Rheumatism (RA) is a self-immunological disease characterized by chronic inflammation and arthritis damage, which affects about 1 per cent of the global population.
RA not only has a serious impact on the quality of life of patients, but also has a huge socio-economic burden. In recent years, a growing body of research has shown that RA development is a multi-step process and that diseases are already active in the body long before clinical symptoms appear.
This stage, known as Pre-Clinic Rheumatism (Pre-RA), can significantly reduce the severity of RAs and even slow down or prevent their onset through effective intervention during this critical period.
What’s preclinical rheumatism?
Pre-clinical rheumatism (Pre-RA) refers to the period from the onset of the disease to the pre-clinical symptoms of arthritis.
Patients at this stage may not have any apparent symptoms, but a series of clinical and laboratory tests have shown that there have been a number of pathological changes associated with RA in the body.
For example, elevated self-antibodies, such as rheumatogens (RFs) and anti-penetrates (ACCPs), may be detected in blood, although these indicators are not sufficient to diagnose RAs.
Pre-RA patients usually have the following characteristics:
Family history: People with family history of rheumatism are more at risk.
Studies have shown that the risk of an RA can increase three to ninefold for a population with a family history, and that the probability that a serum RF-positive RA patient will pass on to the next generation is about 50 per cent, and that the risk of a first-degree relative will increase three times.
Environmental factors: Long-term living in cold, humid environments, or chronic stress, smoking and alcohol.
According to statistics, 25 per cent of RA patients and 35 per cent of RF-positive patients suffer from diseases associated with the risk of smoking (including second-hand smoke).
Prophytopositive: RA-related self-antibodies have been detected in the blood, e.g. anti-CCP, rheumatizer (RF) etc.
The study found that among the health relatives of RA patients, the risk of RA-related self-positive RAs was approximately 61%, while the risk of disease among self-anti-negatives was only 0.4%.
Symptoms of suspicion: possible joint pain, swelling, morning rigidities, etc., but not yet met the RA diagnostic criteria.
Why?
Preclinical intervention?
Early intervention is key to the prevention and control of rheumatism. Once RA enters the clinical stage, joint damage is often difficult to reverse, and treatment is much more difficult.
In the Pre-RA phase, effective interventions can significantly reduce the risk of disease progression and even prevent the occurrence of RAs altogether. A number of studies have shown that, following early intervention, there has been a marked reduction in the symptoms of joint pain and inflammation and a significant improvement in the quality of life.
A follow-up study on anti-gualinomate (ACPA) positive and RF positive patients found that, after 28 months of observation, 20 per cent of patients had progressed to RA, but that figure was as high as 60 per cent of those with small joint symmetrical pain and morning stag.
The early identification and intervention of Pre-RA patients is therefore essential.
Listen to the doctor.
Chinese doctors have a long history of understanding rheumatism and have unique theories and methods of treatment. According to Chinese medicine, RA falls within the category of “prevalence” and is mainly caused by wind, cold, wet, etc., which affects the human body, resulting in poor blood flow and disruption.
“The disease is more frequent than the rain of four hours, and in September, in the month of March, when the month of the earth is too damp or the land of condensed water, the labour force is overworked, the wind and the rain, the wetting of the bed, and the coming out.”
The Pre-RA stage, according to the Chinese doctor, is the very beginning of a foreign evil that has not yet been seriously injured, at which point intervention can be effective in exorcising the evil and reconciling it to the “unpreventable” purpose.
In clinical terms, common formulas, such as yellow cinnamon soup, have the effect of increasing temperature and haematosis. The combination of the pyrotechnics, cinnamon steroids, blood and camping, ginger, dates and camping, and the combination of the drugs can help to correct the evils and to keep the blood open, have a significant effect on the improvement of pain, swelling and rigid symptoms of rheumatism.
Carnation: This is based on the sharing of diseases and is not a substitute for hospital visits. Comments are for reference purposes only, and medical advice is required for specific treatments.
References:
[1] Guo Yi Jia, Li Sun Wei. Advances in research on rheumatitis in the preclinical period [J]. Chinese Medicine, 2024, 19 (06): 941-945.[2] Wang Swe, Sun Weiwei, Ajiao, etc. Characteristics of rheumatitis in the preclinical period and treatment strategy [J]. China Clinical Doctors Journal (electronic version), 2018, 12 (08): 472-476.[3] Suin, Juhuacheng.
