Vol. 2, Issue 1, Part A (2025)

Background: Osteoarthrosis of the knee is a chronic degenerative joint disorder commonly affecting the geriatric population, characterized by progressive cartilage deterioration, pain, stiffness, and functional limitation. Conventional management provides mainly symptomatic relief without halting disease progression. Homoeopathy, with its individualized and holistic approach, offers an alternative system aimed at restoring internal balance and improving quality of life. The current study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of individualized homoeopathic medicines in the management of osteoarthrosis of the knee in the geriatric age group by assessing the improvement in pain, stiffness, and physical function using the WOMAC Osteoarthritis Index and the improvement in quality of life using the SF-36 Health Survey Questionnaire.

Materials and Methods: This prospective clinical interventional study was conducted on 30 geriatric patients aged 65 years and above, diagnosed with osteoarthrosis of the knee. The cases were selected from the Outpatient Department of Government Homoeopathic Medical College. Patients were prescribed individualized homoeopathic medicines and were followed up every 3-4 weeks over a 6-month period. Assessment was done using pre- and post-treatment scores of WOMAC and SF-36 scales. Statistical analysis was performed using paired t-test.

Results: Significant improvement was observed in all three domains of the WOMAC scale with 73.3% of patients showing reduced pain, 66.7% improved stiffness, and 63.3% better physical functioning after treatment. Analysis of SF-36 data revealed marked enhancement in both Physical Component Summary (PCS) and Mental Component Summary (MCS) scores, indicating improved overall quality of life.

Conclusion: Individualized homoeopathic medicines proved effective in reducing pain and stiffness and improving joint mobility and overall quality of life among geriatric patients with osteoarthrosis of the knee. The findings support the therapeutic potential of homoeopathy as a safe and holistic complementary approach in chronic degenerative joint diseases of the elderly. Further controlled clinical studies with larger samples are recommended to substantiate these outcomes.