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Homeopathy for Ankylosing Spondylitis

Homeopathic Medicine for Ankylosing Spondylitis
Written by Dr. Manish Bhatia

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is one of the many types of arthritis. Inflammation of the bones in AS can lead to degeneration, pain, and loss of joint motion. AS typically affects the spine but can been seen in other areas, especially the hips.

Are you looking for a homeopathic cure for Ankylosing spondylitis? This article discusses the homeopathy treatment of Ankylosing spondylitis along with the best homeopathic medicine for Ankylosing spondylitis treatment.

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is one of the many types of arthritis. “Ankylosing” means joining together or stiffening; “spondylitis” means inflammation of the vertebral bones of the spine. Inflammation of the bones in AS can lead to degeneration, pain, and loss of joint motion. AS typically affects the spine but can been seen in other areas, especially the hips. Ankylosing spondylitis can range from a mild to more severe disease in patients. Ankylosing spondylitis is approximately three times more common in males than females. It is usually diagnosed inHomeopathic Medicine for Ankylosing spondylitis young adults, with a peak onset between 20 and 30 years of age. Children may also be affected by a form of AS termed “juvenile ankylosing spondylitis”, seen in children younger than 16 years of age. There is evidence suggesting a strong genetic component in the development of the disease.

spondylitis is a form of chronic, painful, inflammatory arthritis that primarily affects the spine and the sacroiliac joint. The sacroiliac joints are located in the lower back, between the spine and the pelvis, where the sacrum meets the iliac bone. Prolonged or chronic inflammation of these areas causes pain and stiffness in around the spine. Ankylosing spondylitis is more common in males than in females and usually more often begins between the age of 20 to 40.

Ankylosing spondylitis is a type of arthritis of the spine. It causes swelling between vertebrae, which are the disks that make up your spine, and in the joints between spine and pelvis. Ankylosing spondylitis is an autoimmune disease. This means immune system, which normally protects body from infection, attacks body’s own tissues. The disease is more common and more severe in men. It often runs in families.

With the progression of disease chronic spinal inflammation leads to new bone growth that extends in to the tendons and ligaments, leading to a fusion of the vertebrae, this process in known as ankylosis. Ankylosis causes total loss of mobility of spine, restricted the ability to move.

Ankylosing spondylitis as also a systemic rheumatic disease, which causes inflammation in other joints, ligaments, and tendons away from the spine, including chest wall, can also involve other organs such as, heart, lungs, eyes, and kidneys.

Homeopathy Treatment & Homeopathic Remedies for Ankylosing Spondylitis

homeopathic medicine for ankylosing spondylitis

Homeopathy is one of the most popular holistic systems of medicine. The selection of Homeopathic Medicine for Ankylosing spondylitis is based upon the theory of individualization and symptoms similarity by using holistic approach. This is the only way through which a state of complete health can be regained by removing all the sign and symptoms from which the patient is suffering. The aim of Homeopathic Medicine for Ankylosing spondylitis is not only to treat Ankylosing spondylitis but to address its underlying cause and individual susceptibility. As far as therapeutic medication is concerned, several remedies are available to treat Ankylosing spondylitis that can be selected on the basis of cause, sensations and modalities of the complaints.  For individualized remedy selection and treatment, the patient should consult a qualified homeopathic doctor in person. There are following remedies which are helpful in the treatment of Ankylosing spondylitis:

Silicea – Stiffness of nape, with headache. Swelling of glands of nape, in the neck, and under the axillae (with suppuration), sometimes with induration. Suppuration of axillary glands. Caries of clavicle.Stitches between the hips.Coccyx painful, as after a long carriage ride.- Stinging in os coccyges on rising, painful to pressure. -Scabby elevation on coccyx, above fissure of nates.- Pain in the loins, which prevents rising up, and forces patient to remain lying down.- Inflammatory abscess in lumbar region (on the psoas muscle).- Weakness and paralytic stiffness in back, loins, and nape.- Tearings and shootings in the back.- Shootings in the loins, when seated or lying down.-Burning in back when walking in open air and becoming warm.- Aching, shooting, burning, and throbbing in lumbo-sacral region.- Swelling and distortion of spine (curvature of the vertebrae).-Contusive pain between the shoulder-blades.

Silicea best adapted to the nervous, irritable, sanguine temperament; persons of a psoric diathesis. Persons of light complexion; fine dry skin; pale face; weakly, with lax muscles. Constitutions which suffer from deficient nutrition, not because food is lacking in quality or quantity, but from imperfect assimilation. Oversensitive, physically and mentally. Scrofulous, rachitic children with large heads; open fontanelles and sutures; much sweating about the head.

Calcaria phos – Rheumatic pain and stiffness of neck with dulness of head, from slight drought of air. Cramp-like pain in neck first one side then the other (right to left). Throbbing or jerking pains below scapula. Violent pain in region of back when making the least effort. Backache and uterine pains. Sharp pains in sacrum and coccyx. Soreness as if separate in sacro-illiac synchondrosis. Curvature of the spine to the left, lumbar vertebrae bend to the left, spina bifida. Soreness in sacro-iliac symphysis, as if broken.

