JOINT PAINS & AYURVEDA: Treatment & Relief Options
Life
is journey from a pain (birth) to a pain (death)...Pain is a dear friend who
walks along and tells when something is wrong.
Joint pain conditions can be as: Osteoarthritis (sandhivata), Gout, Stress headaches, Migraine, Spondylitis, Frozen shoulder, Backache, Neck pain, Sciatica, Fibromyalgia
Ayurvedic
Management of Pain:
In Ayurveda Joint-pains can be managed by two approaches; one is preventive and the other is curative.
I.
PREVENTIVE APPROACH:
Under the preventive approach one of the aspects is Sadvrutta/Svasthavratta; i.e. lifestyle. The other aspect of it is use of Rasyanas i.e. rejuvenating herbs.
Sadvrutta / Svasthavratta:
Svasthavratta- is a comprehensive schedule of health regimen for preservation of health as a code of health conduct
Dinacarya /Ratricarya - daily code of health conduct
Rtucarya- conduct in relation to various seasons
Sadvrtta- Details about life style, diet, exercise, personal and social hygiene
Rasayana:
The Therapy, which gives the benefit of good Rasa, is Rasayana. Hence, it is the therapy by which one gets the Rasa, Raktadi Dhatus of optimum quality.
Example: Aamla, Ashwagandha, Shatavari
II.
CURATIVE APPROACH:
Under the curative approach the pain has to be managed covering all the aspects related to diet, lifestyle in addition to the medication required that includes Panchkarma Treatments and Herbal Medication.
Panchkarma
Lifestyle
Medicines (Single Herbs & Compound Formulations)
Home Remedies
a) Snehana: Massage with medicated oils such as; Mahanarayana taila, Dashmula taila, Mahamasha taila, Vishagarbha taila etc.
b) Swedana:
◦ Ekanga or sarvang sweda (Hot fomentation) with decoction of Nirgundi, Dashamula, Eranda and Bala etc.
◦ Patra pinda sweda (made from Nirgundi, Datura, Eranda, Chincha, etc.)
c) Basti: Anuvasana basti with Narayana taila and niruha basti with dasamula kwatha.
d) Rakta mokshana: Ayurveda believes that Leeches suck only the impure part of blood. We can assume the sucking of blood from superficial veins which is deoxygenated or impure one. Leech Therapy is very good for all kind of Pain conditions related with Swelling.
Lifestyle
a) Diet
Creating Strong Digestion: Incomplete digested food creates toxins and impurities that are eventually absorbed, travel throughout the physiology, localize in tissues and disrupt their functioning leading to a chronic pain. This can be treated by a proper & optimum use of spices and cooking oils, by favoring digestion-enhancing foods and most importantly by reducing digestion-suppressing foods.
Dietary Treatments for Joint Pains: Ginger and garlic are extremely good for controlling joint pains. Some people find the odor of garlic intolerable. In order to reduce the odor, the cloves of garlic could be slightly fried in butter. All bitter tastes are good for arthritis. People with joint pains should totally steer away from all kinds of sour foods, since these can increase the Vata. Constipation can aggravate the pains. Hence, foods that are difficult to digest must be avoided. This also extends to protein-rich foods such as pulses. Foods must not be fried so that Vata is not vitiated further.
One should practice light yoga asanas as it:
• Brings energy and flexibility to the body
• Reduces stiffness of muscles and joints
• Controls the mind (chitta)
• Promotes general well-being
One should practice breathing exercise (pranayam) as it is a:
• Valuable tool to manage pain
• Increases the pain threshold
• Regulates the breath
• Revitalizes the body
• Cultivates a positive state of
mind
Medicines (Single Herbs
& Compound Formulations)
TREATMENT MODALITIES IN RHEUMATOLOGICAL DISEASES
ü Hot fomentation followed by local massage of affected joint with oil (Tila taila)
ü Ardraka swarasa (Zingiber officinale) 1 tea spoon daily with honey 2 times a day for 15 days.
ü Shunthi churna 1 gm , twice daily with milk for 15 days
ü Boil 15 – 20 Harsingar (Nyctanthes arbortristis) leaves in 4 cups of water till one cup remains and take 1 cup twice a day for 15 days.
ü Four Lasuna (Allium sativum) bulb-lets boil in 1 cup milk then taken twice a day for 15 days.
About The Author
This article written by Dr. Rakhi Nagar. She has experience in gynecology with specialized skills in menstrual problems, pcos and infertility. She is an ayurvedic doctors in Delhi with vast knowledge and exposure in the field of clinical practice of specialized Ayurveda treatments and panchkarma procedures.
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