Kali iod.: Rheumatism of knees with effusion, contraction of joints and pain in hip causing limping. Formication of limbs. Severe bone pains, thickened periosteum and sensitiveness is characteristic of this remedy. Rheumatic complaints are apt to have a mercurial or venereal etiology.
Kali mur.: “I have seen enlarged joints after acute rheumatism rapidly reduced to normal size under its action, sometimes after they had resisted other remedies a long time.” (Nash). Lightning pains from small of back to feet, cold hands and feet, cramp in legs, twitching and tension in extremities.
Kalmia lat.: “Rheumatism, pains intense, change places suddenly, going from joint to joint; joint hot, red, swollen, worse from least movement”. (H.C. Allen). Deltoid rheumatism, especially right; weakness, pricking and sense of coldness in limbs; tingling and numbness of left arm. Rheumatic symptoms descend, from above down. (Ledum opposite).
Ledum pal.: Rheumatism begins in feet and travels upward (Kalmia, opposite). “Affects especially the rheumatic diathesis, going through all the changes, from functional pain to altered secretions and deposits of solid, earthy matter in the tissues.” (William Boericke). The swellings are pale, sometimes oedematous, and worse at night, in the heat of the bed; uncovering or cold water relieves.
Lilium tigrinum: The most distinguishing symptom of this remedy in rheumatic complaints is that the patient is unable to walk on uneven ground. “Pricking in fingers; pain in right arm and hip. Legs ache; cannot keep them still. Pain in ankle joint. Burning palms and soles.” (W. Boericke).
Lithium carb.: Pains in shoulder joint, arms, fingers, small joints generally; nodular swellings, with great tenderness and redness. These symptoms are apt to be associated with heart diseases. There are often heavy deposits in the urine of mucus, uric acid or pus. (Nash).
Lycopodium: Numbness, also drawing and tearing in limbs; heaviness of arms, tearing in shoulder and elbow joints. Right foot hot, left cold. Profuse sweat and soreness of feet, starting with worst symptoms in the right foot and as the right gets better the left gets worse; movement of symptoms from right to left. Cramps in calves; toes; limbs go to sleep; twitching and jerking; pain in heel as if treading on a pebble. In a personal proving the author has also observed a tendency to exercise the cold foot, the left one, which momentarily improved the coldness and numbness. Deposits form in the joints, with heavy red sand or red sediment in urine.
Medorrhinum: Heavy legs, aching all night; heels and balls of feet very tender, making walking very difficult. Burning of hands and feet (Puls., Cham., Sulph.), soreness of soles (Lyc.), intense restlessness and fidgetiness of feet (Zinc.). Legs give way when walking; legs feel heavy; coldness of legs, feet, hands, forearms; drawing and contraction of hamstrings; cramps in calves and soles. Concretions form in joints, deforming them; puffiness and painful swelling. There is often a specific history. Rheumatism often improves at the seaside; better from damp weather.
Mercurius: “Mercurius especially affects the joints; inflammatory rheumatism with much swelling, aggravated from the heat of the bed and from uncovering. It is difficult to get the right weight of clothing. Rheumatic affection with sweat aggravated at night,from warmth of the bed and while sweating, with sickly countenance. It especially attacks the upper limbs, but is also found in lower. Tremulous conditions of extremities like paralysis agitans.” (Kent).
Natrum mur.: One of the most characteristic symptoms of this remedy is a painful contraction of the hamstrings, often associated with backache relieved by hard pressure or support. Palms are hot and perspiring: the legs, arms, knees feel weak and trembling; fidgety feet (Zinc.). Ankles turn easily, joints cracking on motion. A peculiarity of this remedy is that there is a congestion of blood upward and often associated with severe headaches worse round 10 oclock in the morning. These symptoms are often associated with the anaemic or chronic malarial cachexia.
Natrum phos.: Rheumatic pains in the joints, weak feeling in the legs; acid and sour-smelling perspiration; crepitation in joints, with pain and soreness and weariness of extremities. Hamstrings sore; weakness of joints and easy turning of ankles when walking. In adults there is often associated sexual hyperaesthesia and a history of over-indulgence; while in children there is great acidity with yellow coated tongue.
