Abstract

“A CLINICAL STUDY TO EVALUATE EFFECT OF ALEPA IN THE MANAGEMENT OF RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS”

*Dr. Sudhanva Koodur, **Dr. Niranjan Rao and ***Dr. Padmakiran C.

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Abstract

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic disease affecting multiple joints. It can be correlated to Amavata in Ayurveda. Amavata is a disease mainly affected due to Agni dushti. Whenever a person’s Agni is impaired due to any nidana, Ama forms. Then it spreads to shleshma sthana due to prakupitha vata and spreads all over.[1] Ama along with vata and kapha doshas are the main dominant doshas in this disease which have Sheeta guna in common. As an opposite treatment we should do Ushna chikitsa.[2] Hence Alepa having Pachana and swedana property is selected for external applicationa and internal administration. Objectives: To evaluate effect of Alepa in Rheumatoid arthritis. To assess the changes in inflammatory markers - ESR CRP ASO and RA factor. Design: It is a Single blind clinical study with pre- test and post-test design, carried out in S.D.M. Ayurveda Hospital, Udupi. Study Selection: A single group consisting of 20 Patients diagnosed as Rheumatoid arthritis, according to the diagnostic criteria having either gender selected for the study. Intervention: After selecting the patients diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis based on diagnostic criteria, Alepa is applied externally and administered orally and the signs and symptoms, biomarkers of Rheumatoid arthritis are evaluated before and after the treatment. Result: Alepa showed highly significant results in sandhishotha, sandhishoola, alasya, pain_VAS, agni, angamarda, aruchi, Trishna, gourava, and also significant changes in inflammatory markers like CRP, RA, ASO, ESR.

Keywords: Alepa, Rheumatoid arthritis, Amavata.