World Journal of
Pharmaceutical and Life Sciences

ADOPTION OF AYURVEDA IN OSTEOARTHRITIS: NEED OF THE HOUR

*Dr. Shrawan Kumar Sahu, Dr. Rahul D. Ghuse and Dr. Ashok Kumar Sinha

ABSTRACT

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a disorder involving movable joints characterized by joint pain, swelling and stiffness that lead to activity limitations, participation restrictions, sleep interruption, fatigue and depressed or anxious mood, and ultimately loss of independence and compromised quality of life. The global impact of OA constitutes a major challenge for health systems in the twenty-first century. OA, with a 75% increase in years lived with disability (YLDs) has ranked as the third most rapidly rising condition associated with disability. OA is also associated with increased comorbidity like cardiovascular disease, heart failure or ischemic heart disease. One more alarming feature of this disease entity is that it is associated with increased mortality, both directly as well as indirectly. Although numerous therapeutic agents are available in conventional medicine, they are not only associated with a risk of morbidity and mortality due to adverse effects of the interventions, but also incapable of reducing progression from early to end-stage OA. Hence, to effectively address the rising burden of OA, there is an urgent need for the exploration of treatment/management strategy that might intervene in the pathophysiology and progression of OA. This article advocates the adoption of Ayurvedic management, which can serve these purposes since it is, in addition of being effective, friendly, safe and cheap, capable of preventing disease progression, minimizing disability, improving the quality of life and also setting right the causative factors which lead to formation of OA.

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