Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune chronic inflammatory condition that leads to stiffness, swelling and pain in the joints. The symptoms initially start in the smaller joints of the hands and feet and gradually extends to the larger joints. The condition typically affects many joints at once in a symmetrical pattern.
Homeopathy can effectively treat rheumatoid arthritis. Being derived from natural sources, homeopathic medicines help ease the symptoms. If started early, these remedies help in reducing the intensity and frequency of pain, increasing joint mobility, and preventing deformity of joints and extra-articular (other than joints) deformity thereby limiting progression of the disease.
In mild to moderate cases, consistent use of well-selected remedies may offer significant relief, while in advanced cases in which there is joint deformity, homeopathy may help in managing discomfort. Because homeopathy follows an individualized approach, the dosage and remedy selection depend on many factors like duration of symptoms, the patient’s age and any associated health concerns.
Homeopathy Optimises Rather Than Suppresses Immune System
As rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease — where the body’s defense system mistakenly attacks its own healthy tissues—the body’s immune system becomes overactive causing inflammation. Homeopathic medicines aim to maximize and balance this increased immune activity by slowing down the advancement of chronic symptoms and reducing inflammation. It is important to remember that homeopathic remedies donot suppress the immune system.
Non-Habit-Forming Remedies With Zero Side Effects
Homeopathic medicines are often used as supportive treatment in long-standing cases of rheumatoid arthritis, but one does not become habitual to them. They can generally be taken alongside conventional medicines. Used under professional guidance, they may help reduce reliance on conventional medications over a period of time.
Unlike conventional treatments, homeopathic remedies are not known to cause any side effects. Standard medical management of rheumatoid arthritis often involves DMARDs (Disease Modifying anti- rheumatic drugs, NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) and steroids — which may carry risk of adverse effects, if consumed for a long time. Conventional medicines are sometimes needed for acute pain or inflammation, but their prolonged use typically requires caution and monitoring.
Top 11 Homeopathic Medicines for Rheumatoid Arthritis
The top medicines for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis are Rhus Toxicodendron, Apis Mellifica, Bryonia Alba, Antimonium Crudum, Actaea Spicata, Caulophyllum Thalictroides, Arnica Montana, Ledum Palustre, Calcarea Carbonica,Sanguinaria Canadensis and Rhododendron Ferrugineum.
1. Rhus Toxicodendron – For Stiff, Painful Joints Better From Movement
Rhus Toxicodendron helps to relieve stiffness and pain in the joints by reducing inflammation. Stiffness in the joints aggravates in the morning and also after a period of inactivity. One gets relief by warm applications, movement of the affected joints and massaging them. There is pain due to initial movement but continued motion brings relief. Other associated symptoms are prickling sensation and numbness in the limbs.
When To Use Rhus Tox?
The key symptom is stiff painful joints with the condition getting worse by rest and better by movement.
How to use Rhus Tox?
It is best to begin with 30C potency. Rhus Toxicodendron 30C can be taken two to three times a day depending on the severity of the problem. Higher potencies like 200C and 1M can be considered but only under the supervision of a homeopathic doctor.
2. Apis Mellifica – For Reducing Swelling In Joints
Apis Mellifica is recommended where there is heavy swelling in the joint, which also turns red. The pain is mostly burning or stinging type. The affected joint becomes sensitive to touch. Rheumatic pain usually affects the back and limbs.
When To Use Apis Mellifica?
This medicine is recommended when there is burning/ stinging pain, intense swelling and redness in the joint.
How to use Apis Mellifica?
Apis Mellifica 30C can be used once or twice a day.
3. Bryonia Alba – When Joints Get Painful And Swollen By Movement
Bryonia Alba is beneficial in cases where joints become swollen and red. Besides, there is pain in joints. The pains are sharp and stitching type which get worse by motion and better by taking rest. Warmth may relieve the pain. This medicine is recommended when joints of the elbow and knee are involved.
When To Use Bryonia?
Bryonia is well indicated to manage swollen and painful joints which get worse by movement and better by rest.
How to use Bryonia?
Bryonia 30C can be used one-three times a day as per intensity of the symptom.
4. Antimonium Crudum – For Reducing Pain In Finger Joints
This is the best medicine to treat pain and inflammation in finger joints. The pain worsens in winter. Warm applications bring relief. Rheumatic complaints get aggravated by bathing with cold water. One may feel drawing (pulling/ tightening) sensation in the fingers.
When To Use Antimonium Crudum?
Antimonium Crudum is recommended when there is pain in finger joints in cold weather that gets better from warm applications.
How to use Antimonium Crudum?
This medicine can be used in 30C potency once a day.
5. Actaea Spicata – For Swelling And Pain in Wrist
Actaea Spicata is mainly given in cases where there is wrist pain and swelling. Wrist becomes red with heat. The pain increases on movement of the wrist. It is also recommended to treat pain and swelling in small joints of the ankle, fingers and toes.
When To Use Actaea Spicata?
