Volume 4 Issue 3 October, 2011
www.jiva.com
Early Diagnosis –
The Key to Treating Arthritis
Forty-year-old Mr. Sharma could not believe his ears when his doctor told him he had been diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis. “How could he have Arthritis? He just turned forty!” asked his wife, flabbergasted. “After all, isn’t it supposed to be a joints-related problem seen in very old people?”
Like most people, Mr. Sharma’s wife too, in her ignorance, believes Arthritis is only about joint pains and that it affects the elderly. Well, she could not be far from the reality. Arthritis can affect people of any age. It is most common in people over 60 years old, although some types of Arthritis can also affect younger people. Unfortunately, there are over 200 types of Arthritis-related conditions and on an average, most people are aware of only about two of them!
What does Ayurveda say?
According to Ayurveda, Arthritis is caused by impaired digestion, due to improper dietary habits and a sedentary lifestyle, as well as aggravated Vata Dosha (Ayurvedic humor representing Air). Impaired digestion and irregular bowel movements lead to accumulation of toxins (ama) in the body. This ama, along with the aggravated Vata, gets stored in various joints and leads to stiffness or inflammation and pain.
Am I at Risk?
To figure out if you are at a risk of Arthritis, take the following factors under consideration:
Family history – You are more likely to develop this condition if someone in your family has Arthritis or related problems
Age – If you are above 50, it becomes easier to get this disease
Obesity – If you are overweight, you will end up putting added pressure on your joints, thereby making them susceptible to one or the other form of joint pain
Injury or trauma – If you have had an injury or trauma to a joint, it can lead to Arthritis later in life
Gender – Research says, women are more prone to Arthritis and often experience worse symptoms than men
In addition, certain infections or factors in the environment might also trigger the symptoms in susceptible individuals. The growing incidences of Arthritis among the youth can be attributed to erratic eating schedules and sedentary lifestyles, which are a common feature of their lives.
Arthritis can manifest itself in the form of Rheumatoid Arthritis, Osteoarthritis, Gout, Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis, and Ankylosing Spondylosis, among other forms. Its symptoms can develop suddenly or slowly, with the most common ones being inflammation of joints, swelling, difficulty and pain in movement, loss of appetite and energy, fever, etc.
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Move to Improve
‘Exercise’ is probably the last thing that comes to your mind when you think of Arthritis. How is it possible to exercise where there is excruciating pain in the joints and muscles; when even the slightest of movements become difficult? Well, the irony is, exercise is a very crucial part of treatment in cases of Arthritis.
For most patients, pain can be a major reason why they are put off exercising. However, with the help of regular and appropriate exercise, they can reap enormous benefits, including:
Better joint mobility
Enhanced range of movement
Improved pain management
Enhanced muscle and bone strength
Improved energy levels
Weight control or even loss of weight
Improved self-esteem and a positive attitude towards life
Getting Started
If you do not have access to suitable facilities for exercising, here are few tips that will help you get started at home.
Start gently and slowly and build up gradually. Do not rush up with the exercises. In fact, if you have stopped exercising for some time, it is advisable to start with simpler, basic exercises. You can build up eventually.
Warm up your muscles to get the best out of your exercise session. Start with movements that help increase the blood circulation to your muscles. Marching on the spot with gentle swinging of alternate arms backwards and forwards is a good start.
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Suffering from Joint Pains?
Try Panchakarma for Relief
Panchakarma, the specialized line of Ayurvedic therapies, is one of the most effective means of treating chronic pains. A collection of holistic rejuvenation therapies, Panchakarma aims to detoxify the body and revitalize the entire system, thereby providing sustainable relief to the patient.
In Arthritis Patients…
The detoxification effect of Panchakarma treatments can be effectively used to manage pain. Because Arthritis is a degenerative disease, rejuvenation should be an important part of the treatment process. A combination of various mind-body healing techniques will help cleanse toxins from the body and clear the blockage in channels. This will lead to proper movement of Vata (which is the prime cause of Arthritic pains), thereby bringing the patient’s condition closer to curability.
Benefits of Panchakarma:
Eliminates toxins from the body
Relieves body pains and aches
Strengthens the immune system
Restores constitutional balance, improving health and wellness
Reverses the negative effects of stress on the body and mind
Improves strength, vitality and mental clarity
Enhances the potency of medicines
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Rheumatoid Arthritis – A Jiva Case Study
Monika Singh (name changed) had been a star sportsperson all her life. A state-level hockey champion, she was the apple of her family’s eye. Kids looked up to her and adults adored her dedication and stamina.
But, ten years back, her life turned upside down when she was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis. What started as regular joint pains – which she attributed to her daily schedule of sports activities – went on to take enormous proportions when she started experiencing difficulty in walking. The joints involving her knees, wrists and back initially became painful, and eventually, stiff and inflamed. In addition, she was also troubled by indigestion and flatulence.
For ten years, Monika was managing her disease with the help of anti-rheumatic drugs, pain killers and physiotherapy. Even though the pain was sporadically ‘under control’, her condition aggravated when she was not able to walk short distances without pain. Her problem kept getting worse and eventually her doctor recommended joint replacement surgery. However, on the insistence of her mother, she decided to give Ayurveda a try.
At the Jiva TeleMedicine Center…
When Monika called our center, she was all set to go under the knife as nothing was really working for her. One of our expert Ayurvedic doctors took up her case and conducted a detailed analysis of her condition. We found out that her mother was an Arthritis patient too. Also, given her lifestyle as a sportsperson, she had lived in different kinds of environments and resorted to improper eating habits and sleeping hours.
It was clear that the patient’s problem was due to impairment of digestion. Her symptoms of indigestion and flatulence indicated that her digestive fire was impaired and had led to accumulation of ama or toxins in the body. This ama combines with Vata Dosha (which governs the musculoskeletal system) and gets accumulated in various joints and muscles. In an aggravated state, it leads to stiffness or inflammation and pain in the joints and muscles, causing Ama Vata – the Ayurvedic name of Rheumatoid Arthritis. Stiffness and inflammation are signs of ama and pain is a sign of Vata Dosha.
We suggested…
Monika was recommended an Ayurvedic line of treatment that aimed at enhancing her digestion, so that toxins are not produced. We gave her detoxifying herbs to cleanse the accumulated ama. She was also advised Panchakarma treatment to provide relief from the excruciating pain that she was experiencing.
In one year’s time…
Monika followed our treatment for 12 months and also underwent a series of Panchakarma procedures for treating her pain. Even though she has accepted the fact that her condition cannot be completely cured, she is relieved that the pain and stiffness in her joints have improved considerably. She is also able to move more comfortably and the problem of indigestion has been cured in its entirety.
Monika might never be the star sportsperson again, but thanks to Ayurveda, her activities won’t be confined to the four walls of her house – something she dreaded would have happened after the surgery. The future surely looks positive!
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