Dr. Ravindra Mahajan

Rheumatoid arthritis is chronic inflammatory disorder that can affect more than just your joints . In some people, the condition also can damage a wide variety of body system.

An autoimmune disorder, rheumatoid arthritis occurs when your immune system mistakenly attacks your own body tissues. Unlike the wear & tear damage of osteoarthritis, RA affects the lining of your joint causing a painful swelling that can eventually result in bone erosion and joint deformity.

As per the ayurveda this condition can be corelate with “ आमवात ”

अन्गमर्दोsरुचिस्तृष्णा आलस्यं गौरवं ज्वरः |

अपाकः शुनताsगंनामामवातस्य लक्षणं ||

40 % of people who have RA also experience involvement of many nonjoint structures like eye, skin, kidney, heart, lungs, salivary gland, nerve tissue, blood Vessels.

Symptoms

1. Abdominal pain
2. Fever
3. Heart (cardiac) problems, which may not have symptoms, or may result in shortness of breath and chest pain
4. Joint pain, arthritis (mainly in the knees, elbows, ankles, and wrists)
5. Joint swelling; redness or warmth
6. Nosebleeds (epistaxis)
7. Skin nodules
8. Skin rash (erythema marginatum)
9. Skin eruption on the trunk and upper part of the arms or legs
10. Eruptions that look ring-shaped or snake-like
11. Sydenham chorea (emotional instability, muscle weakness and quick, uncoordinated jerky movements that mainly affect the face, feet, and hands)

Treatment :

The goals of treatment are to minimize symptoms & to prevent bone deformity and to maintain day to day functioning.

While treating patients of RA treating their agni is prime factor because unless & until we control aam its very difficult to give cure to patient. Hence line of treatment as per ayurveda is :

1. Internal medications to improve agni, aampachan to reduce symptoms.
2. Panchakarma :
   • Basti: It’s a prime treatment of vata vyadhi.
   • Patrapottali
3. Gandharva Siddha Sneha internally along with 1 cup warm milk at bed time.
4. Valuka pottali swedan