Home > Complementary Medicine > Naturopathy > Disorder of the Musculo Skeletal System

What is amazing about the human body is its architectural arrangement of bones, muscles and joints strong enough to support its weight, rigid enough to protect soft internal organs, flexible enough to provide the agility that ensures man's survival. 

Although the joint formation varies with the types of joint, most joints are made up of the same elements. The joint is enclosed in a tough fibrous capsule of connective tissue which secretes a fluid, the Synovial fluid, which lubricates the moving parts. Outside this capsule the fibrous anchors, called ligaments, surround the joint and link the two bones protecting the capsule and keeping the movements
of the joint within safe limit. An American novelist Herman Melville observed: "The human body is like a ship, its bones being the stiff rigging and the tendons are small running ropes that manage all the motions". 

What can go wrong with a joint? 

The simplest example is a sprain, an ankle injury caused by a twist. The joint becomes swollen with fluid, the blood supply to the part increases and it become warm and painful. Movements become restricted because of swelling and pain. In fracture of the bone, even if pain is not severe, one feels instinctively that one should avoid putting weight on it. A sprain becomes better after sometime and fracture takes time to heal. During an attack of Gout, the joint is inflamed and in Rheumatoid Arthritis there is no such obvious reason and the disease itself appears to be the source of inflammation.

There are several kinds of Arthritis: 

1. Degenerative - e.g. Osteoarthritis, Cervical and Lumbar Spondylitis. 
2. Inflammatory - Rheumatoid, Arthritis, Ankylosis Spondylitis and Psoriatic
Arthritis. 
3. Infective - Bacterial Pneumo, Gono, Meningo, Strepto and Styphylo and viral (Rubella) 
4. Metabolic - Gout 

Osteoarthritis

The most frequent forms of Arthritis are Osteoarthritis, a wear and tear disease that becomes increasingly common with age. It results from a wearing down of the cartilage in the joints. The pads of cartilages at the end of the bones become splayed and rough instead of smooth, preventing normal movements of the joints. The joints begin to grate like a rusty gate instead of operating smoothly like that of a well-oiled machine. Osteoarthritis most often affects the large weight-bearing joints -- knees ands hips -- as well as spine. 

Gravity is the enemy of the man's weight-bearing joints. The repeated impact on them cause minute trauma which leads to degeneration of the joint i.e. Osteoarthritic changes set in. People who are overweight are more likely to get Osteoarthritis. 

Osteoarthritis often follows an injury to or a repeated abuse of a joint, as often in case of athletes. It is still not known why many people who subject their joints to constant abuse often escape from Osteoarthritis while others suffer from it. 

Pain and stiffness are the most common symptoms-they are usually noticed by weather changes. 

Sometimes the affected joints become tender and swollen.

Treatment

The frequency and the duration of the treatment varies depending on the severity and the effect sought. 

Osteoarthritis of the Knee and Ankle Joints

The following treatments are useful in relieving pain and swelling of the knee and ankle joints.