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on 10/12/2022 Arthritis is a painful joint condition that can decrease your quality of life.
Ayurvedic treatment for arthritis is a natural therapy that can alleviate arthritic pain and inflammation, making living with arthritis easier. If you’re curious what arthritis treatment in ayurveda involves, and if it actually works, this article has the answers you need.
What Is Arthritis?
Arthritis, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, is:
“an umbrella term for a wide range of inflammatory conditions affecting the bones, muscles and joints. This often results in pain, stiffness, swelling and redness in affected joints. Age, overweight and obesity, injury and genetic factors increase the risk of developing arthritis.”
Arthritis Australia tells us there are more than 100 types of arthritis, with the main types being:
- Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Osteoarthritis
- Gout
- Fibromyalgia
- Lupus
- Back pain.
Of these, Rheumatoid Arthritis and Osteoarthritis are two of the most common. With a staggering 3.6 million Australians currently living with arthritis, you may want to tell those you love that ayurveda as an arthritis treatment can be a helpful healing option. Let’s look at why it can be so effective.
Ayurvedic Treatment For Rheumatoid Arthritis And Osteoarthritis
Rheumatoid Arthritis is a chronic inflammatory condition that can affect joints anywhere in the body. This differs from osteoarthritis, which is related to joint inflammation associated with wear and tear of the tissues that surround bones.
Using ayurvedic treatment for arthritis, particularly rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis, means you’re employing an ancient Indian medical system that uses natural methods to achieve physical and mental health. It’s one of the oldest medical systems in the world and combines plant medicines, diet, lifestyle factors and exercise to restore wellbeing.
Your ayurvedic treatment will begin with your practitioner taking a thorough case history. This will help them understand your unique circumstances and arthritis symptoms. Based on this assessment, you’ll receive an ayurvedic healing plan that addresses the underlying cause of your joint pain. The intention of arthritis treatment in ayurveda is to regulate your doshas (a.k.a energy types called Pitta, Vata, and Kapha) to relieve pain and minimise joint damage in the long term.
Can Ayurvedic Treatment Ease Rheumatoid Arthritis And Osteoarthritis?
In short, yes!
Studies that investigate ayurvedic treatment for rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis are encouraging. Here’s a snippet of the results:
A small study published in the International Journey of Ayurvedic Research showed that even patients with severe functional limitations showed improvement when using ayurveda for arthritis treatment. This study monitored joint pain, joint swelling and the time it took patients to walk 15 minutes, both with and without treatment.
A 2013 study group concluded that osteoarthritis in the knee joint of menopausal women improved with Ayurveda. Relief happened even when patients stopped using steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
‘Remarkable symptomatic relief’ was the conclusion in a 2018 study that researched the use of ayurveda in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
What Is The Best Ayurvedic Treatment For Arthritis?
When considering the ‘best’ ayurvedic treatment for arthritis, remember that ayurveda practitioners create individualised treatment plans for clients. This makes it difficult to talk about the very best choices. However, we can definitely look at the most popular ayurvedic treatments for arthritis.
Diet
- Prioritise foods that are fully cooked and easy to digest
- Minimise raw foods
- Eat plenty of green leafy vegetables and fresh fruits
- Enjoy fully cooked grains, e.g. oats and rice
- Add anti-inflammatory spices to your dishes, e.g. turmeric, ginger, garlic
- Avoid inflammatory foods, e.g. highly processed, pre-packaged, high sugar, those with artificial flavours, colours and preservatives
- Consider anti-inflammatory herbal supplements, e.g. boswellia, ginger, ashwaganda
Lifestyle
- Adopt yoga, tai chi or walking as a regular physical activity
- Go to bed early and rise early
- Massage the soles of your feet with warm sesame oil before bed
- Steaming therapy to remove toxins
- Castor oil packs
- Other purifying, anti-inflammatory rituals to balance the doshas.
Final Thoughts On Arthritis Treatment In Ayurveda
Living with arthritis can be difficult, especially as there is no globally accepted cure for arthritis. However, as this article has shown, there is hope for people with arthritis that extends beyond heating pads, ice packs and anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).
If you’re beginning to wonder – Is there an ayurvedic arthritis doctor near me?
The answer is Yes. And Avaana can help you find a local Ayurvedic practitioner you can trust.
