Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) causes joint inflammation and pain. It happens when the immune system doesn’t work properly and attacks the lining of the joints, called the synovium. The disease commonly affects the hands, knees or ankles, and usually the same joint on both sides of the body, such as both hands or both knees. But sometimes RA causes problems in other parts of the body as well, such as the eyes, heart and circulatory system and the lungs.
For unknown reasons, more women than men get RA, and it usually develops in middle age. Having a family member with RA increases the odds of developing RA.
Causes
Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease. Normally, your immune system helps protect your body from infection and disease. In rheumatoid arthritis, your immune system attacks healthy tissue in your joints. It can also cause medical problems with your heart, lungs, nerves, eyes and skin.
Symptoms
- Joint pain, tenderness, swelling or stiffness that lasts for six weeks or longer.
- Morning stiffness that lasts for 30 minutes or longer.
- More than one joint is affected.
- Small joints (wrists, certain joints in the hands and feet) are typically affected first.
- The same joints on both sides of the body are affected.
- Many people with RA get very tired and some may have a low-grade fever.
About 40% of people who have rheumatoid arthritis also experience signs and symptoms that don’t involve the joints.
Health Effects
- Eyes – Dryness, pain, inflammation, redness, sensitivity to light and trouble seeing properly.
- Mouth – Dryness and gum inflammation, irritation or infection.
- Skin – Rheumatoid nodules, small lumps under the skin over bony areas.
- Lungs – Inflammation and scarring that can lead to shortness of breath and lung disease.
- Blood vessels – Inflammation of blood vessels that can lead to damage in the nerves, skin and other organs.
- Blood – A lower than normal number of red blood cells.
- Heart – Inflammation can damage the heart muscle and the surrounding areas.
- Painful joints – also make it hard to exercise leading to weight gain. Being overweight may make people with RA more likely to develop high cholesterol, diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure.
Diagnosis
- Medical history – The doctor will ask about joint symptoms (pain, tenderness, stiffness, difficulty moving).
- Physical examination. The doctor will look for joint tenderness, swelling, warmth and painful or limited movement, bumps under the skin or a low-grade fever.
- Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and C-reactive protein (CRP)
- Rheumatoid factor (RF).
- Imaging tests – An X-ray, ultrasound, or MRI
Treatment Plan
Treatment principles:-
- Vatarakta chikitsa
- Amapachana – agni dipana
- Ruksha – vata kapha hara oushadas
- Raktaprasadana oushadhas
- Shopha hara & rujaghna oushadhas
- Gambhira vatarakta chikitsa
- Dhätukshayajanya vata roga chikitsa
- Stambha hara chikitsa
- Balya – brmhana oushadhas
- Rasayana oushadhas
Panchakarma treatment modalities:-
- Lepana
- Abhyanga
- Dhara (local)
- Avagaha
- Kaya seka
- Patra pinda sweda
- Jambeera pinda sweda
- Snehapana
- Virechana- sneha
- Asthapana vasti
- Yapana vasti
- Sashtika shali pinda sweda
Internal medicines Used
Kashaya:-
- Amrtottaram kashaya
- Bala Guluchyadi kashaya
- Dhanwantram kashaya
- Gugguluthiktakam kashaya
- Guluchyadi kashaya
- Mahamanjishthadi kashaya
- Maharasnadi kashaya
- Pachanamritam kashaya
- Prasaranyadi kashaya
- Punarnnavadi kashaya
- Rasnapanchakam kashaya
- Rasnasaptakam kashaya
- Rasnerandadi kashaya
- Sahacharabaladi kashaya
- Vidaryadi kashaya
Better to use kashayas for limited period in chronic RA as they are karsana and the patient is already weak.
Arishta / asava: –
- Amrtarishta
- Aswagandharishtam
- Balarishtam
- Dhanwantararishtam
- Nimbamrtasavam
- Vidaryadyasavam
Churma: –
- Vaishwanara churna
- Panchakola churna
- Guduchi satwam + bala churna
- Kottamchukkadi churna
- Nagaradi churna
- Shunti powder + guggulu
- Satahwa + Eranda churna (lepa)
Gulika/Vati/Guggulu:-
- Kaisora guggulu
- Amritha guggulu
- Mahayogaraja guggulu
- Simhanada guggulu
- Trayodashanga guggulu
- Vatari guggulu
- Yogaraja guggulu
Taila (int/ext): –
- Bala taila
- Balashwagandhadi taila
- Chinchadi taila
- Dhanwantaram taila & avartti
- Gandharverandam (with milk)
- Karpasastyadi taila
- Ketakimuladi taila
- Kshirabala taila
- Mahakukkutamamsa taila
- Mahamasha taila
- Mahanarayana taila
- Masha taila
- Narayana taila
- Nimbamrterandam (with milk)
- Panchasneham kuzhampu
- Prabhanjanam taila
- Prasarani taila
- Sahacaradi taila
- Shashtika taila
- Sinduvarerandam
Ghrita: –
- Aswagandhadi Ghrita
- Brihatchagaladi Ghrita
- Dhānwantaram Ghrita
- Guggulutiktakam Ghrita
- Indukantam Ghrita
- Mahatiktakam Ghrita
- Rasna dashamulam Ghrita
- Vidaryadi Ghrita
Lehya: –
- Ajamamsa rasayana
- Ashwagandhadi lehya
- Chyavanaprasam
- Sukumara rasayana
- Vidaryadi lehya
Bhasma:-
- Kasisa bhasma
- Rajata bhasma
- Swarna bhasma
Rasa preparations: –
- Brihat vatacintamani rasa
- Suvarnavasanta malathi rasa
- Yogendra rasa
Prevention of Rheumatoid arthritis:
- Don’t smoke
- Eat a diet high in vegetables, fruit, nuts and wholegrains.
- Exercise 20-30 minutes a day
- Avoid high salt in your diet
- Add more fish and omega-3 to your diet
- Cut down on sugar-sweetened soft drinks
- Only moderate alcohol consumption
- Keep your teeth happy. Brush, floss and treat any tooth or gum disease
- Maintain vitamin D in a healthy range
Treatment of Rheumatoid arthritis in Ayurdhama Ayurveda:
- After proper consultation individual customized treatments will be planned by our expert doctors.
- Depending upon the condition different types of Ayurveda Panchakarma treatments, Yoga sessions and internal medicines are advised.
- Schedule an appointment for consultations.
PACKAGE INCLUDES
- Initial Consultation with Ayurveda Doctor and daily follow up consultation
- Accommodation
- All Ayurvedic Meals (Breakfast, Lunch & Supper) & herbal drinks
- Advice on Diet & Lifestyle Management
- Ayurveda Therapies – Customized for each client.
- Yoga (once a day – Yoga Asanas, Breathing, Meditation and Relaxation)
RESERVATION DETAILS:
- We are committed to keep up the quality of our treatment programs and we take only a limited number of patients each month.
- So we advise you to reserve your treatment programs a minimum one month in advance.
- The 50% charges of the treatment programs should be paid in advance to reserve the treatment programs.
- The advance deposit will be deducted from the total treatment programs and the balance must be paid on the first day of the treatment program.