When agni or jathar-agni (digestive fire) is disturbed due to various reasons, it results in toxins called ama which subsequently leads to indigestion, constipation etc., which are the root cause of all the body disorders including Rheumatic fever.

Ayurvedic concept of Rheumatic fever can be explained as below.

Ama or toxins are the unmetabolised wastes that have a heavy and sticky quality and Vata is the functional principle of movement in the body. Ama (toxins) are being carried by vata into rasadhatu ( lymph). And the imbalanced agni (digestive fire) and pitta dosha irritates the blood thereby leading to a systematic inflammation and Rheumatic fever.

Ayurveda attributes the following factors to the disturbance of digestive fire/doshic imbalance which indirectly leads to Rheumatic fever.

1. Leading an improper lifestyle or consuming stale foods/cold foods/processed foods/fermented foods etc, which does not suit one's body constituition.

2. Taking a lot of spicy/ fatty foods/incompatible foods like milk and fruits, fish and milk.

3. Either doing over exercises or not doing any exercises at all.

4. Obesity/genetics/hormonal disorders/irregular eating and sleeping patterns.

5. Malnutrition that occurs due to nutrient deficiency.

6. Mental worries that prolongs for a long time.

Rheumatic fever is named as Amavata in Ayurvedic classicals and main symptoms are fever and joint swelling. Intermittent fever with joint pains manifests throughout the episode. Intially ama will be sedimented in big joints which will affects all joints in due course.

Panchakarma means five therapeutic measures which are undergone for the purification of the body. The simple logic on which Ayurveda operates is that the body has to be purified before preparing it for treating it for the complex health problems.

The pre-purification measures of panchakarma are :

1.Snehana (abhyangam) - oil massage is done which helps the ama to move towards the gastro intestinal tract.

2. Swedana (sweating) - a process which liquefies the toxins and increases the movement of ama towards the gastro intestinal tract.

Next comes the main purification measures :

1. Vamana - It is a therapeutic vomiting which eliminates the kapha casuing the excess mucus.

2. Virechana - It is a purgation therapy. To treat the fever which is the result of the excess Pitta being secreted in the gall bladder, liver or small intestine.

3. Nasya - It is believed that nose is the doorway to our brain which in turn is the doorway to consiousness. In Nasya, the excess of bodily humors especially the ones that are found in throat area, are eliminated through administration of medication through the nose.

4. Basti - It is an enema therapy where the herbal concoctions of sesame iols and other herbal preparations in the form of liquid medium are introduced in to the rectum. Janubasti is also very effective in treating vata disorders which results in RA disorders.

Hence panchakarma treatment is found very effective in treating the rheumatic disorders and after undergoing it the person is then advised to lead a modified lifestyle, take proper diet and do yogic exercises that helps him in keeping himself at bay from RF disorders in future too.

Ayurveda advises light anti rheumatic diets, mild yogic exercises and medicines to improve the digestive fire. Ayurvedic panchkarma treatment to cleanse the body is also advised. Slow and steady progress will acheived by good ayurvedic treatment and a complete cure will be obtained in three years. A special type of Ayurvedic panchkarma treatment is practised in the state of Kerala in India which is very effective for Ama vata.