Focus on Alternative and Complementary Therapies
www.pharmpress.com/fact
Focus Alternat Complement Ther©2005 Pharmaceutical Press
Focus Altern Complement Ther 2000; 5: 104
To document efficacy and side-effects of the management of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) by traditional Indian herbal drugs.
Patients with RA, classified according to the ARA criteria 1987, were treated with drug preparations of Semecarpus anarcardium, Commiphora mukkul, Terminalia chebula and castor oil. The assessment parameters of pain, painful, tender and swollen joint counts (JC), Ritchie Index (RI), morning stiffness, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), rheumatoid factor (RF) and hyaluronan serum concentrations (HA) were recorded six times during the first 10 months and thereafter at 6-month intervals. The Paulus index was applied for the analysis of individual treatment responses.
Forty-four patients with RA were documented; 18 withdrew due to inefficacy (7), inflammatory attacks (3), side-effects (1), reasons unknown (4) or improvements (3). After 10 months, significant improvements were seen in pain (P < 0.001), painful (P < 0.001), tender and swollen joint counts (P < 0.005), RI and ESR (P < 0.05). The mean HA concentrations remained stable. The Paulus 20% response was achieved by 34% of the total group and 58% of the completers. The improved clinical status of 11 patients, monitored up to 28 months, persisted. Skin rash (3), itching (8), stomatitis (2) and abdominal pain (3) were noted as possible side-effects.
The traditional herbal drugs appear useful in the management of a subgroup of RA-patients.
