Title: Efficacy of Multi Modality Ayurvedic Treatment In Seronegative Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis In A Twelve Year Old Child  

Background:

Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA), the most common type of arthritis in children, is a chronic condition that causes inflammation in one or more joints and begins before the age of sixteen. The causes of JRA are unknown. However, they are thought to be associated with an autoimmune problem.

Objectives:

We present this particular case of JRA, in which Basti (therapeutic enema)-an effective panchakarma procedure, useful to eliminate the accumulated body toxins was administered along with an oral ayurvedic herbo-mineral formulation.

The signs and symptoms of JRA are similar to those of ‘amavata’. According to ayurveda the main causative factors of this disease are the “ama” and the “vata”. Ama is a semi-digested food product produced due to the weak jathara-agni (digestive fire). It behaves like an endotoxin that produces different diseases depending on various factors, such as: vulnerability of a particular tissue, organ or a system because of compromised immune mechanism.

Design / Method:

12- year-old male child who presented in August 2003, with hyperpyrexia and sever disabling polyarthralgia (especially of the hip joint), which he had since November 2002.  Though he was on conventional treatment (NSAIDs, Methotrexate), he did not have any relief of symptoms.

He was administered ‘Rajayapana basti’, in which a generic formulation containing is administered per rectum on thirty consecutive days.

Generic herbo-mineral formulation of ‘Sitopaladi churna’- which corrects cellular metabolism and ‘Makaradhwaja rasa’- a fast acting immunomodulator was given.

Results:

After three weeks of treatment, patient had complete relief in pain and inflammation of joints and fever. His E.S.R reduced from 131 mm/hr to 35 mm/hr by Dec 2003.

Conclusion:

The treatment protocol based on ayurvedic hypothesis used to treat this particular case has yielded positive result. However, the usefulness of this therapy for JRA needs to be extensively evaluated.

Authors: Sawant P. S, Kadam S. M, Jagtap R  

Institution: Ayurlife Positive Health Centre and Research Institute, Mumbai, India.