AN AYURVEDIC APPROACH TO RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic immuno - inflammatory systemic disorder mainly affecting synovial joints. Major complaints for which a patient seeks medical attention is pain, swelling in and around the joints, stiffness and limited range of motion. Other tissues and organs are also involved in patients with more extensive disease in the form of heart diseases, respiratory complications, sicca syndrome, gangrene etc. Modern medical science has made so many advanc ements but exact a etiopathogenesis of the disease is yet to be conclusive. Modern system of medicine has drugs like NSAIDs, Corticosteroids, DMARDs and Biologics which ameliorate the symptoms and overcome agony and crippling caused by the disease but the u nderlying pathology remains unchecked. A disease clinically re sembling to RA is described in Ayurvedic texts as a mavata with detailed aetiopathogenesis, symptomatology complications, prognosis and treatment. Amavata has been named so taking into account th e underlying two predominant pathological factors i.e. Ama and Vata. Ama formed due to disturbed functioning of a gni along with vitiated v ata circulates in the body and ge t lodged in shleshma sthanas particularly synovial joints causing manifestations of R A. Preventive measures are described along with modalities like l anghana, d eepana - p achana, s hodhana and s hamana have been described for the management of a mavata which directly targets the root cause of the disease. Ayurveda can do a lot for mankind in pre venting as well as treatment of this dreadful disease.