Ayurvedic Medicine for Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is one of the most common chronic diseases in the world. Despite lot of research and effort, an effective cure is still not possible. All that can be offered are the anti inflammatory and analgesic(pain killer) drugs.
Ayurveda can offer some effective, long lasting and safe remedy for this chronic disease.

Causes of Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is known to be caused by the vitiation of Vata Dosha.

The causative factors- in vitiation of Vata Dosha are like - consumption of dry, cold or stale food, irregular sleeping habits, suppression of natural urges, and exposure to severe cold, and dry weather.

Local causative factors- such as degeneration of the cartilages due to ageing, excessive strain on the joint, any kind of injury to the joint, are the frequent causes of arthritis.

Symptoms of Osteoarthritis

Main symptoms of arthritis, irrespective to the joint affected, are as follows:
Moderate to severe pain at the affected joint.
Joint stiffness observed especially after long spans of rest to the affected joint.
Restricted and painful movements of the joint.
Localized tenderness is observed in severe cases along with swelling and increased local temperature at the affected site.

Ayurvedic Treatment of Osteoarthritis

The treatment can be divided in following categories.

Diet for Osteoarthritis

Fresh cooked and hot food should be consumed in regular diet.
Hot soups of lentils, pulses and meat should be taken with powder of ginger, black pepper and long pepper added to them.
Ghee and oils in moderate amount are necessary in daily diet, as these keep the normal joints properly lubricated and also provide lubrication to the dried up joints.

All the spicy, deep fried and very oily and pungent food recipes should be avoided, since these are believed to cause damage to the degenerated joints.

Exercise for Osteoarthritis

Moderate regular exercise to keep the affected joint mobile and to prevent further damage, should be carried out.
Excessive strain that could damage joints should be avoided.

Effective Ayurvedic Remedies for Osteoarthritis

Local application of various medicated oils such as Mahanarayan Taila, Bala Taila , mustard oil, etc., is very useful in all arthritic conditions.
Hot fomentation by infrared lamp or heated sandbag should be given immediately after massaging the affected joint with any oil.

Decoction of the roots of ten herbs should be given in the dose of 30 ml., thrice daily.

Decoction of the bark and roots of Deodar tree should be taken in the dose of 30 ml., thrice daily.

Decoction of root of caster plant is also helpful in the dose of 30 ml., thrice a day.

Caster oil should be taken in the dose of 5-10 ml., every day in the morning.

Daily use of the Ayurvedic compound 'Triphala churna'is recommended to cleanse the colon.

Guggul is a very helpful herb for curing arthritis. It is most specific for cleaning and strengthening the bone tissue. Various guggul preparations are available in market.
Read more about Benefits of Guggul from HERE .

Generic preparations useful in osteoarthritis are - >Dashmool ghana, Triphala guggul, Maharasnadi quath ghana,Maharasnadi quath granules, Vata Vidhwans Rasa etc. These can be taken under the guidance of a ayurvedic physician

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Useful Tips for Arthritis

Reader tip:If you suffer from the onset of arthralgia (joint pain) or develop osteoarthritis a few months after starting a new medication, check the insert and speak to your doctor. While generally rare, some medications can cause these symptoms. For example, Arthritis is listed as one of the rare metoprolol side effects, something you wouldn't expect from a blood pressure medication!