Concept of Waja ál-Mafasil or Hudar (Rheumatoid Arthritis) in Unani Medicine: A review

Abstract

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a long-standing inflammatory condition of undetermined causative factors with the hallmark of symmetric joint involvement. It is an autoimmune disease in which the body's immune system of the patient innocently targets its own body tissues. A principally attacks the synovial membrane, resulting in inflammation, proliferation, articular cartilage loss, and erosion of bone. The most prevalent inflammatory arthritic condition, rheumatoid arthritis (RA), affects 0.5% to 1% of the global population. It affects 15% (180 million) of the population of India. In the classical Unani literature, Waja ál-mafasil is described in detail for all types of arthritis, and one of its types Hudar has clinical features that are similar to those of Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) which is mentioned in the modern system of medicine. According to the Unani System of medicine, waja ál-mafasil occurs in various joints caused by derangement of the body’s natural humours i.e., dam (blood), balgham (phlegm), safra (bile), and sauda (black bile) with various explanations mentioned by great scholars in Unani literature. Contrary to modern management, which mostly relies on non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), glucocorticoids, and disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs), which come with many adverse effects, they managed it using a multidimensional approach. The main emphasis of this review article is on the important characteristics of rheumatoid arthritis with reference to waja ál mafasil to understand the status of the disease as described by Unani scholars and to offer a preferable option in terms of adverse effects and affordable treatment.