“A COMPARATIVE CLINICAL STUDY ON THE THERAPEUTIC EFFECT OF VAITARANA BASTI AND YOGARAJA GUGGULU IN AMAVATA W.S.R. TO RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS”

I have integrated various holistic practices into my treatment plans including acupuncture, yoga, massage, meditation and prayer. I also discuss and recommend the importance of balance in our lives, which is a major philosophy of Ayurvedic Medicine, “balance between body, mind and spirit” (What is the philosophy, n.d.). I stress how healthy choices regarding diet, exercise and relationships can impact a patient’s physical, emotional and spiritual balance in their life.

Rheumatoid Arthritis has been subject of numerous studies and researches in the look for a better understanding of how it effects the individuals diagnosed with it. There is a higher incident of females diagnosed with RA than male as well as a relationship with genetic and environmental factors involved. Around one percent of the world population is affected by RA; therefore, diverse studies have been performed to understand how the lives of the diagnosed patients can be impacted by the disease. For example, how RA affects the mobility, safety and activities of daily living in general as well as the development of interventions to better approach RA. On

The type of treatment chosen depends on the type of arthritis and the effects it has on the patient as well as the severity of the disease. Other factors to consider are the age of the patient and the joints affected. Bearing in mind that different people exhibit different reactions to different medications, treatment in this case is individualized but includes a combination of joint protection methods and medication. For rheumatoid arthritis, the Initial treatment starts with non steroidal ant inflammatory drugs and other simple analgesic but as the inflammation progresses, slow acting anti rheumatoid drugs which are aimed at modifying the disease are introduced. They are added progressively as the inflammation progresses in order to suppress the process that leads to chronic inflammation (Amin 1995).

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic syndrome that is characterized by inflammation of the peripheral joints, but it may also involve the lungs, heart, blood vessels, and eyes. The prevalence of this autoimmune disease is between 0.3% to 1.5% of the population in the United States (Feinberg, pp 815). It affects women two to three times more often than men, and the onset of RA is usually between 25 and 50 years of age, but it can occur at any age (Reed, pp 584). RA can be diagnosed by establishing the presence of persistent joint pain, swelling in a symmetric distribution, and prolonged morning stiffness. RA usually affects multiple joints, such as the hands, wrists, knees, elbows, feet, shoulders, hips, and small

Although, RA was a very common disease in ancient history. Arthritis and diseases of the joints have been plaguing mankind since ancient times. According to Choy (2013), “In around 1500 BC Ebers Papyrus described a condition that is similar to rheumatoid arthritis” (p.3). This is one of the first references to this disease. Rheumatoid Arthritis Disease was well-known in Egypt because of the evidence found while researching Egyptian mummies. Researchers found that RA was a common disease in ancient times due to lack of nutrition and lack of healthcare (Choy, 2013, p.4). In ancient times, treatments for Rheumatoid Arthritis included bloodletting and leeching, which would likely lead to a variety of other health concerns. Next, Choy (2013) states, “The Far East developed practices of acupuncture, acupressure, and moxibustion” (Choy, 2013, p.3). Moxibustion means the use of heat. In the past, RA was also treated with plant extracts of Willow bark and leaves. These leaves contained silicon, and this relieved other arthritis pains for patients. Today, treatment changed to pharmaceutical medications named

Rheumatoid Arthritis is a systemic autoimmune disorder. There are more than 100 different types of Arthritis, yet it is estimated that it affects approximately 1% of the population in the Western World. The disease is generally diagnosed in middle aged adults and the elderly. In rarer cases, children can also develop the disease and it is called Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis. Women are three times more likely to have rheumatoid arthritis than men. (Stevens) Many people living with Rheumatoid Arthritis appear to be healthy individuals, but suffer internally. Today, I will discuss what rheumatoid arthritis is, how it is diagnosed, and how it affects the body.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systematic inflammatory disease characterized by synovitis (constant inflammation of the synovial membranes) and autoantibodies. The disease that affects 0.5-1.0% of all adults in industrialized countries, mostly women and elderly people (Scott et al, 2010). In the United States, more than 1.5 million people suffer from rheumatoid arthritis, making it one of the most common auto-immune disease (Carmona et al. 2010). According to the Arthritis Foundation, individuals who suffer from arthritis have to deal with joint pain, morning stiffness, fatigue, loss of appetite, depressive symptoms, and low-grade fever which can last a few days to weeks. Individuals with this disease tend to have a low-quality of life and difficulties with day-to-day activities.

