Ayurvedic Medicine to Treat RA

I recently read a news story online on www.ibnlive.com that the University of Washington is conducting a study on the effectiveness of combining Ayurveda with traditional Western medicine for the treatment of RA.  The university is conducting the study in conjunction with the Ayurvedic Trust in Coimbatore, India and is receiving funding from the National Institute of Health (NIH).  Thus study builds upon a 20-year-old World Health Organization (WHO) funded study, which found that Ayurvedic treatment is effective for rheumatoid arthritis. 
 
So my questions to the other readers are the following:  Have you ever tried Ayurvedic medicine for any condition including RA or for general health, and did you find it to be effective?  If you tried it for RA, what was included in the treatments/remedies?  Did you use Ayurvedic medicine in addition to allopathic (traditional medicine) and was it helpful for you?
 
What I have found in general, is that Aruyveda is a traditional, holistic form of medicine that originated in India among the Brahmin sages somewhere between 3000-6000 B.C. making it possibly the oldest system of medicine in the world.  The purpose of Aruyveda is to establish and maintain balance of the mind, body and spirit to prevent illness and promote wellness, instead of focusing on treating disease symptoms.  People may have the same symptoms, but because each person has a different constitution and energy make-up, treatment is different for each person.  Therapies include herbs, massage and yoga.  Traditionally there were eight major clinical subspecialties within Ayurveda with extensive information on individual diseases:

1. Internal Medicine (Kayachikitsa)
2. General Surgery (Shalya Tantra)
3. Otorhinolaryngology (Shalakya)
4. Pediatrics and Obstetric/Gynecology (Kaumarabhrtya)
5. Psychiatry (Bhutavidya)
6. Toxicology (Agada Tantra)
7. Nutrition, Detoxification and Rejuvenation (Rasayana Tantra)
8. Fertility and Virility (Vajikarana)

Today, there are also sub-specialties for the treatment of addictions, diet and weightloss, beauty treatments, disease resistance and others.
For more information see:

The National Institute for Complementary and Alternative Medicine
 
NCCAMM Research Report on Rheumatoid Arthritis and Complimentary and Alternative Medicine
 
The National Institute for Ayurvedic Medicine