RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS (RA)

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a long term autoimmune diseases that cause chronic inflammation and deformity of the joints. It commonly affects the joints of the hands, wrist, elbow, feet, ankles and knees. Joints involvement is usually symmetrical meaning if one joint is affected, the same joint on the opposite side of the body is also involved. Rheumatoid arthritis is about three times common in women as compared to men and afflicts about 1 % of the adult population in the developing countries. It is much less common than osteoarthritis, which is associated with ageing. It primarily affects the middle-aged and if children are affected by this, it is called juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.

SYMPTOMS

• Red, swollen, tender and painful joint. This occurs because the lining tissue of the joint (synovium) becomes inflamed, resulting in the production of excessive joint fluid (synovial fluid).
• Muscle and joint stiffness are usually most noticeable in the morning and after periods of inactivity.
• Crackling sound from the affected joint
• Body ache, lethargy, heaviness
• Loss of appetite
• Constipation, indigestion, fullness of abdomen
• Low-grade fever may also occur.

CAUSE

The cause of Rheumatoid arthritis is idiopathic means not known. But, according to various scientific studies it is found that the Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease, which occur when the tissues of the body are mistakenly attacked by their own immune system.

The immune system is a complex organization of various types of cells and antibodies, which are designed to "seek and destroy" invaders of the body. Patients with autoimmune diseases have antibodies in their blood that target their own body tissues including joint tissues.

RHEUMATOID FACTOR (RF)

There have some imaging techniques and blood tests are available, which are helpful to diagnose Rheumatoid arthritis such as X-rays, ESR (Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate), CRP (C-Reactive Protein), Rheumatoid Factor (RF) and Cyclic Citrullinated Peptide (CCP) Antibody. But, Rheumatoid Factor (RF) is commonly advised to patients suspected with Rheumatoid arthritis because it is helpful to distinguish between rheumatoid arthritis and the other forms of inflammatory arthritis. Rheumatoid Factor (RF) is a protein made by your immune system that can attack the healthy tissues in your body. Elevated levels of RF in arthritis patient shows seropositive Rheumatoid arthritis. However, RF testing doesn’t give a definite diagnosis. Healthy people with no autoimmune disorders may have high RF levels in their blood. Therefore, patients with RA always advised for multiple blood tests.

AYURVEDIC OVERVIEW OF RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS

In Ayurveda, it is known as “Amavata”. Due to poor eating habits, sedentary lifestyle and weak digestion, Ama or toxins are created and aggravate Vata dosha. These toxins along with aggravated Vata dosha circulates through various channels of the body and accumulates in and around the joint, which is the seat of Kapha dosha. As this process continuous, all the Joints are gradually affected, which leads to Severe Pain and Swelling in the Joints called Rheumatoid arthritis. When ‘Pitta’ also gets aggravated, it causes Burning Sensation around the Joints.

The Ayurvedic treatment of Rheumatoid arthritis focuses on balancing the aggravated VATA DOSHA along with strengthening digestion to prevent the formation of Ama or toxins and to create nutritional pure plasma, which is easy to assimilate and strengthening the metabolic pathways that prevent the accumulation of toxins around the joints and also elimination of accumulated toxins from the body and affected joints.

Diet, lifestyle and home remedies of Rheumatoid Arthritis and Osteoarthritis are almost same because as per Ayurvedic view both problems are created by vitiation of the VATA DOSHA.

DIET & LIFESTYLE FOR RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS

• Eat lot of green vegetables and fresh fruits specially vitamin C containing fruits, which are full of antioxidants and helpful to reduce inflammation of joints.
• Choose foods that are easy to digest and warming.
• Include spices in your diet like cumin, coriander, ginger, garlic and turmeric.
• Eat foods containing bitter and pungent tastes, which are helpful to controls VATA DOSHA and AMA.
• Do not withhold natural urges (burping, urinating, stool, gas, etc.)
• Avoid curd, jaggery, potato, tomato, Tea, Coffee, Caffeine, Alcohol, processed food, Chocolate, Fast Food, Pickles, curd etc.
• Avoid consumption of opposite foods, such as fish and milk together.
• Avoid stress and strain.
• Avoid over exposure to cold and windy climate.
• Do regular physical exercises.
• Avoid sleeping at day time.

HOME REMEDIES FOR RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS

• Mix powder of long pepper, black pepper, and dried ginger root in equal quantities. Take 1 teaspoon of this powder with lukewarm water, twice a day.
• Mix powder of fenugreek seeds (Methi), dry ginger and turmeric in equal quantity. Take one teaspoon of this mixture twice a day with lukewarm water.
• Massage stiff and painful joints with sesame oil twice a day. Massage will help you to improve blood circulation, reduces inflammation, stiffness and pain of the joints.
• Mix paste of four peeled garlic clove to 20 ml of mustard oil and heat on low flame, for 1-2 minutes. After cooling, massage the affected joints with this oil for getting relief from pain and swelling.
• Garlic milk, it is helpful to reduce inflammation, stiffness and pain of the joints.

• Garlic Milk : Ingredient

1. 2 crushed garlic cloves
2. 1 glassful of skimmed milk.
3. ½ teaspoon turmeric powder.

• Boil all above mentioned ingredient till the milk remains half in quantity. Now, add 1-2 tsp of honey (according to taste) and drink with chewing cooked garlic before going to bed at night.