Sunday, Nov 17, 2024 11:30 [IST]
Last Update: Sunday, Nov 17, 2024 05:51 [IST]
There is no nomenclature of rheumatoid arthritis in the classical Ayurvedic texts but its signs and symptoms are resembled to Amavata in Ayurveda. Whatsoever its name, the important thing is to diagnose properly and early diagnosis. Because arthritis, rheumatic fever, gout, SLE etc. are similar to rheumatoid arthritis considering the symptomatology.
The causal factors of rheumatoid arthritis
· Viruddha aahara – unwholesome and mutually incompatible diets
· Viruddha chesta- unwholesome and faulty lifestyles
· Mandagni – poor metabolism and sluggish digestion for longer period
· Nischala – sedentary lifestyle and lack of physical activities
· Snigdha bhojana and vayama- consumption of oily unctuous high calorie diet and immediate indulged exercise or physical exaggerated activities
Therefore, let’s understand the cardinal signs and symptoms which are typical in the rheumatoid arthritis –
· Morning stiffness, unable to wake up from the bed due to stiffness of joints.
· Polyarthritis, pain in multiple small joints of the body, pain will ups and down in time to time.
· Shifting joint pain, pain wills generally shifting in nature, one joint to other joints. For example, someone is suffering from pain in ankle joints for a month, then pain shifted to elbow joints or wrist joints.
· Swelling of affected joints in acute cases and deformity of joints in chronic cases.
· Low grade fever or feeling of chillness.
· Loss of appetite and someone feels loss of taste.
· Excessive thirst.
· General weakness and weight loss.
There are different stages of the rheumatoid arthritis, in acute cases; there will be pain and swelling of multiple joints due to inflammation of joint joints, thereafter involvement of cartilage followed by deformity of affected joints in chronic cases. The differential diagnosis may be confirmed by the serological and biochemical tests like RA factor, ASO titre, C - reactive protein, Uric acids, etc.
How to manage
The management is to be made as per the stages of the disease after diagnosis and overall health conditions of the subject. Apart from the medications, the two important issues should be endorsed by the patients for the comprehensive care, i.e. diet and lifestyle.
Does | Don’t |
Light and easily digestible diet like puffed rice, sagu, barley, old rice, etc. | Heavy and difficult to digestion, like red meat, sea fish, cheese, fast food, junk food, etc. |
Curd and any fermented milk products | Cold drinks, ice cream, cold exposures |
Sunbath at morning | Heavy and exaggerated works |
Daily oil massage and taking bath with luke war water | Day sleeping and night awakening |
Timely eating habit | Eating without feel of hungry and overeating |
Shigru (drumstick), Ardraka (ginger), Rasona (garlic), Karavellaka (bitterguard), Patola (pointedguard), Vastuka (ridgedguard), Mulaka (radish), etc. in the diet schedule as per seasonal variation | Vishamashana (eating at odd timings), physical exertion just after eating |
Boiled water, Panchakola Siddha Jala and any herbal hot infusion. | Forcefully suppression of natural urges like urination, defaecation, etc. |
Home remedies
· Fasting or following a semi-liquid easy to digest diet schedule for one complete day every in a week can go a long way in clearing the toxins from the body.
· Dry hot fomentation - Applying dry hot compression on the joints can give instant relief from the pain and stiffness
· Uses of spices like ginger, garlic, piper, etc. are useful to minimize the disease intensity.
Ayurveda management in general
· Panchakola Churna or Ajomodadi Churna - 3g twice daily to improve the digestion
· Yograj Guggulu- 1g twice times daily with warm water
· Rasnasaptak Kwatha 20ml twice daily dilutated with half cup of warm water
· Local application of vatahara oil like nirgundi taila, saindhavadi taila, etc.
· Local hot compression with leaves of nirgundi, erenda, datura, etc. to minimize the pain and swelling
· Panchakarma therapy – snehapana, swedana, vamana or virechana with supervision of physician
As the rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune and chronic disease, the treatment varies according to chronicity and stages, therefore the treatment should be taken under supervision of qualified registered physicians only.
(Email: dr.amitra@gov.in)
