Arthritis

Spondylitis

Spondylitis is one of the most common causes of back and neck pain and is essentially the result of an inflammation of the vertebral joints. The problem with detecting the condition is that it develops silently and comes to prominence once the condition has fully developed. Pain in spondylitis is usually concentrated around the cervical region of the neck, shoulder and lower spine with the instances and stings of pain flowing further downwards.

There are three main types of spondylitis:

• Cervical spondylitis -which affects the cervical spine, causing the pain to spread towards the back of the neck
• Lumbar spondylitis – which causes the pain in the lumbar region
• Ankylosing spondylitis -which is primarily a disease that affects the sacroiliac joints, causing stiffness in the lower back, hips, knees and chest

Cervical spondylosis

Cervical spondylosis is a general term for age-related wear and tear affecting the spinal disks in your neck. As the disks dehydrate and shrink, signs of osteoarthritis develop, including bony projections along the edges of bones (bone spurs). Cervical spondylosis is very common and worsens with age. More than 85 percent of people older than age 60 are affected by cervical spondylosis.

Rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a long-term autoimmune disorder that primarily affects joints. It typically results in warm, swollen, and painful joints. Pain and stiffness often worsen following rest. Most commonly, the wristand hands are involved, with the same joints typically involved on both sides of the body. The disease may also affect other parts of the body. This may result in a low red blood cell count, inflammation around the lungs, and inflammation around the heart. Fever and low energy may also be present. Often, symptoms come on gradually over weeks to months. While the cause of rheumatoid arthritis is not clear, it is believed to involve a combination of genetic and environmental factors. The underlying mechanisminvolves the body's immune system attacking the joints. This results in inflammation and thickening of the joint capsule. It also affects the underlying bone and cartilage. The diagnosis is made mostly on the basis of a person's signs and symptoms. X-raysand laboratory testing may support a diagnosis or exclude other diseases with similar symptoms.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune chronic inflammatory disorder. As the disease progresses, the inflamed synovium invades and damages the cartilage and bone of the joint. The potential of the synovial inflammation to cause cartilage destruction is the hallmark of the disease. In Ayurveda, Vatarakta is a disease caused by vitiated Vata and Rakta, where the aggravated Vayu gets obstructed in its course bythe vitiated blood and the Vayu vitiates the entire blood. This vitiated Rakta in long term involves mamsadi dhatu. RA cannot be correlated with one single disease entity in Ayurveda. It was observed that clinicians use the protocols for management of Amavata and Vatasonita in different stages of RA. It can consider by the management of Amavastha and Niramavastha with medicines and Panchakarma procedures. It was concluded that RA can be cured completely or manage well with Ayurveda medicines and Panchakarma without any side effects, whereas non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs cause during the treatment.

Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a very commonest type of arthritis generally found in older age group.Osteoarthritis is known as Sandhi vata in Ayurveda. It is a joint disorder caused by the erosion/ breaking of cartilage that cushion bones at joints and causing pain, swelling and stiffness as bones rub together. The joints most commonly affected are the knees, hips, hands and spine. OA is the leading cause of disability in elderly persons and affects approximately 14-20% of all adults aged ≥25 years. The prevalence rate of OA is 38% in people over 45 years old and 70% in people over 65 years old thus, itsprevalence and health impact increase with age. To address the prevalence, cost, and disability associated with OA, multiple organizations have been trying to understand pathogenesis of OA to reduce its incidence and to discover a disease-modifying OA drug that could slow or halt its progression.

Gout

Gout is a common and complex form of arthritis that can affect anyone. It's characterized by sudden, severe attacks of pain, swelling, redness and tenderness in the joints, often the joint at the base of the big toe. An attack of gout can occur suddenly, often waking you up in the middle of the night with the sensation that your big toe is on fire. The affected joint is hot, swollen and so tender that even the weight of the sheet on it may seem intolerable.