A peer-reviewed study of rheumatoid arthritis treatment strategies; found patients treated in anthroposophic care settings over a four year period achieved similar results as patients treated with conventional therapies.
Reheumatoid arthritis is an incurable autoimmune disorder, with a usual onset of middle-age. It primarily affects the joins, resulting in pain, swelling and stiffness that can make it difficult to move; in some people, it may also have impact on the skin, lungs, heart or other organs.
The disease is generally managed with a class of medicines known as "disease-modifying anti-rhematic drugs" (DMARDs) along with other medicines to relieve pain or inflammation. But DMARDs can have side effects that make some patients reluctant to use them. These can include stomach pain, nausea, toxicity in the bone marrow or liver; some have also been shown to cause birth defects in pregnant women.
Anthroposophic approaches to treating rheumatoid arthritis may include are tailored to the patient and can include lifestyle changes, movement therapy, anthroposophic medicinal products or other treatments.
This study followed a group of 251 patients over a four-year period and found that the anthroposophic approach not only achieved similar outcomes as conventional therapy, and also resulted in lowered use of corticosteroids and other anti-inflammatory medicines. This suggests that anthroposophic medicine can be an effective approach for patients seeking to avoid use of DMARDs. It can be read in full here.