Calc phos suits to person with anaemic and dark complexion, dark hair and eyes; thin spare subjects, instead of fat.

Calcaria flour –Homeopathic Medicine for Ankylosing spondylitis has pain in lower back with burning sensation

Calcaria carb –Pain as if sprained; can scarcely rise; from over-lifting. Pain between shoulder-blades, impeding calcarea carb homeopathic medicine for ankylosing spondylitisbreathing. Rheumatism in lumbar region; weakness in small of back. Curvature of dorsal vertebrae. Nape of neck stiff and rigid.

Calc carb suits to person with Leucophlegmatic constitution, blond hair, light complexion, blue eyes, fair skin; tendency to obesity in youth. Psoric constitutions; pale, weak, timid, easily tired when walking. Disposed to grow fat, corpulent, unwieldy. Children with red face, flabby muscles, who sweat easily and take cold readily in consequence. Large heads and abdomens; fontanelles and sutures open; bones soft, develop very slowly. Curvature of bones, especially spine and long bones; extremities crooked, deformed; bones irregularly developed. Head sweats profusely while sleeping.

Sulphur –Stiffness of neck, in nape, with paralytic, sprained pain. Child cannot hold head up neck muscles so weak. Tetters on nape. Swelling and inflammation of glands of nape and of neck.Swelling and suppuration of axillary glands. Cracking in vertebrae of neck, especially on bending backwards. Weakness and wrenching pains, or pain as Sulphur homeopathic medicine for ankylosing spondylitisfrom a bruise in loins, coccyx, and in back, especially on walking, or rising from a seat. Gnawing pain in small of back. Pain in small of back not permitting one to stand erect. Finds himself at night lying on back. Cannot lie on back on account of rush of blood to head. Pain in back after manual labour. Shootings in loins, back, and shoulder-blades, sometimes with obstructed respiration. Sharp and rheumatic pains, drawing, tension, and stiffness in loins, back,and nape. Pinching and burning sensation between the shoulder-blades. Tension and bruised pain between scapulae and in nape, which on moving head goes to shoulders. Stitches beneath scapulae which take away the breath. Drawing in right scapula, evening on going to sleep. Tearing in left scapula while sitting. Needle-shoots at point of left scapula. Sprained pains in back. During whole day aching in small of back, worse when urinating.Distortion (curvature) of spine. Vertebrae softened. Cracking of vertebrae on bending head backward.

Sulphur Adapted to persons of a scrofulous diathesis, subject to venous congestion; especially of portal system. Persons of nervous temperament, quick motioned, quick tempered, plethoric, skin excessively sensitive to atmospheric changes. For lean, stoop-shouldered persons who walk and sit stooping like old men. Standing is the worst position for sulphur patients; they cannot stand; every standing position is uncomfortable. Dirty, filthy people, prone to skin affections. Aversion to being washed; always <. after a bath.

Kali bi – Homeopathic Medicine for Ankylosing spondylitis has pain in coccyx and sacrum extending up and down, cannot walk.

Kali carb –Homeopathic Medicine for Ankylosing spondylitis has great exhaustion; stiffness and paralytic feeling in back; burning in spine; small of back feels weak

Conium – coccyodynia; dull aching in lumber and sacral region

Phosphorous – pain in back as if broken; burning sensation; weak spine

Phosphoric acid – Tension and cramp-like drawing in muscles of neck, especially on moving head. Miliaria on neck. Boring pain between scapulae. Spondylitis of cervical vertebrae. Eruption, painful to touch, on back, shoulder-blades, neck, and chest. Burning pain in a spot above small of back. Itching stitch in coccyx, fine stitches in coccyx and sternum. Crawling (formication) tingling in back and loins.

Phos acid best suited to persons of originally strong constitutions, who have become debilitated by loss of vital fluids.

Phosphorus.

Homeopathic Medicine for Ankylosing spondylitis has rigidity of nape of neck. Pressure on shoulders. Swelling of neck. Engorgement of axillary glands and of those of nape of neck and of neck. Paralysed sensation in upper sacrum and lower lumbar vertebrae. Contusive pain in loins and back (as if back were broken), especially after having been seated a long time, hindering walking, rising up, or making the least movement. Pain in small of the back when rising from a stooping position. Sensitiveness of spinous processes of dorsal vertebrae to pressure. Softening of spine. Heat or burning in back, between scapula. Tearings and stitches in and beneath both scapula. Pain in coccyx impeding easy motion, can find no comfortable position, followed by painful stiffness of nape. Coccyx painful to touch as from an ulcer. Transient pain from coccyx though spine to vertex that drew head back during the stool. Backache and palpitations prevail.

