Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease of unknown etiology characterized by symmetric polyarthritis. The hallmark of persistently active rheumatoid arthritis is that it often results in articular cartilage damage, bone destruction, and functional disability. The prevalence of this disease is approximately 0.8–1.0% in Europe and the Indian subcontinent, with a female-to-male ratio of 3:1. In India, the prevalence of this disease is 0.5% to 0.75%.It is said that one in 12 women and one in 20 men will develop rheumatoid arthritis during their lifetime. Etiology of rheumatoid arthritis remains elusive although it appears that genetics, immunological derangement, infections, environmental and hormonal factors (In females) are all involved in the complex . This disease affects people between 25 and 55 years of age, after which it plateaus until the age of 75 and then decreases. The typical presentation of rheumatoid arthritis is pain, inflammation of joints, tendons and bursae, joint swelling, tenderness, and early morning stiffness lasting more than one hour that eases with physical activity, associated with constitutional symptoms of fatigue, malaise, loss of appetite and weight loss. It is a systemic disorder, thus may also lead to a variety of extra-articular manifestations .

In the Unani system of medicine it is not mentioned under the heading of Rheumatoid Arthritis but the disease has been vividly described by various Unani physicians under a generalized term Waja‘al-Mafasil. The causes of rheumatoid arthritis described in modern medicine are different from the causes explained in the Unani system of medicine. The conventional medications used for the treatment of this disease may be divided into broad categories: non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs; gluco-corticoids, conventional disease modifying antirheumatic drugs including Hydroxychloroquine, Sulfasalazine, and Methotrexate; and biologic disease modifying antirheumatic drugs. However, they are frequently associated with a fair degree of moderate to severe side effects including gastritis, peptic ulcer disease, renal function impairment in case of non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and corticosteroids, nausea, diarrhea, headache, rashes, cardiotoxicity, blood dyscrasia, irreversible retinal damage, hepatotoxicity, neurological deficit, granulocytopenia, hemolytic anemia, myelo-suppression in case of disease modifying antirheumatic drugs.Thus there is a gross requirement for alternative treatment. The Unani compound formulation  containing Suranjan Talkh (Colchicum luteum Baker), Zanjabeel (Zingiber officinale Rosc.)and Aelva (Aloe barbadensis Mill.) is mentioned to be used in Waja‘al-Mafāṣil in the Bayaz-e-Khass of Hakeem Sharief Khan. The principle of treatment aims at restoring the normal temperament and correcting the imbalance in the Khilá¹­ (humour) through Imāla (Diversion of morbid material) and Istifrāgh (Evacuation of morbid material). Significant anti-arthritic activity of this Unani pharmacopoeial formulation has been studied in albino rats. Thus in order to provide safe and more effective treatment for rheumatoid arthiritis the present study entitled "Clinical Study of Waja‘al-Mafāṣil (Rheumatoid Arthritis) with Therapeutic Efficacy Evaluation of Unani Compound Formulation in its Management” is designed.