Category: Arthritis

Arthritis is a common yet painful condition affecting one or multiple joints along with inflammation. The tenacity of arthritis tends to increase during the cold and chilly days of winter season, making the joints stiff and adding to the pain and swelling. Its symptoms are mainly found in adults over the age of 60-70 years. Though there are no permanent cure for treating arthritis, with proper diet alterations and care it is possible to manage this condition.

According to Ayurveda, arthritis is caused due to an imbalance of vata dosha. When ama, toxin produced due to poor digestive system, accumulates in your body, it aggravates vata dosha. Ama circulates and gets deposited in joint areas causing arthritis. To maintain healthy bones and joints, follow the below mentioned guidelines:

1. Exercise regularly

Indulge in weight-bearing exercises to keep your bones healthy. Reduce doing high-impact activities like jogging, dancing and skipping as it may further aggravate your arthritic condition and take up low-impact exercises like walking to manage the condition especially if you have weak bones or a history of falls.

 

2. Maintain a healthy weight

People suffering from arthritis condition must ensure that they maintain a healthy weight in order to avoid too much strain on the joints. Weight-bearing joints like hip, knees and back have to support your weight and therefore, the less you weigh the less would be their work.

 

3. Balanced diet

Follow a balanced diet comprising of foods rich in nutrients, amino acids, antioxidants, omega 3 fatty acids and anti-inflammatory properties. It is recommended to consume lentils, horse gram, easy to digest grains like cooked oats and rice, berries, ginger, etc. for maintaining bone and joint health. Also, avoid hot and spicy food as it would aggravate doshas.

 

4. Perfect posture

Do not slouch while standing as it affects the joints badly. While standing or sitting make sure your back is straight so as to protect your joints from neck to your knees. While lifting or carrying things, follow the right posture to prevent any harm or injury for your joints and bones.

 

5. Adequate dose of Calcium and Vitamin D

Ensure that you get adequate supply of Calcium and Vitamin D daily. Calcium is required to build strong bones and teeth, as you age. Foods rich in calcium include milks, beans and green leafy vegetables. Vitamin D is essential for keeping your bones healthy and helps in absorbing calcium. Incorporate foods containing Vitamin D like fish, milk, eggs, cod liver oil and mushrooms.

 

6. Avoid too much salt and carbonated drinks

One of the main reasons our body lose calcium is due to excessive intake of salt in food. And drinking carbonated drinks like soda and fizzy drinks will limit our ability to absorb calcium in our body because of its phosphorous content.

 

An inflammatory disease which causes pain, swelling and stiffness in joints, arthritis is a progressive disease which worsens with advancing age. And Ayurveda defines the primary cause of arthritis to be the aggravation of Vata dosha and recommends Vata pacifying measures for management of the condition.

Here is a list of 6 herbs recommended to help manage arthritis.

Turmeric

The spice is hailed as highly effective to combat inflammation. The compound curcumin present in turmeric is beneficial for managing chronic-inflammatory related joint diseases. It can also be applied topically to relieve pain.

Ajwain

The presence of anti-inflammatory components make Ajwain a natural aid to arthritis pain. It also contains anaesthetic properties which further help in relieving excessive pain during winter. Soak a spoonful of ajwain in a tub of hot water and soak aching joints in it for easing swelling and pain. Crushing these seeds and making a paste of it and applying on affected area is beneficial for alleviating pain.

Eucalyptus

Eucalyptus oil contains tannins that are helpful in reducing swelling and pain associated with arthritis. Also, the aroma of eucalyptus oil is considered to have calmative effects on the brain to relieve the discomfort.

Ginger

The compounds that give ginger its strong flavour also provide it with anti-inflammatory properties that help manage the inflammation and swelling related to arthritis.

Cinnamon

Cinnamon contains cinnamaldehyde and cinnamic acid, which have antioxidant properties to help prevent cell damage caused by free radicals. It can be used in combination with other foods and spices to offer a cumulative anti-inflammatory effect.

Garlic

Garlic contains an anti-inflammatory compound which help limit the effects of pro-inflammatory cytokines and thus is beneficial for fighting pain, inflammation and cartilage damage caused by arthritis.

