Ayurvedic medicine for rheumatoid arthritis.

Ayurvedic medicine is the traditional medicine of India, which originated over 5,000 years ago. Parts of this alternative medical system have become increasingly popular worldwide as patients seek approaches to medical care that they perceive as more holistic and less toxic than those offered by conventional Western medicine. Despite the advent of highly effective pharmacologic therapy, most individuals with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) continue to use alternative therapy at some point in the treatment of their disease. This report discusses some of the in-vitro data that suggest potential mechanisms through which Ayurvedic herbal medicines might have beneficial actions in rheumatoid arthritis, and the available clinical data evaluating the use of Ayurvedic medicine for RA.