Natrum sulph.: The outstanding indication for this remedy in rheumatic complaints is great aggravation from damp and cold water, the hydrogenoid constitution. Burning in soles, itching of toes; pain in limbs necessitating frequent change. Pains in hip- joints, worse left. Stiffness of knees, cracking of joints. Useful in some forms of gonorrhoeal and “sycotic” rheumatism.
Pulsatilla nig.: Pains drawing, tearing, erratic, rapidly shifting from part to part (Kali bich.); pains in hips, thighs and legs. Knees swollen, veins engorged, extremities heavy and weary, feet red, inflamed and swollen. Feet burning and tender (Sulph., Med., Cham.). The patient is generally chilly, tearful and of changeful mood.
Radium: Deep aching in joints, especially knees, ankles, shoulders, arms, hands and fingers. Legs, arms and neck feel hard and brittle as if they would break. Heavy arms, cracking in shoulders, pains in toes, hips, calves; muscles sore; aching pains worse at night. Trophic changes in nails.
Rhododendron: “Rheumatic drawing, tearing pains in all limbs, worse at rest and in wet, cold, windy weather.” (H.C. Allen). Joints swollen, stiffness of neck, pain in shoulders, arms, wrists, worse when at rest or approach of a storm.
Rhus tox.: The rheumatic symptoms are very characteristic viz. pains all better from motion, although temporarily worse on first starting to move. Hot painful swelling of joints, pains tearing in tendons, ligaments and fasciae. Soreness of condyles of bones. Limbs stiff, paralyzed. Coldness makes them worse; tenderness about the joints; numbness, trembling and formication after overwork. Loss of power in forearm and fingers with crawling and tingling, worse from cold, damp weather. Stiffness of temporo- maxillary joint.
Ruta graveolens: Contraction in fingers and pain and stiffness of wrists and hands. Hamstrings feel contracted; bruised, lame sensation all over, worse in limbs and joints. Parts lain on get painful as if bruised, necessitating turning often (Rhus.). Aching in tendo achilles. Great restlessness. Especially useful in traumatic arthritis from sprains or overwork.
Sabina: Arthritic pains in joints; red, shiny swelling; nodosities in joints; burning compelling patient to put hands and feet out of bed. (Sulph., Puls., Med., Cham.). These symptoms are apt to alternate with haemorrhagic conditions. This is especially true when those haemorrhages occur from the female genitals.
Salicylic acid: Its symptomatology points to usefulness in acute articular rheumatism with swollen and painful knees, worse from touch and motion. Profuse sweating, with hot burning skin. (Note: On account of allopathic abuse of the salicylates in these complaints when not symptomatologically indicated, the homoeopathist seldom finds it called for). Often used in material doses of 3 to 5 grains.
Sanguinaria: Acute rheumatism of right shoulder (differentiate from Ferrum); left hip and neck, with burning in soles of feet (Sulph., Puls., Cham.) and palms of hands. Paralytic lameness of arm on side of affected shoulder due to exposure.
Sepia: “Coldness of the legs and feet, especially in the evening in bed; when feet get warm, the hands get cold; icy coldness of feet; profuse sweat of the feet or sweat of unbearable odour, causing soreness between the toes. Swelling of the limbs better while walking.” Restlessness of limbs and twitching.
Stellaria media: Sharp, shifting, rheumatic pains in all parts very pronounced, darting; parts sore to touch, worse from motion. Enlarged and inflamed joints; pains in shoulders and arms, in legs and calves. Bruised feeling. Pains extending down the thigh.
Sulphur: Enlargement of joints, great stiffness of joints, tightness of tendons, cramps in legs and soles, burning, itching, putting them out of bed to cool (Med. Puls., Cham.). Rheumatic pain in left shoulder, heaviness, paretic feeling, exercising shoulder for relief; trembling of hands, which are hot and sweaty. Limbs apt to jerk when going off to sleep. Is to be considered when indicated remedies fail to act or there are continual relapses, or where there is a history of suppression of an itching eruption, even many years previous.
Syphilinum: Rheumatoid pains of deltoid, painful on motion; muscles of extremities are caked in hard knots and lumps, stiffness and swelling of joints. Pain in feet and toes. Pains drive him out of bed. (Cham.). The pains of this remedy are aggravated from sunset to sunrise. There is often a specific history.
