Palindromic Rheumatism

The problem of palindromic rheumatism is characterized by attacks of arthritis which develop rapidly and suddenly. The interval between two attacks is not fixed. Different signs of this disorder are swelling of joints, redness, acute joint pain and disability. Multiple joints are affected by this problem. The problem occurs, primarily, in joints of fingers, knees and other larger ones. Actual/physical damage to the joints is not caused from the attacks. The attacks may recur every few days or weeks.

Palindromic Rheumatism Disorder

Inflammatory arthritis of a rare kind and a syndrome (collection of syndromes) is what describes the problem correctly. In the United States of America, out of 2.1 million rheumatoid arthritis patients, 105,000 to 262,500 suffer from palindromic rheumatism. The syndrome occurs in people between 20 and 50 years of age. In this disorder, joint deformities are not seen. Roentgenographic manifestations too are not observed. The symptoms don't exhibit a fixed pattern. Blood test results show an increase in the CRP and ESR levels. ESR is an abbreviated form of 'Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate'. The ESR level indicates degree to which body is inflamed. CRP stands for C-reactive Protein.

Causes
There is no specific cause(s) of this health problem. The symptom is described as an abortive form of rheumatoid arthritis. This is because a high proportion of Anti Keratin Antibodies (AKA) and Anti-Cyclic Citrullinated Peptide Antibodies (Anti-CCP) are present in the body and a similar condition is observed in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

The disorder of palindromic rheumatism can be inherited through genes, partly. This is because, it is one of the types of autoimmune diseases. Speculations about viruses and bacteria acting as triggers for genes are being made. Hormonal changes can also trigger the development of this disorder in people with certain genes.

Treatment
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are prescribed for the treatment in most of the cases. These drugs are to be taken at the time of attacks. Other treatment measures being used for the disorder are the local steroid injections and oral steroids. Few drugs are also prescribed in order to prevent attacks in the future. These drugs include colchicine and the Disease-Modifying Anti-Rheumatic (DMARD) ones. To decrease the risk of developing connective tissue diseases and rheumatoid arthritis, drugs like Plaquenil are given to the patients.

Natural Treatment
The anti-inflammatory drugs and other medications described in the paragraph above, can be supplemented with few natural treatment measures. Intake of raw potato juice (2 tsp.) everyday before meals is one of the best ways to counter the problem. Consuming plain juice of bitter gourd on a daily basis is an effective treatment measure for dealing with this health problem. Another natural treatment measure to deal with this health problem is mixing honey with apple cider vinegar and consuming it with warm water.

The disorder of palindromic rheumatism is difficult to treat because attacks may occur suddenly. Palliative treatment or symptomatic form of treatment is therefore, used on a long term basis for this disorder. This type of treatment through is helpful in treating the symptoms, one should however, not expect the disease to be cured completely.