Rheumatoid Arthritis is a growing and life- changing disease in Australia, creating negative social and economic consequences for both the individual patient and society. A disorder in which the body attacks its own healthy cells and tissues resulting in limited movement and inflamed joints in the body. Rheumatoid Arthritis has been chosen as a National Health Priority Area as it is a prevalent disease and the conditions are a significant cause of disability. The topics being discussed in this essay will include the definition of the disease Rheumatoid Arthritis: reasons for inclusion as a priority health issue focusing on the incidence and prevalence in the Australian population, risk factors for developing Rheumatoid Arthritis and

Rheumatoid arthritis is a disease that has direct involvement with the immune system. This disease is considered to be degenerative and currently the only thing that can be done is manage the painful symptoms and suppress the self targeting actions by using immune suppressing drugs. The cause of rheumatoid arthritis is mostly unknown but there is a high amount of evidence that there are genetic predispositions for the disease. This being said however there are also environmental factors to asses these include, bacteria, viruses, fungi and other environmental factors. Doctors primarily use a physical examination to first suspect R.A. then send for blood work to confirm. There are many aspects to this disease and many questions left

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic autoimmune disease that is characterised by the inflammation of the joints, often accompanied by deformities. Moreover, rheumatoid arthritis is a gradual condition, developing over several months and years. Furthermore, diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis the moment its symptoms appear is vital for its treatment and prevention. Considering the fact that rheumatoid arthritis has no exact cause and no known cure, many people are participating in rheumatoid arthritis clinical trials.

A patient living with rheumatoid arthritis has a very challenging day. Rheumatoid Arthritis is a form of arthritis that produce pain, swelling, stiffness, redness, tenderness, and deformity of many joints of the body. For patients with this illness, each day’s activities can present many challenges. The simplest activities, which are taken for granted, can pose a significant obstacle for a patient with rheumatoid arthritis. Most people living with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) lead highly productive, full, and satisfying lives. It has subsisted that two to three million Americans have rheumatoid arthritis, and about 200,000 people are newly diagnosed each year. Therefore, about 1 percent of

Rheumatoid Arthritis is a disease that affects some 2 million people in the United States, roughly 1 to 2% of the population. It continues to be a mystery to many that study its origin. Rheumatoid Arthritis is commonly referred to as RA. It does not discriminate, it can wreak havoc on a wide range of people. It doesn’t care what your skin color is or where you reside or even your age. It is most common in people between the age of 40 and 60, but has been diagnosed in children as well. RA does seem to affect women more so than men. Some people say women are 3 times more likely to have it than men. This research paper examines Rheumatoid Arthritis in regards to: potential causes, its symptoms, how it is diagnosed, and how people cope/live with it. RA is being studied around the world, various trails and experiments continue to test new developments. Some people experience symptoms like joint stiffness at a very young age. Not everyone that has RA experiences the same symptoms. Treatment can be so different from one Rheumatologist to another. Based on this research there is still quite a bit to learn about RA.

Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is the commonest form of inflammatory arthritis (Taylor 2007). It affects approximately 1% of the world population (Gibofsky 2012). Several western incidence and prevalence studies (Symmons et al. 2002; Helmick et al. 2008; Neovius et al. 2011; Widdifield et al. 2014; Fina-Aviles et al. 2016; Śliwczyński et al. 2016) of RA have been published, proposing a variation of the disease occurrence among different populations. However, the prevalence and incidence of RA are lessening in the western populations but prevalence remains alike (e.g. Sweden (0.77%) and the UK (0.81%) (Symmons et al. 2002; Neovius et al. 2011). RA is less common in low-income and middle-income countries (0.5% prevalence) compared to western

Hindus may use a variety of what is called Ayurvedic medicines, home remedies and spiritual remedies. Ayurveda is a holistic system of medicine that is practiced by many Indians around the world. It is a highly revered and respected science in India. It seeks to maintain a balance between the body?s three elemental energies. Good and bad health is related to the level of balance of these three energies. With this in mind, it is vital that a comprehensive list of their home medications including homeopathic medications is obtained. Furthermore, the patient must be educated on the potential adverse reactions that can occur when taking the homeopathic medications in conjunction with prescribed medications. In order to provide optimal and cultural sensitive care it would also be helpful to provide options for alternative medications if that is what the patient prefers. This will help avoid the patient from self- medicating or being non-compliant all together posing more harm to

Arthritis is a joint disorder, which affects one or several joints in the body. The condition has more than one hundred types of diseases with osteoarthritis being the most common. Osteoarthritis results from joint infection, or age. Patients that suffer from arthritis complain about pain in the joints. In most cases, the pain remains constant in the affected joint. It is worth noting, “The pain from arthritis is due to inflammation that occurs around the joint, damage to the joint from disease, daily wear and tear of joint, muscle strains caused by forceful movements against stiff painful joints and fatigue” (Reid, Shengelia & Parker, 2012, p. 40). However, joint pain could result from various diseases, and in such