Amavata is described as a difficult to cure (Krichhrasadhya) disease in Ayurveda. Pain in joints with swelling is a cardinal feature of this disease. It can be correlated with rheumatoid arthritis described in modern medical science. In conventional medical science, steroids and some nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are used for its management, but they cause certain dangerous side effects in the patients. Ayurveda promises an excellent therapy for it. The present clinical trial was conducted with the same objective to provide a safe, economical and effective therapy to the patients of Amavata. The present study was conducted in 73 patients having classical symptoms of Amavata. The patients were given Vardhamana Pippali Rasayana for 15 days. Patients with any other acute or chronic systemic illness or infection were excluded from the study. The observations and results obtained were analyzed statistically applying the "t" test. All the patients experienced up to 50% relief from the signs and symptoms of Amavata after the therapy. The drug might have produced its beneficial effects in the patients of Amavata due to its Agnideepana, Amapachana, Vatashamaka and Rasayana effects in the body. A significant decrease in the erythrocyte sedimentation rate in all the patients was also noticed. All the results obtained were highly significant statistically. Thus, it can be implicated that the Vardhamana Pippali Rasayana has a lot of beneficial effects in the patients of Amavata.
Keywords: Amavata; Rasayana; Rheumatoid arthritis; Vardhamana Pippali.