Fleeting Rheumatism

Mr Nayak complained about knee pain last week. This week it is the ankle which is troubling him more. Before the knee pain started, he remembers it was the elbows. Last month it was the wrist.“Go to the doctor, go to the doctor,” his wife’s nagging also increased with the pain — each time he complained. So now he has stopped complaining about it. It is a part of old age. The silly woman will never understand, how can the doctor help me. They cannot turn the clock back. It is a part of the aging process, he reasons.

However, this condition is not a part of ageing. It is known as fleeting rheumatism. One joint is affected at a time — painful, tender and is flushed. Within a few days it subsides, with or without medicine, and the other joint gets affected. In another one or two weeks the third one will start complaining. Usually the joints affected are the knees, wrists, ankles, elbows and shoulders. When the next one is affected the previous one seems to have recovered.

This is one of the types of rheumatism. But it needs to be differentiated from gout (high uric acid count, a disease involving painful joints), and acute rheumatoid arthritis. (Here mostly the small joints of the hands, wrists and fingers are involved). Again it is necessary to rule out acute gonorrhoeal arthritis.

Serum uric acid, RAF and ESR are the basic blood tests that a doctor will ask for. Again, with these fasting blood sugar should also be done at the earliest. It will save a lot of time, which might be wasted in treatment unnecessarily.

For this the homoeopathic treatment is effective but it should be taken persistently. Though a few drugs are indicated they are quite effective.

Pulsatilla: The patient usually is of a mild, timid nature. It could be more often than not a woman. Joint pains keep on jumping from one joint to the other. Tensive pains, hot swollen joints, with tearing pains, etc. Pains get worse in the evenings and slightly better by walking around and when in the open air. Legs become heavy and weary. Before the period, aggravation is marked.

Lae can: This medicine is famous for its shifting wandering complaints. Rheumatic pain in the extremities and at times involving the back. Pains fluctuate from joint to joint, which are usually bilateral like from one knee to the other knee or one ankle to the other ankle, etc. Also burning of palms and soles.

Kali bichromicum: Pain, swelling, stiffness of the joints, soreness of heels are the prominent symptoms. At times the pain occurs in small spots. Many times the physical pain comes on after the patient is mentally upset; or joint pains come on as a consequence of some gastro intestinal disorder; like acidity, gas, vomiting, etc. Usually hot fomentation relieves the pain a little.

Other useful remedies are Arnica, Phytolacca, Rhus Tox, bryonia, etc.

2 Comments

  1. Very interesting blog Ravindra. My case is as follows.
    Problem- Fleeting joint pain.

    First Diagnosed- 11 years back in 2005 at the age of 30

    Description-
    · Pain in small bones usually fingers/ hands, but can be in any bone- hip bone, jaw, forearm, knee, toe, foot etc. It is not on the joint but near a joint.

    · Earlier Pain always started while sleeping and I used to discover in the morning. However now the pain starts at any time.

    · Pain usually stays from 1 day to max 3 days, however at times remains for 10-15 days. First it is severe for 2-3 days then becomes moderate.

    · Once the pain is gone, the joint is as strong as ever. As if nothing happened

    · Pain is accompanied with inflammation and redness. However swelling is not enough to take out liquid from the joint for any tests.

    · Frequency- Earlier pain used to happen once in a month, however now it happens twice a week.

    · Number of joints- Earlier pain used to happen one joint at a time, now sometimes multiple bones start paining. But it is not symmetrical.

    · OTC anti-inflammatory drugs like combiflam and brufen are very helpful.

    .

  2. . No blood test has shown any positive result for Rheumatism. RAF, CRP, ANA, Uric Acid, CCPAb, HLA B27, are all ok.

    . I have taken the following medicines as advised by Rheumatologists.
    Medication- Tab HCQS 200 (12 months), Tab Goutnil .5 Mg (10 days), Capsule Calzem- 1 month, Tablet Methycobal 500 mg-4 months

    Medication by another doctor- Methotrexate 15 mg-6 months, HCQS-6 months, Naproxen 500mg-6 months,

    However these have not helped, as i actually do not have rheumatism.
    I have also tried Ayurved and Homeopathy but nothing has helped.

    I have a feeling this may have started because of homeopathy, as this pain developed 1 year, after I was under homeopathy treatment for acidity (which completely go cured).

    You have suggested:
    Pulsatilla: But I am not mild or timid. In fact completely opposite of that. I am not better by walking around or when in the open air and Legs are not heavy and weary. Rest all is correct i.e. Joint pains keep on jumping from one joint to the other. Tensive pains, hot swollen joints, with tearing pains, etc. Pains get worse in the evenings and slightly.

    Lae can: I never have pain in the back and it is not bilateral.

    Kali bichromicum: I dont think pain is associated with gastro. Also nothing helps the pain except Pain killers. Rest all is correct- Pain, swelling, stiffness of the joints, soreness of heels are the prominent symptoms. At times the pain occurs in small spots.

    Recently new problem has started that when I stand up after a long time like in the morning then i have severe pain in my foot.

    PLEASE HELP. MY NUMBER IS 9819039000., [email protected]
    If anybody else has a similar incurable fleeting joint/ palendromic rheumatish problem, please contact. Maybe together we can find a solution.

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