Arthritis
Ayurvedic Treatment For Arthritis: The Therapies That Really Work
Ayurvedic treatment for Arthritis includes shodhana or purificatory therapy and shamana or the palliative treatment together. The main objective of Ayurvedic treatment for Arthritis is to reduce Joint Pain, swelling, inflammation and improve metabolism disturbances.
What is Arthritis?
Arthritis or Sandhivat is a term indicated for disease of bone and joints. It is mainly characterised by symptoms such as Joint Pain, redness, swelling, oedema and inflammation. Arthritis develops following inflammation of joints or breakdown of the cartilage cushion present between two bones. An intact cartilage disc acts as cushion and helps in smooth movement of joints while performing actions such as walking, running etc. However Arthritis causes inflammation or the tearing of cartilage and makes the bones to rub against each other. This causes severe Arthritis pain and difficulty in moving the joint.
What are the Common Types of Arthritis?
Arthritis or Sandhivat is a broad term and indicates complex family of musculoskeletal disorders consisting of different diseases that affect joints, bone, supporting muscles, cartilage and other connective tissues. The two most common types of Arthritis are osteoArthritis and rheumatoid Arthritis. Other types include juvenile Arthritis, psoriatic Arthritis, gout and fibromyalia.
OsteoArthritis:
OsteoArthritis a chronic condition that causes breakdown of the joint’s cartilage. The loss of cushioning effect causes, stiffness, pain and loss of movement in the joint.
Rheumatoid Arthritis:
Rheumatoid Arthritis is caused due to inflammation of joints. This is an autoimmune disease and occurs when body’s own immune system attacks the healthy tissues. Rheumatoid Arthritis is characterized by pain, inflammation, redness and swelling of joints. This inflammation may also spread to the other parts of the body, such as the muscles, blood vessels, nerves and eyes.
Juvenile Arthritis:
Juvenile Arthritis is an inflammatory arthritic conditions that can develop in children aged 16 and younger. This type of Arthritis also causes inflammation of joints
Psoriatic Arthritis:
Psoriatic Arthritis is a type of chronic inflammatory Arthritis which occurs in people suffering from a skin condition called Psoriasis. Psoriatic Arthritis is characterized by symptoms such as painful, swollen joints, morning stiffness, and fatigue.
What are the Common Symptoms of Arthritis?
The symptoms of amavata as told in Ayurveda include,
- Angamarda or body ache
- Aruchi or tastelessness
- Trishna or Excessive thirst
- Alasya or lethargy
- Gourava or heaviness in body
- Jwara or feverishness
- early morning stiffness in the joints
- pain in the joints ( similar to the pain as stung by a scorpion)
- Other symptoms such as constipation, indigestion, fullness of abdomen, lack of sleep
Get rid of Arthritis pain
Is There a Cure for Arthritis in Ayurveda?
The signs and symptoms of Arthritis in modern science can be correlated to that of amavata in Ayurveda. As the name suggests vitiated Vata Dosha and ama or undigested or improperly formed food essence in the body are the main culprits for the disease. The main cause for amavata is altered state of digestion and metabolism caused by unhealthy food habits when there is diminished digestive power. Ayurveda thus offers cure for Arthritis through therapies that aims to correct digestion and metabolism.
How Does Natural Treatment to Reduce Arthritis Pain Works?
Ayurvedic treatment of Arthritis includes correction of digestion and metabolism, Immuno-modulation, treatment for Joint Pain with Panchakarma therapy and Ayurvedic medicines. So the Shodhana or purificatory therapy and shamana or the palliative treatment together plays a major role in the management of Amavata.
What is the Ayurvedic Treatment Procedure for Arthritis?
- After correcting the digestive fire and removing the ama in the body by fasting and some natural medicines, the body is prepared for the upcoming purificatory procedures.
- Once ama is removed oleation therapies like abhyanga and kizhi along with Panchakarma treatment like basti for 8 or 16 days or virechana is planned to cure the disease.
- Once the therapies are over the patient is given medicines like kashayam or decoctions, tablets and certain powders to be taken for a specified period of time.
- Apart from these strict diet regimen and life style changes are advocated.
- Sallaki, Gugguls are very effective in reducing the pain and improving the functional mobility of the patient.
What is the Cost of Arthritis Ayurvedic Treatment?
The cost of treatment for Arthritis depends on the age and condition and type of Arthritis. Ayurvedic treatments are always customised based on a person’s lifestyle and health status. To know the cost of Arthritis treatment you can book an appointment and ask for details during consultation with our doctors.
Natural cure for Arthritis Joint Pain
Which Ayurvedic Therapy Works to Cure Arthritis Pain?
As age advances, the influence of Vata Dosha progresses, resulting in the process of gradual degeneration of the body. Sandhivata (osteoArthritis) is one of the consequences of this process, which is common in the elderly people. This is one of the major causes of chronic disability, affecting the quality of life. Therapies like virechan, abhyangam, basti and Upanaham have been showing tremendous positive results in improving the quality of life of the affected individual. Oral medications like sallaki and guggul are also useful treat osteoArthritis.
Ayurveda offers therapies that use medicated oils to lubricate the joints and also strengthen the muscles surrounding the joints.
List of Ayurvedic treatments for Arthritis
Virechan : A part of Panchkarma therapy, Virechan includes induced purgation. It starts with adminstartion of medicated ghritams in increased doses. The Vitiated vatas are collected in the abdomen removed through anal route.
Abhyangam : A full body massage with medicated oil, Abhyangam lubricates the joints and reduces pain arising due to Arthritis joint inflammation. The massage with oil also improved the tone and strength of muscles supporting joints.
Basti : An important part of Panchkarma, basti included oil enemas or decoction enemas to remove unwanted toxins and Vata Dosha from the body.
Upanaham : Upanaham involves application of medicinal paste over Arthritis joints that have swelling and pain. The applied paste is then covered with leaves of some herbs that have medicinal value in Pain Management.