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-
- 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.
The various components work as follows :
Acidum formicum : For chronic myalgia and Rheumatism, Rheumatic fever and Dupuytren’s contracture. Increases muscular strength and resistance to fatigue.
Allium Sativum:
Colchicum autumnale : Indicated for inflammation of great toe, gout in heel (cannot bear to have it touched or moved) and shifting Rheumatism.
Rhus toxicodendron : Infallible in ailments from strains & overlifting. Relieves pain in tendons, ligaments & fascia, pain and stiffness in small of back and nape of neck, Sciatica, stiff limbs and hot painful swelling of joints.
Natrum salicylicum : Relieves lassitude, drowsiness, listlessness and tremor.
Ledum palustre : Suitable for gouty pains in foot and small joints. Joints swollen, hot, pale. Soles painful. Easy spraining of ankles.
Dulcamara : Indicated in rheumatic troubles induced by damp cold. Pain in shin bones.
Lithium carbonicum : Infallible in chronic Rheumatism, Gout & tophi. Pain in shoulder joint, arms, fingers & knees. Swelling & tenderness of finger and toe joints. Pain in ankles on walking.
Gelsemium sempervirens: Gives instant relief from dull heavy pain in neck, lumbar and sacral region, hips and lower extremities. Excessive trembling & weakness of limbs. Cramps in muscles of forearms. Writer’s cramps.
Ulmus fulva : Relieves formication in feet, numb creeping pains in leg & feet. Rheumatic pains above wrists.
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.
Pain in the joints is a very common complaint, ranging from mild to severe. This pain or inflammation can arise from any part of a joint-including cartilage, bone, ligaments, tendons or muscles. Among the various causes of joint pain, the major ones are advancing age, gout, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, tendinitis, injuries and sprains.
Rheum Aid Active tablets stimulate the body’s own restorative processes, giving it the means to heal from within.
Indications: For Arthritis/joint pains, muscular weakness & fatigue.
Expiry: 5 years from the date of manufacturing.
