Osteo arthritis- Ayurvedic concept

According to Ayurveda, an ancient medical science, Osteoarthritis  a degenerative joint disease  occurs due to aggravation of  VATA, and is  known as  Sandhigata vata.

Vayana vata dosha, one of the five types of vata dosha (dosha of air and empty space)  governs the entire body and mind movements, like blood flow, heart pulsation, breathing and the thoughts in mind.

Vata has a  dry and light qualities and its vitiation leads to imbalance of kapha dosha, depleting the   syniovial fluid, that  provides cushion and lubrication to the joints. This depletion leads to  osteoarthritis in which the cartilage in the joints wears away causing friction, pain and limited  joint mobility and  affects the large weight-bearing joints, like the hips and knees, also  hands,feet, and spine.

Symptoms of this disease are edema, pain, tenderness, stiffness, pain on work etc. It also starts with ageing and the following factors contributes to the vitiation of vata dosha

**  Consuming dry, cold or stale food, not regular in sleeping habits, suppressing natural urges.  ** Getting exposed to asevere cold and dry weather.
** Excessive travel, leading a vata aggravating life style and  undergoing mental trauma.
** Exerting oneself excessively on the joints or any accident which occurs in the joints.
** When the food we eat, is not digested properly it causes ama (toxins) which weakens the colon and it circulates through whole body and  gets accumulated in the bones and joints.

Ayurveda treats Sandhigata vata by modifying the diet, lifestyle, recommends light exercise, and advises one to undergo Panchkarma and Purvakarma detoxification techniques. It also uses appropriate non toxic ayurvedic herbs which helps in lubricating  the cartilages within the joints thereby strengthening it.

Osteoarthritis – Diet and Lifestyle

Ayurveda, an ancient Indian medical system believes that Osteoarthritis occurs when the cartilages in the joints wear away leading to pain and debility and is mainly due to the accumulation of vata dosha which is  characterized by the dryness in mind and body.

Suggested diet and life style to treat osteoarthritis are :

** Do mild weight bearing exercises regularly as they improve bone density.
** When certain yogasanas are done with rythming breathing techniques they increase the tissue building and improves the strengthening and stretching of the muscles around the points.
** Not to indulge in any type of work that involves standing for a long time.
** Not to climb stairs or bend or squat. Walking a little distance may help.
** Biking, swimming or aerobic dances helps to improve the bone condition.
** Avoid alcohols, cigarettes, carbonated beverages
**  Take food that is rich in calcium like cheese, orange juice, leafy vegetables. Cereals etc.
**  Drink milk regularly as it has vitamin D content in it.
**  Take a lot of vitamin K rich foods such as lettuce, spinach, Brussels sprouts etc.,
**  Take care to consume only freshly cooked warm food and take hot soups of lentils, pulses and meat with  ginger, black pepper and long pepper powdered sprinkled to it..
**  It is essential to include a moderate amount of ghee and oil in diet as it lubricates the joints.
**  Avoid taking food that are sour, spicy, deed fried, oily, pungent, acid, dark poultry, refined sugar, femented food and also  lessen the intake of salts.
**  Also follow some basic rules of not eating wrong combination of foods, eat only up to your limit, Strictly follow the timings of your eating and do not eat in between the meals.

Practicing meditation regularly calms down the mind and treats the dryness of mind which has a lasting effect to  fight the pain.

OA- Ayurvedic management with medicines

Osteoarthritis which is known as sandhigatavata in ayurvedic medicine may occurs due to some particular food, poor blood circulation, dryness or a low nutrient supply to the joint. It is caused by the inflammation and loss of cartilage and affects the joints of knees, hips, lower spine, fingers and toes.

It can be managed by
**  Eating lot of vegetables, freshly cooked foods, hot soups of lentils, pulse, moderate quantity of ghee and oils to lubircate the dried joints. By avoiding oily and deep fried foods.Doing a regular mild exercise programme to enable the joint to move and prevent further damages also by notindulging in any hard job which may damage the joints. Daily massaging with the mahanaraya oil is used to calm down the vata dosha.

** Ayurvedic drugs aim to reduce the vitiated vata and also improves the kapha and pitha funcitons. The main drug that is recommended to treat this degenerative disease is Karaskara. Sahachara, bala, devdar, shallaki etc are also used. Main preparations used are qwath, arishta and ghrit.
** In order to cleanse the toxins from the colon Triphala, which is a mild laxative is given.
** Trikatu is given to enhance the digestive fire
** Guggul helps to strengthen the bone tissue.
** In order to control inflammation of the joints, Ayurveda suggests Boswellia gum or phellodendron bark and scute root and it is used in combination with myrrh gum, fang feng root, qin and  jiao root.

