Understanding the Role and Uses of Alternative Therapies for the Management of Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Abstract

With the growing popularity of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) among individuals with chronic pain and muscular problems, a number of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) show their interest in CAM interventions for disease improvement. Various reports published on CAM are based on an animal model of RA; however, there is often a lack of high-quality clinical investigations for explaining the success stories of CAM therapies in patients with RA. CAMs having the potential to be used for therapy in patients with RA have been identified, however lack of awareness and skepticism of their efficacy has made the patients reluctant to choose these drug-less therapies. In this review, we have summarized the existing evidence which suggests promising efficacy of different alternative therapies in managing RA and providing both physical and mental well-being to RA patients.