How can Ayurveda help in healing Rheumatoid Arthritis – Rheumatoid Arthritistreatment in Ayurveda
In this article we would be discussing Rheumatoid Arthritis Treatment in Ayurveda. Approximately 350 million people in the world are suffering from arthritis. These disease has affected people of all age groups whether it is a man, women, children or adults. In Ayurveda, there is a disease that also affects joints and is called Amavata which is similar to rheumatoid arthritis. So it would be right to say that, Rheumatoid Arthritis Treatment in Ayurveda does exists.
Also Read: Detailed Discussion on Rheumatoid Arthritis
It’s quite shocking that Rheumatoid Arthritis Treatment in Ayurveda exists in Indian culture and tradition since long, and still many Indians are suffering from it. The fact about arthritis is that this disease is more common among people who suffer from chronic diseases like heart disease, diabetes, obesity, etc. According to a book based on arthritis by “The Arthritis Foundation”, 91 million Americans are suffering from arthritis including one-third of those aged between 18-64, plus 3,00,000 children.
In Ayurveda, several treatment methods are stated by which you can get relief from the pain of arthritis. Before discussing the treatments of arthritis in Ayurveda, we will talk about the root cause of arthritis and its types.
Let’s get started.
What is Rheumatoid arthritis?
Arthritis is a type of disorder that affects joints or may affect some internal organs. Symptoms of arthritis include swelling, stiffness, pain, and inflammation in the joints. Other symptoms may include redness, unable to carry out daily activities, decreased range of motion, etc.
Arthritis can be of 100 types but the most common arthritis are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. According to some reports, 27 million Americans are affected by osteoarthritis and 1.5 million people are affected by rheumatoid arthritis. It shows that 3.8% of people are affected by osteoarthritis and 0.24% of people are affected by rheumatoid arthritis.
Types of arthritis
There are 100 types of arthritis. The most common arthritis is osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Here is the explanation of the same
Osteoarthritis: Osteoarthritis is the most common arthritis which has affected millions of people worldwide. This arthritis results from the breakdown of cartilage and underlying bone. Osteoarthritis commonly affects the knee, fingers, and hips. The most common symptoms of osteoarthritis include pain, swelling, stiffness in the joints, tenderness, loss of flexibility, etc.
Rheumatoid arthritis: Rheumatoid arthritis is the other most common arthritis which affects people of all age groups. We will discuss this arthritis in detail below.
What is rheumatoid arthritis?
Rheumatoid arthritis is another common arthritis affecting millions of lives. Nearly 1.5 million people in America are suffering from this arthritis. In women, this arthritis generally occurs between the age of 30 to 60. In the case of men, it occurs later in life.
Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system of a body starts attacking the body itself. It results in swollen, and inflamed joints causing severe pain.
Causes of rheumatoid arthritis
Although we don’t know the exact reason behind rheumatoid arthritis, some reports suggest that environmental factors and genetics can be the cause of this disorder.
Some common factors which can be responsible are:
- Immune system: As defined earlier, it is an autoimmune disease where the immune system of the body starts attacking the body itself.
It is a rare cause and when it happens, it attacks the joints of the body causing them to swell and inflamed. - Genetic: If your family member ever suffered from this disease before, it is possible that you may suffer from this disorder in the near future.
Generally, your genes are not the ultimate reason behind causing arthritis, but it can make you susceptible to the environmental factors like your body may get attacked by bacteria and virus, etc hence triggering this arthritis.
Symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis mainly affects the joints but in some cases, it can also affect the organs causing problems like osteoporosis, cancer, cardiovascular disease, etc.
Symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis include:
- It causes swelling, tenderness in joints and makes them stiff
- Causes an inability to walk with ease
- Loss of freedom for movement
- It causes rare skin diseases like Sweet’s syndrome, skin fragility, etc
- Rheumatoid arthritis causes neurological defect like myelopathy, peripheral neuropathy, etc
- People suffering from rheumatoid arthritis also suffer from tooth loss and periodontitis.
- Rheumatoid arthritis also affects non-joints structures like eyes, heart, lungs, blood vessels, kidneys, etc.
Rheumatoid Arthritis Treatment in Ayurveda
People who are suffering from rheumatoid arthritis can be benefited if they follow Ayurvedic diet and lifestyle practices including herbs and oils. Reports suggest that Ayurvedic treatment of rheumatoid arthritis can reduce swelling, pain, stiffness, and inflammation in the joints. Lets discuss about Rheumatoid Arthritistreatment in Ayurveda
In Ayurveda, there is a disease that also affects joints and is called Amavata which is similar to rheumatoid arthritis.
Rheumatoid Arthritis treatment in Ayurveda Diet
The recommended diet for Amavata (Rheumatoid Arthritis treatment in Ayurveda) is:
- Eating green, leafy vegetables
- Easily digestible food like oats, rice, and wheat should be consumed
- Boiled vegetables are very beneficial for our body which helps in digestion and removes toxins from our body
- Spices like ginger and turmeric are very beneficial for our body. They have anti-inflammatory components in them which help in digestion
- Eating dal, mung beans, berries are also beneficial for treating rheumatoid arthritis
- Garlic cloves with buttermilk is an excellent drink to get relief from rheumatoid arthritis
- Castor oil is one of the most beneficial products which has been used to treat different kinds of problems.
You can take one tablespoon of castor oil in a glass of milk during bedtime - Consuming wild animal meat is also beneficial for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis
- Drinking warm water is also a great choice to consume during rheumatoid arthritis.
- Drinking warm water improves joints and improves flexibility. It also helps in better digestion and removes toxins from the body.
If you are following Ayurveda lifestyle, then you also need to know which type of foods and dietary habits is needed to avoid. Consuming these foods or following these habits will worsen the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis:
Rheumatoid Arthritis treatment in Ayurveda – Foods Habits to Avoid
- Eating outside junk foods or spicy foods
- Drinking alcohol or smoking
- Taking in of excess salt
- Consuming too much sour, sugary or sweet foods.
Ayurvedic lifestyle involves a healthy lifestyle pattern that can treat rheumatoid arthritis. They believe that an unhealthy lifestyle leads to ama which causes diseases and inflammation.
Rheumatoid Arthritis treatment in Ayurveda – Lifestyle
Ayurvedic lifestyle recommends the following tips:
- Going to bed early and waking up early in the morning before sunrise
- Taking a hot bath before going to sleep provides relaxation to our body
- Avoid sleeping at day time if possible
- Using Ayurvedic massage therapy in the infected joints to reduce stiffness and inflammation
- Practicing yoga and meditation
- Avoid exposure to cold breezes
- Doing stretching exercises improves the flexibility of the body, and thereby allows more freedom to move your joints here and there.
- Avoid waking up at night for too long
- Doing strength training exercises strengthens the joints and muscles and reduce the pain and swelling
- Doing hand exercises like twisting and turning hands up and down, helps in reducing inflammation and stiffness.
Ayurvedic lifestyle includes that physical activity helps in reducing the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis. But they recommend people to avoid excess walking.
Conclusion
Following Ayurvedic lifestyle can genuinely reduce your pain and allow you to carry out your daily activities with ease. You can follow their recommended sleeping patterns and eat a healthy diet to keep yourself fit and free from pain. It’s not tough to deal with rheumatoid arthritis using ayurveda. However, you need proper guidance to heal the same at designated span of time. To get professional consultation do contact us.