as villous projections.
Clinical Manifestations
Onset
Characteristically, RA is a chronic polyarthritis. In approximately two-thirds of patients, it begins insidiously with fatigue, anorexia, generalized weakness, and vague musculoskeletal symptoms until the appearance of synovitis becomes apparent.
In 10% of individuals, the onset is more acute, with a rapid development of polyarthritis, often accompanied by constitutional symptoms, including fever, lymphadenopathy, and splenomegaly.
Signs and Symptoms of Articular Disease
Pain, swelling, and tenderness may initially be poorly localized to the joints. Pain in affected joints, aggravated by movement, is the most common manifestation of established RA.
Generalized stiffness is frequent and is usually greatest after periods of inactivity. Morning stiffness of is an almost invariable feature of inflammatory arthritis.
Synovial inflammation causes swelling, tenderness, and limitation of motion.
Warmth is usually evident on examination, especially of large joints such as the knee, but erythema is infrequent.
Characteristic changes of the hand include
(1) radial deviation at the wrist with ulnar deviation of the digits, often with palmar subluxation of the proximal phalanges ("Z" deformity)
(2) hyperextension of the proximal inter phalangeal joints, with compensatory flexion of the distal inter phalangeal joints (swan-neck deformity)
(3) flexion contracture of the proximal inter phalangeal joints and extension of the distal inter phalangeal joints (boutonnire deformity)
(4) hyperextension of the first inter phalangeal joint and flexion of the first meta carpo phalangeal joint with a consequent loss of thumb mobility and pinch.
Extra articular Manifestations
1.Rheumatoid nodules
2.Rheumatoid vasculitis
3.Pleuropulmonary manifestations
4.Felty's syndrome consists of chronic RA, splenomegaly, neutropenia, and, on occasion, anemia and thrombocytopenia.
5.Osteoporosis
Laboratory investigations:
Complete blood picture
Erythrocyte sedimentation rate
Synovial fluid analysis
Rheumatoid factor
Radiographs of affected joints
Homoeopathic approach:
Causticum:
The symptoms calling for Causticum are a stiffness of the joints.
The tendons seem shortened and the limbs are drawn out of shape. It is a sort of rheumatoid arthritis.
There are drawing muscular pains sand soreness of the parts
of which the patient lies.
It has been found useful in rheumatism about the articulations of the jaw.
Ledum:
Ledum is one of our best remedies for rheumatism ands gout, especially the latter.
The great symptom which has always been regarded as the
distinctive characteristic is the direction the pains takes, namely,
going from below upwards.
Ledum seems to haves a predilection for the smaller joints. Nodes form in them and the pains travel up the limbs.
The pains are made worse from the warmth of the bed.
Pulsatilla:
Pulsatilla rheumatism are the aggravation from warmth, aggravation in the evening, and the relief from cold.
The knee, ankle and tarsal joints are the most usual seat of the
trouble when Pulsatilla is indicated.
There is, too a restlessness with the remedy, the pains are so severe that the patient is compelled to moves, and slow, easy motion relieves.
The joints are swollen and the pains are sharp and stinging, with a feeling of subcutaneous ulceration.
Kalmia:
Kalmia is another of the remedies which have wandering rheumatic
pains, and it is especially useful in rheumatism affecting the chest,
or when rheumatism or gout shifts from the joints to the heart, driven
there perhaps by external applications.
It also has tearing pains in the legs, without swelling, without fever, but with great weakness, and in this symptom of weakness it resembles colchicum.
The pains about the chest in Kalmia cases shoot down into the stomach and abdomen.
The muscles of the neck are sore and the back is lames.
Cimicifuga :
It is a rheumatic remedy; its chief symptom is great aching in the
muscles, and this right in the fleshy part of the muscles, the belly
of the muscles rather than the extremities.
It differs from Rhus by not acting on fibrous structures, being rather a remedy for muscular rheumatism.
Rheumatism in the muscles, coming on suddenly and of great severity, worse at night and in wet and windy weather, will find its
remedy in Cimicifuga.
Colchicum:
It is especially useful for rheumatic affections in debilitated persons
those who areas weak-weakness being the characteristic.
It is a remedy too, for the smaller joints.
by: Gen Wright
Safe Childrens Outdoor Toys Hearth Products For The Fireplace Questions You Should Ask Your Carpet Cleaner Choices Galore - Outdoor Decorative Concrete A Small Amount Of Plain Stages To Install Wiring A Doorbell Digestive Simple Home Remedies for Improve Digestion Essential Characteristics Of Boston Real Estate Agents The Growing Boston Real Estate Market How To Make Your Home Green Real Estate Athens Greece Offering Great Property Great Features That Your Home Theater Video Projector Must Have Septecemia Homeo Cure Amebiasis Homeo Cure