What are Shifting Joint Pains and their Homeopathic remedies

Joint pains are a very common problem occurring from various reasons. In some cases it is seen that pain and swelling shifts / travels from one joint to another. This is medically known as migratory arthritis. In this condition, pain and swelling initially appear in one or two joints. When these symptoms get better, similar symptoms begin in some other joint. Besides pain and swelling, redness, stiffness and heat in the affected joint may be felt. In some cases, depending on the cause, a rash may appear, along with tiredness, weight loss and fever. Shifting joint pains can accompany many inflammatory conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, gout, osteoarthritis, lupus.

Homeopathic Treatment

Homeopathy offers a highly effective solution for treating shifting joint pains. Homeopathic medicines stimulate healing processes of the body to naturally overcome health problems. These medicines reduce joint inflammation and manage signs and symptoms including pain, swelling, redness, heat and stiffness of joints. With the use of these medicines, the intensity and frequency of symptoms reduces gradually. These medicines are safe to use with zero side-effects. The homeopathic prescription for shifting joint pains varies from case to case as per the presenting symptoms of the individual. So it is advised to consult a homeopathic doctor for suitable medicine, its potency, dose and repetition.

Homeopathic Medicines For Relieving Shifting Joint Pains

1. Kalmia – Top Remedy

Kalmia is the most prominently indicated medicine to manage shifting joint pains. It is the most helpful when pain occurs in the beginning in the joints of upper limbs. When the pain starts subsiding here, pain is felt in the joints of lower limbs. The affected joints are painful, red, swollen and hot. Pain gets worse from the least movement of the affected joint. The pain may trigger from exposure to cold air.

2. Pulsatilla – When Pain Shifts Rapidly

Pulsatilla is a natural medicine when pain shifts very rapidly from one joint to another. The pain does not stay for long in one joint. The joints are swollen and red along with pain. The joints feel as if beaten. Pain also gets worse when trying to move. It may increase at night, disturbing sleep. Stinging sensation is also felt in the affected joint.

3. Colchicum – For Painful Joints Sore To Touch

This medicine is well indicated when joints are painful and very sore to touch. The pain arises suddenly and also fades away suddenly. The pain can be tearing or stitching type. It may disturb night’s sleep. The joints are swollen, though not red. Stiffness in the joints also occurs. Joints feel heavy, weak and are difficult to move. It works most wonderfully in cases of joint pain that arises from gout (increased uric acid levels).

4. Caulophyllum – When Small Joints Are Affected

This medicine works best when small joints are involved. The affected joints mainly include that of fingers, toes, ankles and wrist. Pain keeps shifting among these joints. The pain may travel every few minutes from one joint to the other and follow quite an unpredictable course. Pain causes restlessness at night. Stiffness is also felt in the joints.

5. Kali Bichrome – Involvement Of All Joints

It is an effective medicine when all joints are involved in wandering joint pains. The affected joint is quite swollen and stiff. A cracking sound is heard when the affected joint is moved. Pain travels from one joint to the other very fast. It usually occurs in small spots and gets worse from exposure to cold air.

6. Lac Caninum – When Pain shifts From Joints Of One Side To The Other Side

This medicine is beneficial when pain shifts from one-sided joint to other side especially when knee, hip and ankle joints are involved. In cases needing it, pain initially occurs in the right-sided hip and knee joint. The pain gets worse from touch, pressure and movement. When pain subsides on these joints, then the hip and knee joint on the left side start to hurt. When pain resolves on the left side, then again the right- sided hip/knee joint gets painful. So pain keeps shifting from one side to another frequently. Same is the case with shifting of pain from one-sided ankle joint to another. There may occur relief in pain from application of cold treatment on the affected joints in cases requiring this medicine.

7. Phytolacca – With Marked Swelling And Redness Of Joints

Phytolacca is a highly useful medicine when along with pain, the joints are intensely swollen and red. The pain transmits rapidly from one part to the other like electric shocks. The pain can be lancinating or shooting type. In cases needing phytolacca, the pains usually worsen from movement and also in the morning time.

8. Rhododendron – When Pains Get Worse At Night

This medicine works well in cases where joint pains get worse at night. The pain keeps wandering from joint to joint. The pains also get worse from rest. It is also a well-indicated remedy when pains occur in damp cold weather.

9. Stellaria Media – With Marked Stiffness Of Joints

This medicine is recommended when there is excessive stiffness of joints along with pain. The pains can occur in almost any of the joints and keep travelling among various joints.  The affected joint is also sore to touch. Worsening of pain occurs from movement.

10. Kali Sulph – When Pain Gets Worse From Heat

The use of this medicine is suggested when the joint pains keep moving from one joint to other and get worse from heat. The pains are relieved from cold applications and also in cold weather. Nodes (small hard bony lumps) may appear on the joint in cases needing Kali Sulph.

Forms Of Arthritis And Other Conditions Linked With Shifting Joint Pains

Shifting joint pains may occur along with other forms of arthritis or other medical conditions as follows:

1. Rheumatoid arthritis: It is an autoimmune joint disorder that causes inflammation and damage to joints due to a misdirected response of immune cells (disease fighting cells). It starts from small joints (like finger joints) in most cases and later affects large joints as well.

2. Osteoarthritis: It is the degeneration of joints happening from age-related wear and tear of a joint cartilage (a flexible connective tissue cushion that lies between two bones of a joint). Besides ageing, degeneration may occur from injury also. It most commonly affects joints including that of knee, hip, hands and spine.

3. Gout: It refers to joint inflammation arising from high uric acid levels in blood. It usually affects joints of the big toe but can also affect other joints like fingers, ankles, wrist and elbows.

4. Infectious arthritis: It is inflammation of the joints caused by some infectious agent (like bacteria, virus or fungus).

5. Reactive arthritis: In this, joint inflammation occurs when there is an infection in some other body part like a urinary tract infection, or an infection of bowels / genitals.  It usually arises within 2 to 4 weeks of an infection.

6. SLE (Systemic Lupus Erythematosus): A chronic inflammatory disorder of autoimmune origin that can affect multiple body parts like lungs, joints, heart, skin, kidneys and brain.

7. Rheumatic fever: It is an inflammatory disease occurring as a complication of infection with group A streptococcus bacteria. It can affect joints, heart, skin and the brain.

8. Fibromyalgia: A chronic disorder in which there is pain in different body parts along with tiredness. One may face temporary memory loss, sleep problems and depression.

9. Lyme disease: A tick borne disease caused by a bacteria of Borrelia group called Borrelia Burgdoferi. It may cause joint inflammation in the late infection stage.

10. IBD (inflammatory bowel disease): It includes ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s Disease which are inflammatory disorders of the gastric tract. Ulcerative colitis causes inflammation and ulcers in the large intestine and rectum. Crohn’s disease can cause inflammation in any part of the gastric tract. It can lead to various complications and joint inflammation may be one among them.