Research Progress of Traditional Chinese Medicine in The Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis

Lerong Chen

doi:10.54254/2753-8818/2025.19754

Research Article

Open access

Published on 15 January 2025

Download pdf

Chen,L. (2025). Research Progress of Traditional Chinese Medicine in The Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis. Theoretical and Natural Science,69,85-92.

Export citation

Research Progress of Traditional Chinese Medicine in The Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis

Lerong Chen *^,1,

¹ Department of traditional Chinese medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology, China

* Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

https://doi.org/10.54254/2753-8818/2025.19754

Abstract

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease mainly characterized by joint synovitis, with complex etiology and pathogenesis, intractability and high disability, which affects patients' quality of life, physical and mental health seriously. With the in-depth research of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in the field of RA, Chinese medicine treats RA by etiology and pathogenesis analysis, syndrome differentiation, adopting internal treatment, external treatment, and combining internal and external treatments, the curative effect is remarkable. TCM treatment has unique advantages in effectively alleviating pain symptoms, slowing down the process of disease development and reducing adverse reactions efficiently. Based on the literature research, this article will review and summarize the etiology and pathogenesis of RA, Chinese medicine treatment methods, and modern research progress, as well as analyze the advantages and challenges of Chinese medicine in the treatment of RA, so as to provide reference value for the diagnosis and treatment of RA and contribute to new research directions and new drug development.

Keywords

traditional Chinese medicine, rheumatoid arthritis, internal treatment of traditional Chinese medicine, external treatment of traditional Chinese medicine

View pdf

References

[1]. Deane, K. D., & Holers, V. M. (2021). Rheumatoid Arthritis Pathogenesis, Prediction, and Prevention: An Emerging Paradigm Shift. Arthritis & rheumatology (Hoboken, N.J.), 73(2), 181–193. https://doi.org/10.1002/art.41417

[2]. World Health Organization: WHO & World Health Organization: WHO. (2023, June 28). Rheumatoid arthritis. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/rheumatoid-arthritis

[3]. Xie, C. X., Jia, P., & Hu, L. (2024). Research progress on the pathogenesis and drug treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. China Modern Doctor, (20), 145-148. DOI:CNKI:SUN:ZDYS.0.2024-20-034.

[4]. Zhang, J. H., Yin, H. B., & Shi, B. (2013). Research progress on etiology, pathogenesis and treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. Rheumatism and Arthritis, (07), 62-66. DOI:CNKI:SUN:FSBG.0.2013-07-023.

[5]. He, X., Ma, Y. N., Lu, L., Chen, Y. Z., Jin, M. Y., & Ying, S. L. (2020). Discussion on etiology and pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis based on ‘theory of double poison’. Global Traditional Chinese Medicine, (09), 1503-1506. DOI:CNKI:SUN:HQZY.0.2020-09-009.

[6]. Liu, L. Y., & Mai, Y. Y. (2020). Research progress on the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis with traditional Chinese medicine and its clinical application. Electronic Journal of Clinical Medical Literature, (23), 195. DOI:10.16281/j.cnki.jocml.2020.23.181.

[7]. Wang, Q., Zhou, X., Yang, L., Zhao, Y., Chew, Z., Xiao, J., Liu, C., Zheng, X., Zheng, Y., Shi, Q., Liang, Q., Wang, Y., & Wang, H. (2020). The natural compound notopterol binds and targets JAK2/3 to ameliorate inflammation and arthritis. Cell reports, 32(11), 108158. DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2020.108158.

[8]. Wei, X. (2023). Isoeuropregnathin ameliorates TH17/Treg imbalance in rheumatoid arthritis by targeting FOXP3 via MIR--34A. https://d.wanfangdata.com.cn/thesis/ChhUaGVzaXNOZXdTMjAyNDA5MjAxNTE3MjUSCFk0MDkwMzI0Ggg3dHN0ZW95aw%3D%3D

[9]. Zou, L. Y., & Liao, Q. Y. (2023). The effect of tripterygium wilfordii polysaccharides on immunoglobulin in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. Jilin Medical Journal, (02), 444-446. DOI:CNKI:SUN:JLYX.0.2023-02-049.