This medicine manages swelling and pain in the wrist which aggravates by movement, along with heat and redness worse from movement.
How to use Actaea Spicata?
The recommended dose is Actaea Spicata 30C once or twice a day.
6. Caulophyllum Thalictroides – For Arthritis Of Small Joints
Caulophyllum thalictroides is also administered for treating arthritis that affects small joints. These joints are stiff and painful . The joints of toes, fingers, ankle and wrist are affected the most in such cases. The pain keeps shifting from one joint to the other. In some cases, nodes are present on finger joints.
When To Use Caulophyllum?
It is mainly used if there is stiffness and pain in small joints like toes, fingers, wrist and ankle with frequently shifting pain.
How to use Caulophyllum?
Caulophyllum 30C should be used two times a day for best results.
7. Arnica Montana – For Noticeable Tender Joints
Arnica Montana is mostly administered when the joints are tender. Patients fear any kind of touch on the affected joint. The knee also has bruised, sore pain along with too much of swelling. There is a peculiar type of sensation about the the surface on which a patient lies feels too hard. There is a bruised, lame feeling in the affected part. Rheumatism normally starts in lower limb.
When to use Arnica?
The characteristic symptom to use Arnica is tenderness and extreme pain on the affected joint and even a little touch results in pain.
How to use Arnica?
Arnica can be administered one to three times a day depen ding on a case-to-case basis.
8. Ledum Palustre – For Ascending Type Of Rheumatic Complaint
It offers one of the best remedies for rheumatoid arthritis. Ledum Palustre helps reduce swelling and pain in the ankles. Those who need it have worsening ankle pain from every movement. Cold applications provide a lot of relief. A patient may have ascending rheumatism where pain starts from joints in the feet and then ascends to joints above it in the legs. Other indicating factors are gouty pain in the small joints, foot and limbs.
When to use Ledum Pal?
One may use it for managing swelling and pain in ankles that get worse upon slight movement and better after applying cold.
How to use Ledum Pal?
It can be administered one to three times daily as per the intensity of the swelling and pain.
9. Calcarea Carbonica – For Swelling And Pain In Knee Joint
Calcarea Carbonica wonderfully manages swelling and pain in the knee joints. The pain can be tearing or drawing in nature. One can observe a swollen knee particularly at night. It is also tender to touch. Rheumatic complaints worsen if one comes in contact of water.
When to use Calcarea Carb?
This medicine is best used for patients who have swelling and pain in the knee joints that aggravate during the night.
How to use Calcarea Carb?
This medicine can be administered in 30 C potency just once a day. For using its higher potencies like 200C, 1M always consult a qualified homeopath.
10. Sanguinaria Canadensis – For Shoulder Joint Pain
Sanguinaria Canadensis works wonderfully to treat shoulder joint pain. It also helps reduce accompanying stiffness. If the pain in the shoulder aggravates upon raising the arm, it is a sure sign to use Sanguinaria Canadensis. Also, if the pain aggravates at night this is the medicine to be administered.
When to use Sanguinaria Can?
If there is pain in the shoulder joint, especially that gets worse when one raises arm and at night accompanied by stiffness, this is the go-to medicine.
How to use Sanguinaria Can?
This medicine can be administered one to two times daily at 30C potency.
11. Rhododendron Ferrugineum – For Rheumatic Symptoms That Worsen In Stormy Weather
This happens to be one of the best medicines prepared from the “ yellow Snow Plant”. It works beautifully when the symptom of rheumatism get activated or worsen at the onset of stormy weather. Rheumatic pains are charp, tearing, and stitching in nature. The pain mainly affects wrists, arms and shoulders. The pain aggravates at rest. Along with it, another noticeable feature is coldness felt in the limbs.
When to use Rhododendron Ferrugineum?
This medicine should be administered when the rheumatic pain sets off at the onset of the stormy weather.
How to use Rhododendron ferrugineum?
It can be administered with a lower potency i.e. 30C one to two times daily.
What Causes Rheumatoid Arthritis?
The exact reason behind rheumatoid arthritis is not clear. However, it is believed to be an autoimmune disease. What activates the autoimmune process for RA is not exactly known. But there are certain factors that enhance the risk of this disease. Foremost among them are genetic factors. Certain genes (human leukocyte antigen HLA – DR1 and HLA – DR4) make a person more prone to develop this disease. Women are more at risk. Those in the middle age-group are most affected. Other factors that put a person at risk of this include a family history of this disease, obesity, smoking, environmental exposures like exposures to asbestos or silica, history of viral infections like Epstein – Barr virus (EBV), stress, and also dietary factors.
Pathophysiology
Genetic predisposition—association with HLA-DR4/DR1, enhances its cause. Any environmental factor triggers the immune system. Antigen presenting cells activate CD4+ T cells in the genetically prone person. Activated T cells initiate the cascade of reaction leading to release if cytokines, causes inflammation in synovial membrane. Early pannus formation—pannus is a sheet of inflammatory granulation tissue that spread from synovial membrane and invade the joints. It subsequently leads to symptoms like stiffness, pain, tenderness, swelling and later on deformity in the joints may be observed.
