An Open Longitudinal Clinical Trial to Validate Chikitsa Sutra of Amavata vis-a-vis Rheumatoid Arthritis

Amavata is a kapha -vata dosha pradhana and rasavaha srotojanyavikara, which is caused due to ama. It is mainly characterised by shoola (Pain), shotha (swelling), and stabdhata (morning stiffness) in sandhi, due to vikruta vata associated with Ama. The disease Amavata has similarity with Rheumatoid arthritis in clinical presentation. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic systemic inflammatory poly arthritis that primarily affects small diarthrodil joints of the hands and feet in a symmetrical pattern. The prevalence of RA, worldwide is approximately 0.8 % (0.3 % to 2.1 %) of the population, while in India the prevalence is 0.5 % to 0.75 %. The peak age of onset is in the fourth and fifth decade of life with more than 75 % patients developing disease between 30 and 50 years of age. In the present study an attempt was made to validate the Chikitsa sutra of Amavata assessing the efficacy of chronological administration of treatment principles described in Chakradatta, i. e. Langhana, Swedana, Tikta deepana katu dravya sevana, Virechana, Snehapana and Basti. In this study Snehapana is administered after Basti in the form of Shamana sneha. This study was a single group open clinical trial with pre and post test design. The study was undertaken with the sample size of 40 subjects who fulfilled the diagnostic criteria of Amavata vis--vis Rheumatoid arthritis.