[10]. Shao, X., Yuan, Y. S., Jiang, X. H., Jia, A. M., Liu, J., Chen, Y., & Liu, F. (2019). Effect of aconitine on proliferation, apoptosis and autophagy of fibroblast-like synoviocytes in rheumatoid arthritis. Chin J Immunol, (35), 3066-3070. DOI:CNKI:SUN:ZMXZ.0.2019-24-025.

[11]. Miu, J. C., & Cai, W. Q. (2010). Research progress on the anti rheumatoid arthritis effect of natural medicines. Herald of Medicine, (07), 872-874. DOI:CNKI:SUN:YYDB.0.2010-07-014.

[12]. ZHANG, Z., XIAO, Y., ZHU, S., QI, J., & WU, Y. (2022). Research progress of Guizhi Shaoyao Zhimu Decoction in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. International Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 704-707. DOI: 10.3760/cma.j.cn115398-20210224-00184.

[13]. Wei, S. F., Xu, L., Liang, L. N., & Li, X., L. (2012). Clinical study on the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis with Juanbi Decoction. Medical Journal of Chinese People’s Health, 24(10), 1197-1198. DOI:10.3969/j.issn.1672-0369.2012.10.028.

[14]. Shi, C. H., Lu, T., & Li, Y. (2021). The effect of Juanbi Decoction on bone metabolism and expression of inflammatory factors TNF - α and IL-6 in rheumatoid arthritis. Jiangxi Medical Journal, (04), 537-539+545. DOI:CNKI:SUN:JXYY.0.2021-04-044.

[15]. Liu, Y. C., Wang, D. Y., Mei, Y. D., & Liao, Z. C. (2024). Research progressof acupuncture intervention on immunomodulatory mechanism of rheumatoid arthritis. International Journal of Immunology, 47(04), 422-428. DOI: 10.3760/cma.j.issn.1673-4394.2024.04.013.

[16]. Zhang, J. H., Tian, J. X., Zhou, S. H., Lei, S. W., Li, Z. J., Yang, D., & Gong, N. N. (2021). Research progress of related mechanism of traditional Chinese medicine non-drug therapy for rheumatoid arthritis. Guangxi Medical Journal, (23), 2871-2873+2877. DOI:CNKI:SUN:GYYX.0.2021-23-021.

[17]. You, T. X., & Chang, R. X. (2023). Observation of the effect of minimally invasive acupuncture and knife therapy in traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. Inner Mongolia Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine, (04), 103-105. DOI:10.16040/j.cnki.cn15-1101.2023.04.015.

[18]. Liu, B. (2011). 100 cases of rheumatoid arthritis treated both internally and externally with tripterygium wilfordii preparations. Chinese Journal of Ethnomedicine and Ethnopharmacy, (24), 106. DOI:CNKI:SUN:MZMJ.0.2011-24-075.

[19]. Zhang, S., Sun, X. J., Gu, X. H., & Chen, P. (2024). Clinical observation on the clinical effect of Duhuo Jisheng Decoction combined with external washing of traditional Chinese medicine in the treatment of deficiency of liver And kidney of rheumatoid arthritis. Journal of Practical Traditional Chinese Internal Medicine, (01), 110-113. DOI:10.13729/j.issn.1671-7813.Z2023006.

[20]. Zhang, L. W., QIN, W. Y., CHEN, Z. M., XIU, J., & ZHOU, W. (2022). Research progress on the regulatory effects of active ingredients in traditional Chinese medicine on the signaling pathway of rheumatoid arthritis. Modern Journal of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, (14), 2040-2044. DOI:CNKI:SUN:XDJH.0.2022-14-030.

[21]. Yang, S. Q., Ma, J. F., & Meng, Q. L. (2024). Effect of Guizhi Shaoyao Zhimu Decoction on collagen-induced arthritis rat based on OPG/RANKL/RANK signaling pathway. Journal of Beijing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 47(1), 70-80. DOI:10.3969/j.issn.1006-2157.2024.01.011.

