Arthritis Management through Ayurveda

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Arthritis Management through Ayurveda

 

Are you suffering from arthritis? It is a good idea to understand

some of the grave issues that surround the common disease. Read on to

find the Ayurvedic explanation of this problem and how the use of

herbs forms the mainstay of its therapy.

 

What might appear, as a bit of surprise to you is that two of the

ancient treatise on the science of life i.e., Charaka samhita and

Madhav nidana, include arthritis in many of the nervous system

disorders. Ayurveda terms arthritis as amavata.

 

Ama is the undigested byproduct of the impaired digestion (for which

modern chemistry has no correlate) and vata is one of three doshas or

body humors. The other two body humors are pitta and kapha.

 

Ayurveda attributes cause of any disease to an imbalance in one or

all of these, and hence every disease has a supporting theory by the

name of tridosha.

 

Charaka samhita mentions: "if the level of vata increases in the

body, there is quivering and breaking pain in the limbs and joints,

as if crackling." But, "if it is localized ina particular

joint, it

produces swelling that feels like an air-filled bladder and produces

pain on movement; this description is suggestive of arthritis."

 

Generally in case of arthritis, vata doesn't increase at random

in

every joint throughout the body. It affects one part – mainly a

joint – and gradually spreads to other joints. This is very

typical

of arthritis. It starts with a joint, say an elbow joint, and then

manifests in another elbow joint and progresses in the sequence of

other joints. Keeping this thing in mind, no persistent joint pain

–

more pronounced particularly on movement – should be taken

lightly.

 

With reference to joints, vata, pitta, and kapha relate to the

process of motion, metabolic and secretory functions (in this case

synovial fluid embedded between joint spaces), an dlubrication and

preservation (like that of structure and homoestasis), respectively.

The vata dosha, which has hot, airy, and mobile attributes, plays a

critical role in causing arthritis.

 

Since vata has high degree of mobility, its vitiated form spreads

fast to other joints and triggers off a spate of imbalances in the

rest of the body humors. Kapha, responsible for lubrication, suffers

the most. Joints, minus their lubricating fluids, means more friction

and subsequent pain on movement. Higher the imbalance, higher is the

pain.

 

Chronic arthritis patients experience it on knee and elbow joints

even when a puff of a breeze touches them. Such people are normally

vata-types by prakruti or constitution. Since we all have a different

physiological and physiological constitution, each one of us requires

specific treatment for a problem – including arthritis -- which

might

have similar symptoms.

 

Use of herbs forms the mainstay of arthritis cure through Ayurveda,

besides dietary and lifestyle modifications. In the hierarchical

manner of cosmic evolution, herbs consist of the same basic matter

called panchamahabootas i.e., earth, water, air, fire, and ether as

that of human beings, and derive attributes that subsequently dictate

their medicinal and healing properties.

 

In case of arthritis, herbs (single or in combination) that have anti-

vata properties are used to bring down the level of vata in the body.

There are a number of over-the-counter Ayurvedic medicines being used

in the US and elsewhere for the treatment of arthritis. The

indiscriminate use of these medicines through third-person

recommendations or self-prescription may not always be the right

thing to do. Your prakruti may not fit into the prescription your

neighbor has got for arthritis. Ayurvedic therapy and herbal

combinations have to be personalized for each person to provide an

arthritis patient what he or she is always looking for – a

pain-free

life full of mobility.

 

Read more articles on: http://www.augustayurveda.com