Agreement among Ayurvedic Practitioners in the Identification and Treatment of Three Cases of Inflammatory Arthritis

Introduction:

Ayurvedic (Indian) medicine is a well established form of alternative medicine. The holistic approach of the Ayurvedic medical system has not been evaluated critically to assess its scientific validity. The objective of this study was to evaluate the consistency of the approach to diagnosis and treatment of inflammatory arthritis by Ayurvedic practitioners.

Project Methodology:

Three patients with inflammatory arthritis were assessed independently by each of three Ayurvedic practitioners. Immediately after evaluation of each subject, the Ayurvedic practitioner recorded their impression, diagnoses and treatment approaches. Agreement amongst the three practitioners was evaluated for disease origin, diagnosis, treatment approach and specific treatments, which could include recommendations such as herbal treatment, yoga, exercise, massage and meditation.

Participant Recruitment:

Three volunteers with inflammatory arthritis were recruited from a rheumatology practice. Only subjects with an established diagnosis of inflammatory arthritis, which was confirmed by chart review, were included.

Relevance For People With Arthritis:

This study confirms that there is excellent agreement among Ayurvedic practitioners in the diagnosis and management of inflammatory arthritis, which is a first step towards evaluating the scientific validity of the Ayurvedic medical system. As a next step, an evaluation of the effectiveness of Ayurvedic medicine will need to be performed. If shown to be effective, people with arthritis will benefit from the holistic approach of Ayurvedic medicine.

Results:

Complete agreement was achieved for disease origin, diagnosis and treatment approach. For specific treatment recommendations, complete agreement was present for most modalities for each of the three subjects. There was no or partial agreement on exercise for each subject and partial agreement on immune-enhancing herbal treatment for one subject.

Consumer Involvement:

Not applicable.

Time Frame:

January 2000 - January 2001.

Funding Agency:

The Arthritis Society of Canada.

Publications / Presentations

This study was presented at the Canadian Rheumatology Association Annual Meeting in 2001 and is published in Clinical and Experimental Rheumatology 2003;21:747-52.

Project Team Members:

Principal Investigators

John M. Esdaile  MD, MPH
Scientific Director, ARC

Co-Investigators

Allen J. Lehman  MA, PhD
Research Associate, ARC

Jolanda Cibere  MD, PhD
Research Scientist, ARC

Virender Sodhi, MD (Ayurveda), ND

Sivakumar Varma, BAMS

Thricovil Sukumaran, BAM

Study Coordinator

Helen M. Prlic   MA
Research Co-ordinator, ARC

Other Institutions Involved

Ayurvedic and Naturopathic Clinic
Bellevue, WA   USA

Bastyr University
Bothell, WA   USA

Pacific Institute of Wholistic Living Inc
Vancouver, BC    Canada