Integrating Approaches Traditional and Biomedical Therapies in Rheumatological and other Inflammatory Musculoskeletal Diseases

Rheumatism encompasses a range of conditions that significantly impact a person’s life resulting in long-term chronic suffering, including rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, systemic lupus erythematosus, and Sjögren's syndrome. Rheumatism and other rheumatoid diseases have a major impact on global health, placing heavy burdens on individuals and healthcare systems. Despite advances in anti-rheumatic drugs, including biological agents, their therapeutic efficacy often falls short. Traditional medicinal practice (including traditions from the Indian subcontinent, the Middle East, Africa, the Americas and Europe as well as traditional Chinese medicine - TCM) can be integrated with biomedical therapies. Such integrative presents a promising path for improving treatments. Nonetheless, the evidence quality backing these practices is still insufficient, and the pharmacological mechanisms of many traditional medical preparations remain poorly understood, highlighting a need for more in-depth pharmacological and pathological studies.

This Research Topic aims to consolidate original research, reviews, and meta-analyses that evaluate the effects and the effectiveness of traditional medical preparations combined with biomedical therapies in treating rheumatic diseases and other Inflammatory chronic musculoskeletal diseases. It seeks to contribute to a better understanding the mechanisms of action underlying these integrated treatments. High-quality, evidence-based research is vital for such an integration of traditional medical preparations into daily medical practice and steer its clinical applications, enhancing patient outcomes. Furthermore, this topic seeks to explore the chemical and pharmacognostic basis of traditional medical preparations In contemporary medicine, aiming to identify new therapeutic targets and pathways that could pave the way for novel treatment strategies for rheumatism.

To advance knowledge in this intriguing field, the scope of this Research Topic focuses on the interaction between traditional and biomedical therapies in rheumatology. We invite submissions studying:

- Clinical evaluations of comorbid traditional medical preparations and biomedical therapies treatments in rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, lupus, and Sjögren's syndrome.

- Basic in vivo and in vitro studies to decipher the mechanisms of combined treatment modalities.

- Systematic reviews and meta-analyses assessing the efficacy and safety of these integrative approaches.

- Research into rheumatic disease concepts within the context of both traditional and biomedical traditions.

- Investigations into the fundamental theories of "disease" and "syndrome" in relation to traditional medical systems and biomedical therapies.

Please note:
Studies need to comply with the best practice guidelines of the leading journals for pharmacological studies on plant extract / natural products including the Four Pillars of Best Practice in Ethnopharmacology and follow the standards established in the ConPhyMP statement Front. Pharmacol. 13:953205.. A detailed description of the material studied, its extraction and processing is essential and manuscripts which lack such a description will be desk-rejected. You can freely download the full version here. Please self-assess your MS using the ConPhyMP tool.
Purely in silico studies are outside of the scope of this journal (e.g. network studies)

The following article types are particularly encouraged:
• Clinical Trial
• Methods
• Full reviews including Systematic Reviews
• Opinion
• Original Research