Arthritis is inflammation of one or more joints.
What is arthritis ? What causes arthritis ?
Arthritis is a joint disorder featuring inflammation. A joint is an area of the body where two different bones meet. A joint functions to move the body parts connected by its bones.
Types:-
There are many types of arthritis (over 100 identified, and the number is growing). The types range from those related to wear and tear of cartilage (such as osteoarthritis) to those associated with inflammation resulting from an overactive immune system (such as rheumatoid arthritis).
Causes :-
The causes of arthritis depend on the form of arthritis. Causes include injury (leading to osteoarthritis), metabolic abnormalities (such as gout and pseudo gout), hereditary factors, the direct and indirect effect of infections (bacterial and viral), and a misdirected immune system with autoimmunity (such as in rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematous).
What are risk factors for arthritis?
The major risk factors for most forms of arthritis are genes that are inherited from ancestors. Trauma-related arthritis is related to the risk of injury from specific activities.
What are arthritis symptoms and signs?
Symptoms of arthritis include pain and limited function of joints. Inflammation of the joints from arthritis is characterized by joint stiffness, swelling, redness, and warmth. Tenderness of the inflamed joint can be present.
Many of the forms of arthritis, because they are rheumatic diseases, can cause symptoms affecting various organs of the body that do not directly involve the joints. Therefore, symptoms in some patients with certain forms of arthritis can also include fever, gland swelling (swollen lymph nodes),weight loss, fatigue, feeling unwell, and even symptoms from abnormalities of organs such as the lungs, heart, or kidneys.
How is arthritis diagnosed, and why is a diagnosis important?
The doctor will review the history of symptoms, examine the joints for inflammation and deformity, as well as ask questions about or examine other parts of the body for inflammation or signs of diseases that can affect other body areas. Furthermore, certain blood, urine, joint fluid, and/or X-ray tests might be ordered. The diagnosis will be based on the pattern of symptoms, the distribution of the inflamed joints, and any blood and X-ray findings.
Earlier and accurate diagnosis can help to prevent irreversible damage and disability. Properly guided programs of exercise and rest, medications, physical therapy, and surgery options can idealize long-term outcomes for those with arthritis.
Is there a special diet for arthritis?
However, in general, oils of fish have been shown to have anti-inflammatory properties. Some arthritis suffers benefit from omega-3 fatty acid supplements.
• Gout is a particular type of arthritis that is clearly diet-related. Foods that are high in purines, especially red meats and shellfish, can worsen the condition. Moreover, certain foods elevate the levels of uric acid, including alcohol (especially beer) and those foods containing high amounts of fructose (such as the corn syrup found in soft drinks).
• For people with celiac disease, gluten-containing foods (wheat, barley, rye) can worsen joint pains.
What is the prognosis (outlook) for arthritis, and what are arthritis complications?
The outlook for patients with arthritis depends on its severity, complications, and whether or not there are non-joint manifestations of the disease. For example, rheumatoid arthritis can affect the lungs, kidneys, eyes, etc. Chronic joint inflammation can lead to permanent damage to the joint and loss of joint function, making movement difficult or impossible.
Homeopathy and arthritis :-
Homeopathy has a lot of scope in arthritis. The inflammation and the stiffness could be taken care by the medicine very well. To finalize the individual medicine we need to find out the symptomatology pain, stiffness, sleep disturbance, limitation of particular activities, or what? Where is it?Then the modalities – simply any factor which makes the problem worse or better , characteristics of the person in the physical and mental aspect should be considered. Hence a medicine will be selected which will suite his/ her constitution. Homeopathy when taken systematically can bring a lot of improvement and cure in the case of arthritis.
CASE :- Vanitha (32) came with the complaints of pain in multiple joints. Pain started first in the small joints then extended upto large joints. The pain was shifting in nature, never constant. Her pains started increasing in the twilight, better in the open air. Complaints always aggravated with intake of fatty food. On this basis homeopathic medicine was prescribed and the patient started recovering drastically now to be without any ache and pain .
