With a prevalence of 0.92% of the adult population in India, rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is commonly diagnosed among women.  The prevalence of this chronic autoimmune disease has been on the rise since 1990. What is this autoimmune disorder? What are the symptoms and causes? Is it treatable? What are the treatment options? All these questions will be answered in this blog. Read to know more.

What is rheumatoid arthritis? 

RA is a type of arthritis where your immune system attacks the tissue lining and the joints on both sides of your body which causes pain, swelling and stiffness in the lining of your joints. The most common joints that are affected are fingers, hands, wrists, knees, ankles feet and toes. This uncontrolled inflammation damages cartilage, resulting in joint deformation as time goes by. This does not stop with joints; it also affects other parts of your body, including skin, eyes, mouth, heart, and lungs. There are 4 stages of RA:

Stage 1: This is the early stage where there’s inflammation in the tissue around your joint; you will experience symptoms like joint pain and stiffness. X-rays will not show any signs in this stage.

Stage 2: The inflammation will begin to damage your cartilage in this stage. Along with stiffness, you will experience a decreased range of motion.

Stage 3: In this stage, physical change and a rise in pain and decreased range of motion than in stage 2 can be noticed.

Stage 4: In the last stage the inflammation stops but you will experience severe pain and loss of mobility along with swelling and stiffness.

What are the main symptoms?

• Pain and swelling in joints
• Stiffness and tenderness in more than one joint
• Experiencing pain and stiffness in the same joints on both sides of your body,
• Weakness
• Extreme tiredness or fatigue
• Fever

What causes RA? 

It is unknown; the exact cause is yet to be found, but researchers provide us with a few reasons, like a combination of genetics, hormones and environmental factors. A body’s immune system is responsible for protecting your body from disease but in RA, the immune system is triggered to attack your own joints. There are a few factors that may be considered as triggers like infection, smoking and physical or emotional stress.

Who is at risk of developing RA?  

• Family history
• Sex: women are 3 times more likely to develop rheumatoid arthritis than men
• Smoking
• Obesity

Ayurvedic treatment for RA 

In ayurveda it is believed that the imbalance of vata Dosha is the root cause of RA. RA is also known as “ Amavata”. The treatment involves not only addressing symptoms, but it also restores balance to the body by addressing the underlying cause. Here are few procedures and medications the treatment of RA focuses on.

Detoxification procedure: One of the main therapies is Panchakarma therapy. This comprehensive therapy aims to detoxify and purify the body by removing toxins and restoring balance to the doshas. Few specific therapies performed for detoxification are

• Vamana: Therapeutically induced vomiting
• Virechana: Laxative therapy
• Nasya: Nasal oil therapy
• Vasti: Colon therapy
• Raktamokshana: Blood purification therapy

Oil massage: This is done to reduce pain and increase circulation. This aids in easing pain, improving mobility and the quality of life of an individual.

Dietary changes: This also plays a crucial role in ayurvedic treatments. Planning a diet according to an individual’s dosha is important. Including food rich in anti-inflammatory properties like turmeric, ginger and omega-3 fatty acids helps in restoring balance.

Yoga, exercise and meditation: Yoga helps in reducing pain and improving joint mobility and strengths the joints.  Exercise helps in improving the range of motion and in weight management.

Having RA will seem like a lifelong struggle, but if managed well and treated right, it might improve your quality of life. Talk to your healthcare provider openly about your symptoms, which is important to create the right treatment plan. Rheumatoid arthritis is chronic but is manageable.