Gold injections hold hope for arthritis cure
■ Yellow metal is used in curbing many inflamatory diseases
After a lull, gold is back in medical use. Gold injections with sodium aumothiomaltate are gaining prominence in the medical circles. Earlier, the yellow metal was administered orally. Currently, its injection has become a part of the treatment for rheumatoid arthritis.
Gold has the capacity to attract heat into the body. So, it is used in curbing many inflammatory diseases. As it can also influence the body’s immune response system, it is used for curing the attack on tissues.
Dr Unni Krishnan, a city-based physician, said, “Gold is used for treatment of many autoimmune diseases. The injection is normally administered near the muscle region. It is not a fast mode of treatment and often takes at least three months to get visible results. In fact, it is good for pain relief and inflammatory diseases.” Doctors noted that the use of the yellow metal for treatment came down after reports of its side-effects surfaced.
Dr Rajib Paul, a general physician, said, “The usage of gold injections ebbed due to side-effects, mainly on the kidney. Gold cannot be excreted from the body once it enters and that leads to kidney-related problems. This can also cause problems to the skin.”
The injection is administered near the muscle region. It is not a fast mode of treatment and takes at least three months to get visible results — DR UNNI KRISHNAN physician