Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease.

Caused due to mechanical stress and covert low grade inflamatory process.

Due to excessive mechanical stress there is increased in demand from factors responsible for repair mechanism. Initially this repair mechanism repairs as it normally should but then it becomes insufficient to repair with same mechanism so it starts compensatory mechanism where in, it tries to maintain structural aspect but at cost of quality of structural components which again due to its inferior quality gets damaged soon further due to prolonged regular mechanical stress these damages gets accumulated even further and now even compensatory mechanism fails to keep up with the amount of damage that’s been done , this starts erosion of the cartilage and the underlying bone and there is general degeneration of joint.

WHAT ARE THE RISK AND CAUSATIVE FACTORS FACTORS OF OSTEOARTHRITIS?

• Mechanical injury like trauma causing damage to joint or any of its component useful in maintaining strenght structure gait and support to joint.
• Mechanical stress due to different length of either legs
• Mechanical stress due to neurological muscular disorder of muscles supporting that particular joint
• Those who never had habit of running or jogging during their childhood or young age if suddenly starts running in excess on later age, or running along with an injury cuases severe mechanical wear and tear injury to joint.
• Abnormal body gait and habitual abnormal postures
• Genetics and hereditary
• Hormone levels especially sex hormones
• Metabolic syndrome and obesity( debated as its not the weight thats causing mechanical damage but rather its fats thats responsible to cause metabolic disorder contributing to osteorthritis)
• Diet and Lifestyle
• Prolonged regular mechanical stress and insufficient self repair causing accumulation of damages and later resulting into prolonged inflamation causes osteoarthritis.
• Prevailing condition in body like Osteoporosis, metabolic disorders, autoimmune diseases, joint infections, congenital joint anomaly, certain syndromes like marfan syndrome, elher danlos syndrome, inflamatory diseases like lyme’s disease perthe’s disease

PATHOGENESIS OF OSTEOARTHRITIS

Chondrocytes are responsible to maintain elastic and tensile strength of cartilage by producing collagen and extracellular matrix which maintains hydration by compressive force driving water out and hydrostatic and osmotic pressure drawing water in.

Constant damage to cartilage puts extra load on chondrocytes ;if they aren’t able to repair the damage by producing sufficient collagen and extracellular matrix ; then they start producing different type of collagen just to maintain the structure as far as possible but then this collagen has a different character of retaining more water then the former which spoils the elastic and tensile strength of cartilage as a whole. This further damages the cartilage to the point where it starts disintegrating and shedding off in synovial space which puts extra load on synovium to clear it off for which synoviocytes triggers inflamatory response and synovitis and general mild inflamatory process in joint which gets prolonged due to constant mehanical stress and accumulated damages and finally inflamatory products accumulates damaging joint even further eroding cartillage and bone causing fibrillations and also reduced bone mineral density at site is observed (causation is in debate); finally there is general degeneration of joint leading to pain inflamation and loss of regular function of the affected joint.

WHAT ARE SYMPTOMS OF OSTEOARTHRITIS?

• Low grade inflamation and degeneration causes pain due to which there may be loss of range of movement of a joint along its axis in varing degrees from mild to severe.
• This loss of ability of movement further causes dysuse atrophy of muscles related to that particular joint and due to degenerative changes the joint becomes wider which gives typical lean muscle and wide joint looks, like in the Heberden’s Nodes and Bouchard’s Nodes in fingers
• Osteoarthritis particularly involves weight bearing joint and joints more prone to mechanical stress like knee joint; lumbar spine cervical spine hip joint joints of fingers and less commonly other joints like ankle joint shoulder joint etc
• It may present in one joint or in multiple joints at a time.
• Exertion and motion aggravates the complaints and rest ameliorates the complaints.
• Morning stiffness of affected joint is present in majority cases  though not a specific symptom.
• Aggravation in cold climate, high humidity,  low atmospheric pressure is seen in many cases tough not consistent every-time.
• Crepitation on movement or pressure are observed in affected joint.
• Surrounding muscle spasms and when vertebral bodies are affected the spinal nerve corresponding to it may get compressed leading to spasms paraesthesia myalgia and cramps to correrponding musscle the affected nerve supplies.
• Joint effusion, especially of knee joint are see not too infrequently.

DIAGNOSIS OF OSTEOARTHRITIS

In most cases sufficient clinical evidence supports the diagnosis but an X ray is required not only to reconfirm diagnosis but also to evaluate to amount of damage within as pain and other clinical symptoms are not indicator of the amount of damage within; in many cases we may also need to exclude other conditions for which further related investigations should be done.

