Joint pains and muscle aches are the most common troubles for which patients visit a doctor. The pain can be acute due to any injury, sprain or chronic in diseases such as osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, back pain, etc.
When a homeopath receives such patients, which remedies are commonly prescribed? The popular and effective homeopathic remedies for joint and muscle problems are Rhus tox and Ruta (though we cannot ignore the efficacy of other remedies in homeopathy). But here let us discuss the similarities and differences of Rhus tox and Ruta.
Rhus tox and Ruta share same modalities when considering musculoskeletal problems: >warmth, motion; stiffness < first motion, >continuous motion.
The differentiating factor of Rhus tox and Ruta is their sphere of action, i.e. tissue affinities. Rhus tox acts on muscles while Ruta affects more on periosteal attachments.
Dr. Alastair Jack in the book – Homeopathy in General Practice says, “Ruta is ideal for treating strains of ligaments around joints when the symptoms are like Rhus tox, but more so. Particularly where periosteal attachments are involved.”
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Following are the symptoms abstracted from the book – Condensed Materia Medica by Dr. Hering.
Keynotes of Rhus tox in Musculoskeletal Problems:
- Swelling and stiffness of joints from sprains, over lifting, or overstretching.
- Pains in shoulders and back, with stiffness as from a sprain.
- Pains in small of the back, better lying upon something hard.
- Tearing and burning in the shoulder, arm lame, worse in cold, wet weather, in bed at night and at rest.
- Pain in hips; involuntary limping; pains felt mostly in the knee and worse from overexertion; pain worse at night.
- Cramps in legs and feet must walk about.
- Swollen about ankles after too long sitting; feet swelling in the evening.
- Tearing pains in limbs, during rest.
- Motion: Must change place, must turn over, must walk, must walk bent
Keynotes of Ruta in Musculoskeletal Problems:
- This remedy has a special affinity for fibrous tissue; flexor tendons; joints; ankles; wrists; cartilages; periosteum
- Pain in back or coccyx, as if bruised.
- Stitches in small of the back when sitting, stooping or walking; better by pressure and when lying down.
- Ankles pain in bones of feet, cannot step heavily thereon.
- Restless and weak, turns and changes place frequently, when lying.
- Shooting from the back, down outside of left thigh on first moving or rising; hamstrings feel shortened.
You can easily compare these two remedies and see its information at one glance in Zomeo Homeopathic Software with the feature – Remedy Compare. Just click on ‘Add to Compare’ when you open the respective remedies from Remedy list.
After you click ‘Compare’, you will get the following pop up window. You can get the comparison of remedies for its properties, symptoms, keynotes and materia medica.
Information from Zomeo Homeopathic Software has been used to prepare this post. Zomeo Homeopathic Software provides 41 repertories, 1300 homeopathy books, information on 3200+ remedies, 109 materia medica books and many more features.
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