Phos best adapted to tall slender persons of sanguine temperament, fair skin, eyelashes, fine blond, or red hair, quick perceptions, and very sensitive nature. Young people who grow too rapidly are inclined to stoop who are chlorotic or anaemic; old people, with morning diarrhea. Nervous, weak; desires to be magnetized Oversensitiveness of all the senses to external impressions, light, noise, odors, touch. Restless, fidgety; moves continually, cannot sit or stand still a moment Burning: in spots along the spine; between the scapulae; or intense heat running up the back;of palms of hands in chest and lungs; of every organ or tissue of the body generally in diseases of nervous system. Haemorrhage diathesis; small wounds bleed profusely.

Symphytum.

Pain in back from a fall, from sexual excess. Pott’s disease after injury. Psoas abscess. Much used among herbalists in caries of spinal and other bones. Symphytum facilitates union of fractured bones; lessens peculiar pricking pain; favors production of callous; when trouble is of nervous origin. Irritability at point of fracture; periosteal pains after wounds have healed.

Cause of ankylosing spondylitis

The cause of Ankylosing spondylitis is unknown, but may be associated with an auto immune response to an infective organism. There is a strong hereditary link the HLA-b27 gene, which is present in 80-90% of patients. There is also a relationship with certain types of sero-negative chronic juvenile arthritis in members of family.

Clinical features of ankylosing spondylitis

Key features

  • Insidious onset of discomfort
  • Persistence of symptoms for more than three months
  • Morning stiffness
  • Improvement with exercise

Symptoms:

  • Fatigue
  • Hip pain
  • Loss of spinal flexibility
  • Sacroiliac or low back pain
  • Reduced mobility
  • Neck pain
  • Stiff spine

Signs of Ankylosing spondylitis

• Tenderness at sacro-iliac joint.
• Cervical, thoracic spines become tender.
• Restricted movement.
• Patient cannot erect spine.
• Sits, walks with flexed spine.
• Chest expansion diminished.
• Complete rigidity of spine & involved joints.
• Kyphosis (curve in spine).

Some other symptoms

  • Heel pain
  • Appetite loss
  • Pain in shoulder, knee, and ankle along with swelling
  • Inflammation in the eyes
  • Weight loss
  • Low grade fever
  • Numbness and weakness of extremities

Investigations for ankylosis spondylitis

Radiological investigations – shows sacroilliitis, early change in lumbar spine is manifested as squaring of the superior and inferior margins of vertebral body, later change results in bamboo spine.

Laboratory test

Blood

• Hb% : low.
• ESR: raised.
• HLA-B-27: positive.
• CRP: raised.
• Rheumatoid factor: negative.
• ANA: negative.

X-Ray sacro-iliac joints

Early

• Narrowing of joint space.
• Haziness of joint margins.
• Marginal erosions.
• Marginal sclerosis.

Late

• New bone formation.
• Bridging of joint cavity.

X-Ray vertebral column

• Ossification of spinal, para-spinal ligaments.
• Squaring of vertebrae.
• Ossification of intervertebral discs.
• Bamboo spine (fusion of entire vertebral column).

About the author

Dr. Manish Bhatia

- BHMS, BCA, M.Sc Homeopathy (UK), CICH (Greece), MD (Hom)
- Associate Professor, Organon & Homeopathic Philosophy, SKH Medical College, Jaipur
- Founder Director of Hpathy.com
- Editor, Homeopathy for Everyone
- Co-author - Homeopathy and Mental Health Care: Integrative Practice, Principles and Research
- Author - Lectures on Organon of Medicine vol 1, 2, 3. CCH Approved. (English, German, Bulgarian)
- Awardee - Raja Pajwan Dev Award for Excellence in the Field of Medicine; APJ Abdul Kalam Award for Excellence in Homeopathy Education
- Visit Dr. Bhatia's website

3 Comments

  • My 11 year old nephew has been diagnosed with JAS, and his pain alternates between his ankle, hip and knee.
    He is in pain and limps as a result. We are extremely worried about his condition and the long term effects of his problem. Does Homoeopathy have a cure or can it only provide relief to him?

    • I was diagnosed when I was 25 and that time I could not walk from the pain and the inflammation has gone to my eye. I had uveitis. I was on prednisone for 3-6months.. I’m not sure anymore. It was over 5 years ago. All my joints were swollen then, both ankles, both knees and both elbows.. When I took a step with my left foot, I would feel shooting electric pain from the foot to the left groin area. I went to see a Rheumatologist and an Orthopedic Doctor, they helped me out a lot. I was in so much pain that I though I would not be able to walk again. I didn’t walk for 1 month and my muscles shrank. The Ortho Doc wrapped my left ankle so tight to keep the swelling and pain controlled and eventually when we unwrapped the elastic bandage, I was pain free. This was together with my steroid treatment. The bandage support helped a lot and most likely helped with the healing process. Hope you find this info helpful for your nephew. If it helps, you can tell him.. I have been able to walk again normally, play sports and everything and never looked back. Tell him not to give up. ☺️

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