A Case of Rheumatic Arthritis Successfully Treated by Boiogito and Yokuininto with Bushi / 日本東洋医学雑誌

ABSTRACT

Here I report a case of chronic rheumatic arthritis, which was successfully treated with boiogito, yokuininto and bushi, leading to complete remission. A 38 year-old woman, null gravida, has been suffering from strong pain and frequent sense of numb in both hand joints. Previous orthopedic specialist diagnosed as rheumatic arthritis. Since she had a hope of getting pregnant, she came to our outpatient clinic, seeking Kampo treatment. Clinical examination revealed a positive test of anti-CCP antibody (>200) or rheumatoid factor as 32.4. Kampo treatment was started with keishikajutsubuto besides bushi, or eppikajutsuto with bushi, which were not effective sufficiently. Finally, combined agents with yokuininto and boiogito dramatically reduced pain, visual analogue scale score or CRP level, and relieved pain in bilateral hand joints, leading to complete remission. Yokuininto is applied to the cases with pains, chilliness or sense of numb in limb joints or muscles. Furthermore, boiogito is administered to the patients with edematous, painful and/or swollen joints. Both agents contain several herbal medicines with pain relieving spasmolytics, redistributing of tissue fluid or anti-inflammatory actions. From these findings, agents used in this case appear to work towards redistributing tissue fluid, easing local immune reaction or relieving pains powerfully. It is thought that combined agents with boiogito and yokuininto could be a reliable option for the treatment of rheumatic arthritis.