Symptoms of Rheumatoid Arthritis
The key symptoms are pain swelling, and stiffness in the joints, which mostly appear in the morning and due to inactivity. In this, multiple joints are involved in a symmetrical manner i.e. involving the same joints on both sides of the body.
The affected joint gets warm, reddened and tender to touch when it is in the flare-up phase. There is loss of well-functioning joints, and mobility.
The symptoms initially begin from small joints of hands or feet and subsequently may progress to other joints like shoulder, knee, wrist, hip and ankle.
Deformity too appears in later phases if not treated in time. Some symptoms that may accompany include loss of appetite, weight loss, fever, weakness, muscle aches, anaemia and depression.
Joint deformities
The deformities in the joints that can develop in rheumatoid arthritis are the following:
1. Swan neck deformity: In this type of deformity, the joint in the fingers closest to fingertip gets bent towards the palm (flexion of distal interphalangeal joint) and the joint in the finger nearest to palm bends away from it (hyperextension of proximal interphalangeal joint).
2. Boutonniere deformity: The joint in the fingers that is nearest to the palm gets bent towards the palm (flexion of proximal interphalangeal joint) and the joint nearest to finger-tip bends backwards (hyperextension of distal interphalangeal joint).
3. Ulnar deviation: Swelling in the metacarpo-phalangeal joints is felt (joint that connect bone in palm to the bone in finger). It leads to leaning of the fingers away from the thumb towards little fingers. This deformity is also known as ulnar drift.
Extra- Articular Manifestation
If there is extra-articular manifestation of rheumatoid arthritis, it means apart from the joint many other organs are involved.
Skin: Rheumatoid nodule, Vasculitis rashes.
Lungs: like interstitial lung disease, pleural effusion and sometimes pulmonary nodules may be formed.
Heart: Pericarditis can occur.
Haematology: Anaemia, Felty’s syndrome (triad of Rheumatoid arthritis, splenomegaly and neutropenia.
Constitutional symptoms: Fatigue, unintended weight loss, low-grade fever.
Investigations for Rheumatoid Arthritis
The blood tests that are to be carried out in suspected cases of rheumatoid arthritis are rheumatoid factor, Anti – cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti – CCP), ESR and C-reactive protein (CRP). Other tests include MRI and X-rays of affected joints that are carried out to rule out the severity of the disease.
What are the various types of Rheumatoid Arthritis?
Seropositive: In this, patients with rheumatoid arthritis report to having blood tests positive for rheumatoid factor or anti – CCPs.
Seronegative: One may develop Rheumatoid arthritis even in the absence of rheumatoid factor or anti – CCPs. This is termed as seronegative type rheumatoid arthritis. In this, the blood tests are negative for RF and anti – CCPs. In such cases, diagnosis is carried out on the basis of clinical symptoms and X- rays. This type is usually milder than the seropositive type.
Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis: Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis is when rheumatoid arthritis hits children less than 17 years of age. It is also known as juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA).
Palindromic rheumatism: These present with symptoms of recurrent attacks of pain; swelling appears in one or more joints all of sudden. It lasts a few hours or even a few days. In between the flare up attacks, the swelling and pain subsides completely. It is not a type of rheumatoid arthritis. Those suffering from palindromic rheumatism have a chance to develop rheumatoid arthritis.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Can Rheumatoid arthritis occur at a young age?
Usually middle aged people (above 30 years) are affected. But, yes at a younger age also rheumatoid arthritis can occur i.e. juvenile arthritis
2. What foods should be avoided for best results of homeopathic medicines in treating Rheumatoid Arthritis?
A person should avoid red meat, processed food, and highly fried or too much intake of salt. Alcohol and smoking should also be avoided. These changes help reduce the symptoms and reduce flare-ups.
3. Are Arthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis one and the same?
No, both conditions are different. Rheumatoid arthritis is a typeof arthritis.
4. What is the difference between Gout and Rheumatoid arthritis?
Gout is caused by high uric-acid levels forming crystals in the joint, causing pain, swelling and redness. Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease causing inflammation of joints.
5. Does homoeopathy provide results for acute flare up of Rheumatoid Arthritis?
Homoeopathy is helpful for mild to moderate symptoms, but for persistent or severe flare-ups immediate medical attention is required.
6. Can homoeopathy prevent joint deformities?
The results depend on how early the medicines are initiated. Early initiation of treatment helps slow the progression of the symptoms. However, ongoing and regular medical assessments are still essential.
7. Will homoeopathic medicines reduce the dependence on painkillers?
Yes – gradually it reduces the dependence on painkillers as inflammation, pain and stiffness reduces.
8. Is it safe to administer homoeopathic remedy for a longer duration?
Yes—it is safe to use homoeopathic medicines, if administered in right dosage.
9. How does homoeopathy work in treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis?
Homoeopathic medicines help not only reduce the frequency and severity of the disease, but also helps halting the progression of the disease.