Effectiveness of Ayurvedic Interventions in the Management of Pravriddha Amavata With Special References to Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Case Study

Amavata is a prevalent clinical illness caused by the impairment of Agni, producing Ama (undigested or poisonous food stuff) which vitiates Vata. This aggravated Vata dislodges the Ama in the joints. By forcing the Ama to be dislodged by the dhamanis (channels of circulation) throughout the body, the vitiated Vata contributes significantly to the pathophysiology of the illness. The clinical appearance of Amavata and Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are very similar. It is a chronic inflammatory illness that primarily affects the body's joints with range of extra-articular and articular symptoms. The primary therapeutic approaches for the management of RA are NSAIDs and DMARDS which have limits for long-term care. Ayurvedic treatments significantly reduce the symptoms and improve quality of life, which in turn contributes to better disease management. A 30-year-old lady visited OPD with complaints of multiple joint pains, swelling, a developing deformity in her finger joints, morning stiffness and difficulty in standing and walking for more than three years. She had previously received allopathic and homeopathic treatments. Treatment was started with deepana and pachana followed by virechana, oral administration of shamana aushadhis (Aamvatari Rasa, Simhanad Guggul, Chitrakadi Vati, Rasnasaptak Kwatha) and basti karma along with some lifestyle modifications for 3 months. Follow up was done after a month with no further aggravation of the condition. No adverse effects were observed during and after the treatment. Post-treatment analysis showed a significant reduction in symptom severity, accompanied by normalized Rheumatoid factor levels and decreased ESR levels. These findings demonstrate the efficacy of Ayurvedic interventions in managing Pravriddha Amavata, resulting in improved quality of life.