HOMOEOPATHIC MANAGEMENT OF OSTEOARTHRITIS

Once its established that the patient is suffering from osteoarthritis the homoeopathic management of the case will be as follows

As per my classification criteria Osteoarthritis falls under Mechanically mediated type of arthritis

Under mechanical type of arthritis falls osteoarthritis and other types of arthritis caused due to mechanical injuries in such types the case is usually tale tale and shows basic picture of mechanical wear n tear which might be due to poor constitution inherited or might be acquired later on due to external inimical reasons.

In such cases it is necessary to consider that basically the constitution is lacking the capability to repair regenerate and maintain proper quality of joint cartilage and underlying bone and has tendency towards chronic sub-acute inflamation. in such cases it is important to take complete history of patient and family with details of gestational period and individulisation based on Peculiars should be derived forindividualised  remedy selection for complete annihilation of condition;  if not done so the patient might find relief for time being but the symptoms might keep relapsing with time again and again.

In many cases the repair and regeneration mechanisms are sufficient but mechanical wear and tear are in greater proportion and on regular basis so damage tends to accumulate, in such cases there is not much need to go deep into deriving constitution and treatment approach should aim towards elimination of maintaining cause that is excessive mechanical wear and tear and suppliment with nutritious diet and rest to affected part and symptomatic homoeopathic medicines based on theraputics will also work well.

Homoeopathic Medicines for Arthritis with its symptoms and indications:

• RHUS TOXICODENDRON usfull in almost all types of joint and musculoskeletal complaints where the symptom call for the medicine like stiffness of joints aggravatedon rest and ammeleorated on motion in any ailment involving musculoskeletal system,  rheumatic joint affections, sprain and injury on joints etc
• ARNICA MONTANA blunt injury and trauma, sore lame bruised sensation with swelling concussion and contusion call for this remedy
• ACTEA SPICATA pain stiffness and swelling of small joints especially of hands , good remedy for post viral arthralgia like in chickengyunya where small joints are involved
• BRYONIA stiffness and pain with hot swelling, redness of joints with stitching and tearing pain aggravation on least motion every spot is painful on slightest pressure
• LEDUM PAL gouty arthritis involving small joints of extremities, hot swollen joints with throbbing pain, gouty nodosities, pain in ball of great toe, podagra, swollen ankles and painful soles, aggravation on warmth of bed , rheumatism starting from lower extremities and ascending upwards. right side more involved compared to left.
• HYPERICUM PERFOLIATUM degenerative changes of joints involving nerves, sciatica, coccygodynia, cervical and lumbarspondylosis with nerve compression, tingling burning and numb sensation with lancinating pain calls for the remedy, darting pain of shoulders , cramps in calf muscles, pain in tips of toes and fingers, sensation of pressure along the ulnar side if arm.
• PLANTAGO MAJOR helps relieve bony snd neuralgic pain in arthritis
• BELLIS PERENIS soreness lameness of joints and muscles, rheumatic joint affections, sciatica where pain radiates down the anterior portion of thigh, sensation as if elastic band is tied around wrist feeling of contration of wrist joint, Railway spine,  sprain and bruises of joints and muscles, good remedy where varicose veins complicate case of arthritis or both are coexisting in any patient.
• ACTEA RACEMOSA Rheumatism affecting intercostal region back and neck, cervical spondylosis caising nerve compression and electric shock like shooting pain comes suddenly reaches peak and goes suddenly, stiffness and pain in tendo-achilles. sensation of heaviness in lower extremities, heavy aching tensive pain with twitching and jerking of limbs.
• APIS MELIFICA swelling of joint with synovitis and synovial effusion, spetic arthritis, red hot swollen joint , pain on sloghtest pressure or motion, gout , rheumatoid arthritis , post viral arthritis and arthralgia
• CALCAREA CARBONICA osteoarthritis, degenarative changes in any joint , osteomalacia or osteoporosis causing joint degeneration, open sutures and fontanale in children, rickets , kyphosis and other loss of normal curvatures of spine, pigeon chest, fractures injuries of bones and joints
• CALCAREA PHOSPHORICA osteoarthritis due to calcium deficiency , musculoskeletal complaints of old age, developmental musculoskeletal anomaly of growing children, fractures injuries of bones and joints.
• BELLADONNA red hot inflamed joint with much pain and swelling
• ACONITUM NAPELLUS Acute onset of pain and swelling , can be used in first 24hours or first stage of any acute inflamatory condition with severe mental restlessness fear fright and anxiety.

For understanding of arthritis in general, its case-taking and homoeopathic management   visit following link

Homoeopathic Arthritis Management