J Clin Rheumatol. 2011 Jun;17(4):185-92.

Double-blind, randomized, controlled, pilot study comparing classic ayurvedic medicine, methotrexate, and their combination in rheumatoid arthritis.

Furst DE, Venkatraman MM, McGann M, Manohar PR, Booth-Laforce C, Sarin R, Sekar PG, Raveendran KG, Mahapatra A, Gopinath J, Kumar PR.

Source

From the *Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, CA; †University of Washington, Seattle, WA; ‡Ayurvedic Trust, Coimbatore, India; and §Department of Gastroenterology, Seth GS Medical College & KEM Hospital, Mumbai, India.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

: To compare classic Ayurveda, methotrexate (MTX), and their combination in a double-blind, randomized, double-dummy, pilot trial in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) for 36 weeks.

CONCLUSIONS:

: In this first-ever, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled pilot study comparing Ayurveda, MTX, and their combination, all 3 treatments were approximately equivalent in efficacy, within the limits of a pilot study. Adverse events were numerically fewer in the Ayurveda-only group. This study demonstrates that double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized studies are possible when testing individualized classic Ayurvedic versus allopathic treatment in ways acceptable to western standards and to Ayurvedic physicians. It also justifies the need for larger studies.
Source: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21617554, Copied as fair use.

You may also visit: http://journals.lww.com/jclinrheum/Abstract/2011/06000/Double_Blind,_Randomized,_Controlled,_Pilot_Study.5.aspx ,
For short communication of this project, pls visit
http://ard.bmj.com/content/early/2010/08/24/ard.2010.136226