RHEUM AID TABLETS

Rheumatism is defined as any of various conditions characterized by inflammation or pain in muscles, joints or fibrous tissue. Rheumatic or musculoskeletal conditions include more than 150 diseases and can be categorized as joint diseases, physical disability, spinal disorders and conditions resulting from trauma.

Most common symptoms of rheumatic diseases are-w

• Aching and pain involving joints
• Swelling
• Stiffness or restricted movement
• Fatigue
• Malaise
• Fever
• Weight loss

Rheumatic diseases are one of the most common cause of disability. The conditions that are most prevalent in population are:

1) Osteoarthritis: Osteoarthritis, commonly called wear and tear arthritis, affects the weight bearing joints like hips, knees, and spine. It can also affect fingers, thumb, neck and large toe. Symptoms include pain and soreness especially on movement of joint, stiffness after rest, joint swelling, etc. Worldwide estimates are that 9.6% of men and 18.0% of women aged over 60 years have symptomatic osteoarthritis. 80% of those with osteoarthritis will have limitations in movement, and 25% cannot perform their major daily activities of life.

2) Gout: Gout is a metabolic disease marked by painful inflammation of joints, deposits of monosodium urate crystals in and around joints and usually an excessive amount of uric acid in the blood. It is manifested by an acute monoarthropathy with severe joint pain, redness and swelling affecting most commonly (60%) the metatarsophalangeal joint of big toe, but can affect other joints too.

3) Calcium Pyrophosphate Dehydrate Arthropathy: Acute CPPD (Pseudogout) presents as an acute monoarthropathy similar to gout, and affects larger joints like hip, knee or wrist. It is spontaneous and self-limiting but can be triggered by illness, injury or trauma.

Chronic CPPD presents as a polyarthritis and severe destructive changes are seen.

4) Infectious Arthritis: Infectious or Septic Arthritis is caused by bacterial, viral or fungal infections. It presents with an acutely inflamed joint and people with pre-existing joint disease, Diabetes mellitus, Chronic renal failure, prosthetic joints and immunosuppression are more at risk.

5) Reactive Arthritis: It is an acute non-purulent arthritis complicating an infection elsewhere in the body. It is mostly caused by infection with enteric bacteria like Shigella, Salmonella, Campylobacter species and genitourinary infection with Chlamydia trachomatis, E. coli, etc. it manifests in individuals in the age group of 18-40 years with history of enteric or genitourinary infection and symptoms include acute, symmetric, oligoarticular arthritis affecting lower extremities mostly. There may be enthesitis, dactylitis, or sausage digit, plantar fasciitis and Achilles tendinitis associated with it. Inflammation can also affect the eyes, urethra, prostate, cervix, salpinx, skin and heart.

6) Psoriatic arthritis: It is a chronic inflammatory arthritis affecting 5-42% of persons with psoriasis. Onset of psoriasis precedes development of joint disease, but it can be the other way around in some cases. Joint involvement can occur in 5 patterns - asymmetric oligoarthritis, symmetric polyarthritis, predominantly DIP joint involvement, Arthritis mutilans and Spondylitis or sacroiliitis.

7) Polymyalgia Rheumatica: It is a clinical syndrome characterized by aching and morning stiffness in shoulder girdle, hip girdle or neck for more than 1 month, with elevated ESR. It rarely occurs before 50 years of age and is more common in women.

8) Bursitis: It is the inflammation of the thin-walled bursal sac surrounding tendons and muscles over bony prominences. The subacromial and greater trochanteric bursae are commonly involved.

Action of Ingredients:

Calcarea phosphorica: It affects the nutrition of bones and glands. The bones become soft, thin and brittle. For the cases of Osteoporosis, Osteomyelitis, Spinal curvatures and Bone diseases. It promotes ossification of bones in the non-union of fractures. It has a special affinity where bones form sutures or symphysis. Indicated in Arthritis, and Rheumatism with shifting pains. A slight draft causes rheumatic pains, every cold causes pains in joints and sutures.

Ferrum phosphorica: It is indicated for rheumatism which attacks one joint after another; worse slightest motion. There is sore bruised pain in shoulders extending to chest and wrist. Wrists ache with loss of power to grasp. Hands are swollen and painful. Palms are hot; in children. For the jerking in limbs, Omodynia, Sprains of the elbows.

Kali phosphoricum: Dr. Schuessler's great remedy for conditions arising from want of nerve power. The patient is nervous, sensitive, weak and easily fagged by slight causes, like pain, worry, mental fatigue etc. For the cases of neurasthenia, paralytic weakness or pain, with sensation of paralysis. There are Stitching pains. Also indicated for the ill effects of mechanical injuries, grief, vexation. Progressive muscular atrophy.

Natrum phosphoricum: It is indicated for aching in wrists and finger joints, for the cases of rheumatism. Feet are icy cold during the day, burn at night. Synovial crepitation and cramps in hands while writing. Legs give way while walking. Tightness of muscles and tendons and crackling in joints.

Berberis vulgaris: Berberis is often useful in arthritic and hepatic disorders with urinary, hemorrhoidal or menstrual complaints. Pains rapidly change their locality and character. Pains are radiating from one point, shooting outward or all over, sticking, burning, smarting, soreness. Pains may be felt all over body, emanating from small of back. Spinal irritation. Movement aggravates the complaints. Bubbling and sharp pains are characteristic. A bubbling feeling as if water were coming up through the skin. Tearing, burning pains or bubbling sensation in joints.

Causticum: It is indicated in conditions with tearing, drawing pains in the muscular and fibrous tissues with deformities about the joints. For the chronic rheumatic disorders causing contraction of tendons and deformities about the joints. Stiffness of joints. Restlessness at night with tearing pains in joints and bones and faint-like sinking of strength.

Rhododendron chrysanthum: Rhododendron is a gouty, rheumatic remedy, affecting the fibrous tissues, forearm, lower legs, small joints, bones, genitals, nerves, and single parts. For Fibrositis and Arthritis with great weakness after slight exertion. Tearing, zigzag, boring, rapidly changing, descending, paralytic pains. Symptoms come on or are worse on the approach of a storm, worse during a storm or in wet weather. Arthritis cases are especially sensitive to barometric changes. For the rheumatism in the hot season.

Rhus toxicodendron: Rhus-tox affects the fibrous tissue, joints, tendons, sheaths, etc., producing pains and stiffness. For rheumatism in the cold damp season with stiffness of muscles and joints. Sciatica, better by warmth from exercise. Ailments from straining a single part, muscle or tendon, over-lifting, particularly from stretching high up to reach things. For the injuries and traumas to the joints, tendonitis, sprained ankles, whiplash and old injuries that never healed, stiffen with weather changes. Pains are tearing, shooting, stitching, worse at night, cannot rest in any position.

Advice : For better results along with Rheum Aid Tablet, patients are advised the following :

• To exercise regularly/Yoga.
• To avoid sudden change of weather.
• To avoid mental/physical stress.