Arthritis is an inflammatory disorder which causes pain, swelling and stiffness in the joints. Normal wear and tear of the joints or the formation of uric acid crystals which results in increased friction between knee joint structures are considered as the common causes of arthritis. It is a progressive disease which may worsen with advancing age. Most common forms of arthritis are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Osteoarthritis is caused by the breakdown of joint cartilage and underlying bone which usually occurs with age and affects fingers, knees and hips. Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disorder in which the body’s immune system attacks the joints causing swelling and pain.
Arthritis and Ayurveda
According to Ayurveda, Arthritis is primarily caused by aggravation of Vata dosha. Imbalance of vata results in improper digestive health or Agni, due to which the body produces Ama or toxins that gets circulated in the body and are eventually deposited in the weak sites of joints. This blocks the supply of essential nutrients to the joints causing deterioration and eventually resulting in inflammation, stiffness, swelling and pain.
Ayurveda defines osteoarthritis as Sandhi Vata and rheumatoid arthritis as Ama Vata. Sandhi Vata indicates swelling in joints because of presence of morbid Vata, while Ama Vata is caused by accumulation of Ama or toxins in joints that leads to chronic inflammation.
Causes of Vata aggravation
As Vata is a deciding factor in causing arthritis, it is vital to understand how Vata gets aggravated in the body and the external influences that contribute to it.
Causes of Vata aggravation include,
• Eating raw, cold, dry, bitter, astringent and pungent foods in excess.
• Eating meals at irregular intervals can hinder the digestion process that balances vata.
• A hectic lifestyle full of stress and tension will help aggravate vata and causes nervousness and anxiety.
• Staying excessively cold or dry environment is also said to cause vata imbalance.
• Lack of sound sleep and imbalance of natural sleep cycle.
• Extensive travelling that tires the body.
• Lack of sufficient rest and relaxation to the body.
Ayurvedic management of Arthritis
Ayurveda recommends balancing vata dosha through healthy diet, lifestyle changes and yoga asanas for treating arthritis. The primary concern is to strengthen Agni and to remove Ama. Ayurvedic body therapies like Pindasweda help reduce Ama and inflammation, while the rejuvenating Panchakarma therapies will remove imbalanced doshas in the body.
Here are some home remedies advised by Ayurveda to manage arthritis.
Abyanga or oil massage – An ayurvedic oil massage daily with castor oil or sesame oil is beneficial for settling Vata for joint health. The massage will stimulate the blood flow and gets rid of arthritis pain and inflammation.
Heat the oil until it is slightly warm and gently massage the painful joints with it. Cover the joint with a plastic wrap and apply warm towel to get relief from the pain.
Turmeric – Turmeric is an anti-inflammatory spice which helps reduce swelling. The anti-inflammatory properties in it is ideal for managing rheumatoid arthritis.
Add turmeric powder to a glass of warm milk and drink it daily before bed.
Cinnamon – Cinnamon helps relieve arthritis pain with its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
Add half teaspoon cinnamon powder and one tablespoon honey to a cup of warm water and drink it daily morning on an empty stomach. Applying a paste of cinnamon and honey to the painful area and massaging is also said to help with the pain.
Fenugreek – Fenugreek is excellent for restraining Ama and correcting Vata dosha. Using fenugreek seeds in food is a natural remedy for arthritis.
Grind fenugreek seeds and mix them with mustard oil. Apply this paste on joints of hands and knees for warmth and comfort.
Epsom salt – The healing properties of magnesium in Epsom salt prevents arthritis from hardening and reduces the amount of inflammation.
Mix Epsom salt in warm bath water and bath with it. Soaking in this bath water for some time is also beneficial for the body.

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease that causes chronic inflammation of the joints. It can also cause inflammation of the tissue around the joints, as well as other organs in the body. Because it can affect multiple other organs of the body including heart and kidneys, rheumatoid arthritis is referred to as a systemic illness and is sometimes called rheumatoid disease.

 

Ayurvedic Understanding of Rheumatoid Arthritis

According to Ayurveda, Rheumatoid Arthritis is described as “Amavata”, ‘Ama’ implies the toxic material that is generated as a harmful product in the body that develops due to weakening of digestive fire. The toxic material is then carried by ‘Vayu’ throughout the body and gets accumulated in the joints by making it gradually affected. This as a consequence causes severe pain and swelling in the joints making you experience the problem of Rheumatoid Arthritis.

 

Factors that cause AMA according to Ayurveda

As per Ayurveda, the main reasons for the formation of AMA in the body are – consumption of fast foods, junk foods, ingestion of spicy and incompatible foods, persevered foods, poor digestive fire, stress, sedentary and irregular lifestyles and imbalance in the doshas.

 

Symptoms of Rheumatoid Arthritis according to Ayurveda

• Feverish sensation
• Bodypain & stiffness
• Indigestion
• Thirst
• Aversion to food
• Swelling of joints with throbbing pain and stiffness
• Difficulty in movement
• Loss of appetite
• Heaviness in the body
• Inflexibility
• Weakness

Management of Rheumatoid Arthritis through Ayurveda

The Ayurvedic approach to the treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis comprises of diet modifications, lifestyle changes, stress management, herbal medication and Ayurvedic therapies, yoga asanas, pranayama and meditation, that help the body get back to state of balance and harmony.The treatment is based on the symptoms and the avastha of the disease.

Following are the stages of Ayurvedic treatment in Rheumatoid Arthritis –

1. Langhanam (Fasting)

It is done in some acute conditions ,by the means of complete absence of food, or by giving special Ayurvedic form of diet which comprises of green gram, rice, barley soups etc.

2. Sodhana chikitsa (Purification of the body)

It is practised through the most effective Ayurvedic set of treatments, known as the Panchakarma therapy. Therapies like Snehapanam, Vamanam, Manal kizhi, Virechanam, Podikizhi, Elakkizhi, Pizhichil, Vaitharana / Kshara basti, Navarakizhi etc. are done to get the maximum results.

3. Shamana chikitsa (Treatment for subsiding the symptoms)

It is done by using very effective and time tested Ayurveda formulations like kashaya, asavarista. Choorna, vati, taila, Rasoushadi etc.

Apart from these, a strict Ayurvedic diet regimen and life style modifications are advocated.

 

Home Remedies to Manage Rheumatoid Arthritis according to Ayurveda

1. Turmeric

Bring 1 quarter of water to boil. Add 1 tablespoon of turmeric powder and boil it for another 10 minutes. Allow it to cool and drink it once or twice daily.

2. Garlic

Because of its strong anti-inflammatory properties, Eating 1 to 2 raw garlic cloves daily is recommended for Rheumatoid Arthritis.

3. Ginger

Rub some ginger oil on the affected area. Then expose the area to sun for 5 to 10 minutes to generate warmth and heat. Do this on regular basis. You can also chew some fresh ginger slices daily for effective results.

4. Neem Leaves

Take 10-15 fresh, new and soft leaves of Neem and have it daily in the morning. The miraculous herb is effective in any kind of arthritis.

5. Fenugreek Seeds

Take 5 gram (One teaspoon) of fenugreek seeds and soak them into a glass of water at night. Next morning, stir it well and filter it. Drink this water chewing the seeds well. This is proven and effective remedy for arthritis.