Commonly used medicines are Sahacharadi qwath, Guggul thikta qwath, Maharasnadi qwath, Rasnerandadi qwath, Balarishta, Dhanwantharishta, Karasakar ghrit, Guggul thiktaka ghrit, Shadpala ghrit. Ashwagandha, Bala.

Osteoarthritis – Management with yoga

According to Ayurveda, an integrated system of living, the imbalance of Vata dosha is the chief cause of Osteoarthritis (Sandhigata) which  gives raise to inflammation and pain in the joints.

Accumulated negative toxins called ama (undigested waste) in the colon which occurs due to the emotional and physical  disturbances when settled in the joints give rise to OA.

Yoga tries to the manage this degenerative disease by including all spheres viz., physical-mental-moral-spiritual in the following manner.

** Stressed life, worries, tiredness, disturbed sleep leads to a state of  improper digestion and yoga helps one to overcome all these.

** The mild body movements and gentle pressures of the yogic postures  keeps the affected joints mobile and prevents further damage and reduces pain.  Stretching  postures done with rhythming breathing techniques  helps one to relax and release the muscles that are crumpled around the joints.

**  When the patient experience pain due to inflammation in the joints, pranayama (breathing technique) is to be practiced as it removes the accumulated toxins leading to reduction in pain, after which one can do sun salutation.  First do the warm up exercises then hold a posture that helps in building strength and flexibility of the body and finally do the Shavasana (relaxation pose).

** Strength building asanas build muscles around the joints and helps in nourishing it. Flexibility yielding asanas  open up the joints and increase the blood, oxygen and energy circulation.  Shavasana done after the above two asanas is used to rejunevate to heal the body based on the energy one has acquired from above postures.

** Energizing and warming pranayama like Kapalabhati pranayama and Ujjayi Pranayam are highly recommended. Asanas for hip OA are Virabhadrasana, Parsvottanasana, Vrkasana  Utthita Trikonasana etc.,

** Cyclic yoga exercises based on Suryanamaskara, burn extra calories. Abdominal  exercises improves digestion. Yogic postures along with breathing exercises makes an physiological and psychological  impact. Then do Shavasana which helps in regulating the  mind. This sequence in doing asanas helps one to restore the balance of vata dosha thereby treating OA at its origin.

OA – Panchkarma Management

According to Ayurveda, a holistic way of living, Oestoarthritis, a chronic degenerative disease affecting the cartilages of joints can be treated by Panchakarma.  It stops future deterioration of the joints and helps to rejunevate the damaged joints by normalizing the vitiated doshas.

It is Detoxification therapy which first aims to loosen and mobilise the accumulated toxins which  is achieved by both internal and external oleation using herbal oils and steam. Appropriate procedures are then used to eliminate these toxins resulting in the rejunevated tissues  Then the  cell tissues are treated with nourishing diet and ayurvedic herbal formulas to strengthen the muscles and boost the immunity.

Pre-purification therapies like snehapanam, swedhanam  loosens the toxins and makes the body ready for eliminating the wastes. Main purification therapy like vasti and virechanam are used to eliminate the toxins that are loosened in the earlier stage.

a) Snehapanam – Two types of this are accha and vicharana. In Accha snehapanam
A specially prepared medicated ghee is administered in empty stomach. The dosage is given up to seven days according to the patients condition and climate. It is increased proportion to the signs of the optimum condition felt. This helps to lubricate all the body channels and elimate the toxins.

b) Swedanam –  Here fomentation  is done  with the medicated decocation vapours and is applied to the affected areas with rubber tube. In Upanaha sweda, substances like salt, oil, herbs are cooked. It is then bundled and then applied firmly to the affected joints while hot.

c) Virechanam – Then it is followed by Virechanam which is a method of purgation by oral intake of herbal formulas. In this the toxins found in gastro intestinal tract are flushed out through anal route.

To mention few other treatments for OE are
**  Elakizhi – Body is applied in blouses with hot medicated oils.
** Njavarakizhi  – A body massage in blouses with highly nutritious rice along with herbs.
** Pizichil –  Massaging the body with a continuous pouring of medicated oils.
** Dhara – (Thakra Dhara & Ksheera Dhara) – Herbal oils and medicated butter oils are poured in the forehead.

Panchakarma treatment along with a modified diet and complete rest will yield a great result  in treating OA.

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