Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic systemic autoimmune disease characterized by pathologic changes of the joints. It is clinically manifested as symmetric polyarthritis mostly with the joints of hands, wrists and feet involved. At the initial stage, there may be redness, swelling, a hot sensation, pain and limited motion in the affected joints, while at the advanced stage, rigidity and deformity of joints may be seen. In fact, the morbidity of rheumatoid arthritis is rather high, the incidence being 1% overseas and 0.1%- 0.3 % in China respectively; and most of the patients are the young and middle-aged (80 % of the cases aged from 20 -45). Moreover, the prognosis of the disease is unfavorable, and 60%- 70% of the patients are said to become disabled, 10% of whom lose their ability to labor within only a few years.
The etiology and pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis have not been fully known so far, but generally it is recognized as a kind of autoimmune disease with abnormity of humoral immunity and cellular immunity.
According to its clinical manifestations, rheumatoid arthritis is attributive to bi-syndrome. The external cause is the invasion of the muscles, joints and meridians by exogenous pathologic factors such as wind, cold, dampness and heat, while the endogenous factors are considered to be deficiency of qi and blood, and deficiency of the liver and kidneys. In terms of pathogenesis, it is the blockage of meridians by pathogenic factors and stagnation of qi and blood. In a prolonged case, phlegm stagnation and blood stasis may occur, which results in deficiency of qi and blood and deficiency of the liver and kidneys, and the case is manifested as deficiency complicated by excess. Continue to learn Chinese medicine treatment for Arthritis.