[22]. WANG, X. Y., KONG, Y. Q., & LI, Z. G. (2024). Research progress of Chinese medicine monomers modulating PI3K/Akt signaling pathway to intervene in rheumatoid arthritis. China Medical Herald, (18), 192-194. DOI:10.20047/j.issn1673-7210.2024.18.50.

[23]. YAN, G. Q., ZHANG, Q., ZHANG, J. Y., JIN, Y. H., DING, H. Q., YIN, Z. Y., DONG, J. J., LI, B. F., & GUO, Xuan. (2021). Mechanism of Tongbi capsules for rheumatoid arthritis on JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway. Central South Pharmacy, (01), 25-29. DOI:CNKI:SUN:ZNYX.0.2021-01-005.

[24]. WANG, J., HUANG, H., LIU, J., WANG, F., LIU, X., & MA, T. (2023). Research status of traditional Chinese medicine regulating Th17/Treg balance in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. China Pharmacy, 34(6), 763-768. DOI:10.6039/j.issn.1001-0408.2023.06.23.

[25]. Chen, J., Zhao, Y. Y., & Gao, M. L. (2022). Research progress on mechanism of miRNA in rheumatoid arthritis and intervention of traditional Chinese medicine. Chinese Journal of Immunology, 38(9), 1144-1149. DOI:10.3969/j.issn.1000-484X.2022.09.023.

[26]. Jiang, Y., & Liu, J. C. (2020). The therapeutic effect of methotrexate and hydroxychloroquine combined with traditional Chinese medicine fumigation on rheumatoid arthritis. World Latest Medicine Information, 20(A5), 129-130. DOI:10.3969/j.issn.1671-3141.2020.105.066.

[27]. Li, G. (2018). The observation of 5-year radiology in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis by heat clearing and activating blood recipe and the effect of its decomposed formulas on TNF-Α and IL-6. https://d.wanfangdata.com.cn/thesis/ChhUaGVzaXNOZXdTMjAyNDA5MjAxNTE3MjUSCFkzNDkzMDMxGghzaGZlNWRhbw%3D%3D

[28]. Guo, W. H. (2018). Effect of acupuncture and moxibustion combined with traditional Chinese medicine fumigation and conventional western medicine on rheumatoid arthritis and its influence on MMP-3, IgM-RF, IgA-RF. Modern Journal of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine. (19), 2143-2145. DOI:CNKI:SUN:XDJH.0.2018-19-028..

[29]. Yu, J. L. (2014). Analysis of the therapeutic effect of combined traditional Chinese and Western medicine on rheumatoid arthritis. Journal of frontiers of medicine. (8), 236-237, 238. DOI:10.3969/j.issn.2095-1752.2014.08.232.

Cite this article

Chen,L. (2025). Research Progress of Traditional Chinese Medicine in The Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis. Theoretical and Natural Science,69,85-92.

Data availability

The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study will be available from the authors upon reasonable request.

Disclaimer/Publisher's Note

The statements, opinions and data contained in all publications are solely those of the individual author(s) and contributor(s) and not of EWA Publishing and/or the editor(s). EWA Publishing and/or the editor(s) disclaim responsibility for any injury to people or property resulting from any ideas, methods, instructions or products referred to in the content.

About volume

Volume title: Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on Modern Medicine and Global Health

Conference website: https://2025.icmmgh.org/

ISBN：978-1-83558-769-0(Print) / 978-1-83558-770-6(Online)

Conference date: 10 January 2025

Editor：Sheiladevi Sukumaran

Series: Theoretical and Natural Science

Volume number: Vol.69

ISSN：2753-8818(Print) / 2753-8826(Online)

© 2024 by the author(s). Licensee EWA Publishing, Oxford, UK. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license. Authors who publish this series agree to the following terms:
1. Authors retain copyright and grant the series right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this series.
2. Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the series's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this series.
3. Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See Open access policy for details).