Rheumatology Conference in Dubai

Arab Health Rheumatology Conference in january 2009 in dubai promises to the best yet with local and International Speakers. Watch this space.

Ayurvedic treatment for arthritis. Diet and arthritis

Living in a multi-cultural environment I am often called upon to make judgements or recommendations for alternative and complementary forms of Medicine. This is especially true of ayurvedic medicine. Patients find the concept of a cure much more appealing than the lifelong treatment with medications I am able to offer. As a Physician, I have to evaluate the evidence and the Science before I can recommend any treatment.

First, when I am treating a patient with Rheumatoid arthritis which is avery destructive form of arthritis I prefer that they take the medications I recommend as these can STOP damage, prevent deformity and disability. If patients are looking for pain relief then ayurvedic medications can be tried but I do not recommend combinations of allopathic and ayurvedic medications as there can be unknown interactions and side effects.

What does the evidence tell us. In review in a leading Western Journal two researchers concluded that: The existing trials fail to show convincingly that such treatments are effective therapeutic options for RA. I looked at it more closely.

There is some promise that a chemical in turmeric is ueful for arthritis. In addition an ayurvedic compound called RA11 has had some benefits for knee arthritis in a small trial. Unfortunately there has not been a lot of research or published data in this area. If people have milder arthritis and are keen to try ayurvedic treatments I allow them. In more destructive forms of arthritis I would like to get the disease under complete control first before they can try other forms of treatments.

As far as Diet and arthritis. It has been shown that ginger, garlic and turmeric are beneficial for arthritis. . Ayurvedic medicine recommends a strict elimination diet including avoiding all meats. These diets are sometimes useful in the short-term but should not be used for long periods of time as patients could become nutritionally deficient. Ayurvedic mediation recommends avoiding sour and acidic foods. However research has found an enzyme in pineapple has been found to be especially beneficial for arthritis. I do not allow my patients to avoid yogurt and dairy as these are essential sources of calcium, especially for those with arthritis. Fish is to be avoided in ayurvedic treatments but oily fish is very useful according to western research for arthritis. I tell my patients to follow a healthy diet with lots of green vegetables, oily fish, use ginger and turmeric liberally, eat yogurt and drink milk, avoid junk foods and oily foods. Do not drink aerated drinks, foods with preservatives or artificial coloouring.

Yoga has been recommended as an exercise for arthritis by the American College of rheumatology, Johns Hopkins etc. In Dubai we are conducting the firts ever scientific study of yoga for rheumatoid arthritis.

help Arthritis

On February 16th at 3.28 pm Leela Alvares sent a text message to the Emirates Arthritis Foundation. Ï reached the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro this morning. It was spectacular!".

Leela's climb raised money to fund treatment for little Mohamed*, who suffers from arthritis.

Doctors in Dubai UAE

Being a Rheumatologist in the UAE is a unique experience. Most of my patients have had 3, 4 opinions for their disease, finding no solutions. There are 100 forms of arthritis and many can be easily treated. It is important to get to a Rheumatologist on time. Unfoertunately, patients in the UAE are unable to find the right Specialist for their disease. Today I had 2 referrals from doctors in the UK, for patients living here in Dubai , who found it easier to find a Rheumatologist in London and not in Dubai. We are a small group but not that hard to find...resources available on www.arthritis.ae; www.dbaj.ae

Arthritis - make a difference

Please visit www.arthritis.ae if you would like to contribute to leela's fundraising.

Arab Rheumatology Conference

Arab Arthritis

More Than One Year Delay In Diagnosis For Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients In The UAE, According To New StudyWednesday, January 16 - 2008
Dr.Humeira Badsha, Specialist Rheumatologist at DBAJ

Related News

In a recent study published in the Annals of Rheumatic Diseases, a leading European journal, as well as Clinical Rheumatology, doctors from the Dubai Bone & Joint Center (DBAJ) showed that patients in the UAE had a lag time of nearly one year in detection of Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) and another 9 months before they were started on the correct treatment.

“There are many reasons for rheumatoid arthritis delay in diagnosis in the UAE, and all of them need to be addressed to deliver better quality of life for sufferers in the Emirates,” stated Dr. Humeira Badsha, Specialist Rheumatologist at DBAJ and lead author of the study.

“A key factor is an insufficient numbers of rheumatologists practicing in the UAE. The World Health Organization recommends 1 rheumatologist for every 100,000 members of the population. Here in the UAE, there is a definite shortage of trained rheumatologists.”

The report also discovered that UAE-based patients suffering with the ailment had very active disease levels. Disease activity is measured by DAS28 scores, which are a composite, validated rheumatoid arthritis scoring system including a record of tender and swollen joints on a 28 joint count, along with Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR) and patient global activity testing. A score of <3.2 is considered low disease activity. In the UAE, patients had DAS28 scores of 5.2, compared to 3.2 in the USA, and 3.0 in the Netherlands. The study also found that only 50% of patients were taking medications called disease modifying drugs, whereas these numbers in western populations are close to 90%. These drugs are essential to prevent joint damage.

There are typically seven features of Rheumatoid Arthritis. These features include pain in more that one joint, usually affecting the fingers, wrist, elbows, toes, knees, shoulders and ankles. Swelling of joints may also occur; this generally makes joints feel like small balloons filled with water. Patients may also suffer from joint stiffness which is normally at its worst first thing in the morning or after extended periods of inactivity. Characteristically, the disease will affect both sides of the body equally and nodules or lumps may develop under the skin in different areas. Blood tests for Rheumatoid Arthritis are positive in 75% of patients and X-rays can show “erosions” or joint damage only in later stages of the disease. Individuals will normally have at least four of these features in order to be diagnosed with RA.

“Several steps can be urgently taken to improve the care of rheumatoid arthritis in the UAE,’ said Dr. Badsha, “including increasing patient awareness of the necessity to seek early specialist opinion and obtain the right treatment.”

The study was conducted on 100 patients with an average age of 42.2 (+/- 12.3 years). The UAE’s diverse background was evident when studying the racial background of each patient. Of those examined, 38% were of Arab descent, 36% were of Indian descent and 26% percent were of Caucasian or other nationality. With the wide range of ethnic backgrounds taken into consideration, the study showed that there are no racial differences in disease characteristics with a majority of patients having very active disease, delayed diagnosis and not appropriately treated with disease modifying drugs.
As Rheumatoid Arthritis is a systematic disease which affects the entire body, early diagnosis can provide the steps required to keep the ailment under control, aside from the joints. Early treatment can prevent joint damage and deformity. With early identification, sufferers can learn the steps to manage the disease through medication, rest, exercise and understanding how to protect their joints.