PK Chhetri
Arthritis is a highly insidious and stubborn condition. Normally, it does not respond easily to treatment and requires life-long attendance and careful management, combined with medication. Sometimes orthopaedics fail miserably in treating such a disorder. In most case studies, I discovered stiffness of joints with severe pain even when slight movement of the joints was attempted. This is due to a gradual erosion of the bony support of joints for years and obviously no allopathic medicines worked on these patients. I apprehended constant use of painkillers for symptomatic alleviation had triggered more acidity in the system, which obviously resulted in constant erosion of bones. Though arthritis strikes both male and female population equally, yet women, after the onset of menopause, are more likely to be afflicted with this condition due to disturbance in normal production of hormones. So treatment requires a multidimensional approach.
An allopath may assign many reasons for the disease, such as bacteria, viruses, mycobacteria and fungi, because these can produce arthritis through infection. Certain viruses such as hepatitis B can produce polyarthritis via immune complex deposition. Arthritis symptoms are noticed in Lyme disease (this is caused by bacterial infection transmitted by ticks) and also after acute symptoms of diarrhoea due to salmonella, shingella and yersinia infections. The majority of individuals with post-dysentery arthritis syndrome are found to contain the human leucocyte antigen.
True, rheumatoid arthritis predisposes a patient towards septic arthritis, but it is aggravated in a person who is diabetic and whose immune system is highly compromised. In the allopathic system of medicines, I doubt there are any immune boosters. Indeed, allopathic medicines highly compromise immunity. Thus in advanced cancer, when allopathic medicines are administered, the disease immediately flares up and death is hastened. Unfortunately, there are few homeopathic or ayurvedic hospitals in the country, or even the world, to cater to such patients.
Arthritic symptoms usually appear with old age. Crystal deposition (uric acid – gout; calcium pyrophosphate – pseudo-gout) is mainly associated with gouty symptoms, though rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus and degenerative joint disease can also produce acute symptoms of arthritis. Ways to tackle the disease are grossly different in homeopathy and allopathic systems. A homeopath treats a patient as an individual, but an allopath is simply lost in the procedure of identifying the cause and taxes the patient with medical tests. The patient feels extremely harassed because his pocket is gradually emptied without any sign of relief. One of my beloved teachers was constantly administered painkillers by orthopaedics to relieve arthiritic pain, which led to his death from renal (kidney) failure.
According to Hahnemann, syphilis, either congenital or acquired, may be a causative factor. Allopaths treat syphilis by administering antibiotics. Though the acute symptoms are tackled, the disease remains internally within the system and continues to harm the body, in spite of VDRL test appearing negative. I have treated many who were prone to arthritic symptoms because they had syphilitic infection by simply administering a few doses of Syphilinum in high potency as supportive therapy. I have treated a spastic child, born in Japan, to relieve his arthritic symptoms. He had been taken to Germany to be treated by some eminent doctor but the treatment there failed. A case of bone erosion due to cervical spondylosis was treated by me. The patient came to consult me after spending around $15,000 in the USA simply on tests.
Arthritic symptoms are also aggravated by our sedentary mode of life combined with over-indulgence at the table, an acute attack of rheumatic fever in childhood or later in life, a family predisposition towards arthritis. Similarly, serum or vaccine prophylaxis or therapy is suspected to be the associated factors. In such cases. a few doses of Thuja Occidentalis in high potency proved to be of great relief. Infected teeth and tonsils coupled with cases of pyorrhoea are also factors that trigger the disease; but, I have observed, surgical intervention in such cases simply proved detrimental. Therefore, it is better to tackle the symptoms early by meticulously observing the rules of oral hygiene.
Starchy foods, a preference for sugary items, etc, also favour the development of arthritic troubles. Frequent use of saline cathartics or purgatives or antacid preparations are the contributory factors in the etiology of arthritis. Bone trauma may cause local infiltration of bone or bony joints and intensify the disease. But trauma alone cannot be blamed; the main factor is the rise in the uric acid level of the body. A progressive rise in the specific gravity of urine is invariably a sign of the onset of arthritis.Administration of Hymosa Q, Urtica Urens Q and Breberis Q instantly helps arrest the symptoms of pain and swelling and the sooner this is done the infection can be contained. In allopathy, for septic arthritis, immediate drainage and antibiotics are suggested. This is absolutely a wrong way of tackling the disease, because with this treatment the disease is further exacerbated, because the root cause persists. First, urinary symptoms have to be intercepted before any treatment is contemplated. The medicines that I have mentioned above will arrest symptoms of swelling and pain within hours if applied frequently with adequate amounts of water, though for permanent relief systematic treatment is required.
Medicines like Acid Benj are capable of curing the high uric acid tendency in a patient, but in every such case I have suggested a moderation in diet by completely avoiding acidic and non-vegetarian food. In fact, non-vegetarian foods are the root cause of every arthritic ailment. Bio-chemic twelve tissue salts, minus Kali Muir, are highly effective remedies. These can be taken in 6X potency safely. Natrum Sulph, Natrum Phos and Mag Phos in 6X potency are very good remedies to tackle pain and acidity. Calcarea Flour 6X is capable of repairing any bone erosion, whether it is due to spondylosis or arthritis or high uric acid. But liver function should invariably be corrected because dysfunction is the root cause of not only arthritis but other organ-related diseases. Though an early check is beneficial, advanced symptoms, if treated systematically, might negate the need for surgical intervention. A hopeless case of arthritis – the patient was more than 90 years old — has progressed miraculously under my treatment and now she is in a position to attend to personal work without any help.
But before any arthritic case is subjected to homeopathic treatment, certain precautions need to be taken: discontinue allopathic remedies, including laxatives; no vigorous massage is to be done to the affected part because this may increase arthritic infiltration — however, light massage is permissible; exercise limbs every day, brisk walk can be done according to one’s strength and the condition of the heart; exposure to cold should be avoided because this aggravates the disease; arthritic patients should be kept warm always and sunlight helps; the skin should not be kept dry, either olive oil or cold cream must be applied to keep it soft. In many cases, light hot and cold compress help relieve the pain.
White flour is to be avoided invariably; canned and processed foods should be avoided; any kind of sour food is contra-indicated. Discontinue beverages, including tea, coffee, alcohol, cocoa, etc. No tobacco and raw green vegetables to be taken liberally, such as cucumber, carrot, etc, but before being cooked or eaten these must be washed thoroughly in running water to remove all traces of insecticides. Intake of fruits is advised, but these should be peeled. Dried fruits should be taken sparingly and, most importantly, no food should be taken hot, only lukewarm.
With these precautions and proper homeopathic medicines, any arthritic symptoms can be easily tackled and cured.
(The writer is former joint secretary, Government Of West Bengal.)
Read more at http://www.thestatesman.com/news/evolve/through-homeopathic-lens/89202.html#rhC9RRFsdWUE117D.99
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