Rheumatism alarm: myths and reality of an underestimated disease!

Rheumatism alarm: myths and reality of an underestimated disease!

Around five percent of the world's population, including around 300,000 people in Austria, suffer from rheumatic diseases, which mean more than just joint pain. These systemic diseases can affect vital organs and result in patients causing 9.5 million sick days in Austria every year. Contrary to popular belief that rheumatism mainly affects older people, it can occur at any age.

Focus on ineffective herbal remedies

A comprehensive analysis by the German Society for Rheumatology has shown that many popular herbal preparations such as borage oil, cannabis extracts and various mixtures of medicinal plants offer no demonstrable benefit for rheumatic complaints. Gernot Keyßer, spokesman for the Commission for Complementary Medicine, stated that despite positive laboratory results on anti-inflammatory or immunological effects, the clinical benefit in practice is extremely low. When it comes to medical cannabis in particular, there is not enough scientific evidence to recommend its use.

In addition, malnutrition is a widespread problem in Germany and other high-income countries. It is characterized by a high consumption of highly processed foods and animal products, while the consumption of fresh fruit, vegetables and whole grain products is neglected. This unhealthy diet contributes significantly to obesity, metabolic and cardiovascular diseases, and various types of cancer. According to the German Medical Association, malnutrition is associated with many health problems and therefore has not only individual but also environmental consequences that cannot be ignored.

For more information about the problem of rheumatism treatments and the role of nutrition in health, you can read the reports from Today.at and Federal Medical Association can be viewed.