ARTHRITIS:
The arthritis include rheumatic fever, rheumatism
and rheumatoid arthritis which are acute
and chronic conditions as the body is filled
with 'rheum', a form of aama (residual impurities
deposited in the cells as a result of improper
digestion). This rheumatic disease provides
a good example of an autoimmune condition
(a disordered self-protective mechanism)
characterized by inflammation, soreness
and stiffness of muscle and pain in joints
and associated structures. This can often
be successfully managed by an Ayurvedic
approach.
In Sanskrit language, rheumatoid arthritis
is called Aama-vaata, which means that it
occurs when vaata (one of the three constituents
that govern physico-chemical and physiological
activities of the body) circulates aama
in the body. While improper diet is the
most important cause, other causes include
exhaustion, frequent sex, intense worry
and emotional disturbances. Improper fat
metabolism in the digestive system creates
a variety of aama, which shows a special
affinity for the bones and joints. Since
the membrane lining the colon is intimately
connected with the nutrition cartilage and
bone, this aama swiftly reaches its preferred
location and deposits itself. The immune
system sweeps in to attack, and the disease
is created.
The pain and stiffness in the muscles and
joints increase gradually over weeks or
months, accompanied by unusual tiredness
and a general feeling of unease.
Symptoms:
• Recurring pain
• Swelling
• Tenderness in the joints.
• Morning stiffness
• Inability to move a joint normally
• Redness and warmth in a joint
• Unexplained weight loss
• Weakness combined with joint pain
• Fever
• Loss of taste, thirst
• Lack of enthusiasm
• Heaviness
• Indigestion
Causes
Obesity, excessive physical stress, climatic
conditions or occupation. Here in the body’s
immune system fights against itself and
targets the joints. Eating incompatible
food combinations and following incompatible
lifestyle, lack of exercise or exercising
after having fatty foods-or with poor digestion
produces ama (undigested food toxins). Ama
associated with vayu quickly moves to different
seats of kapha in the body, filling them
(and blood vessels) with waxy material.
Thus ama associated with all three doshas
blocks tissue pores and passage. This causes
weakness and heaviness in the heart, which
becomes the seat of the disease. Joints
are simultaneously affected, casing stiffness
and many other disorders. It can also be
considered an autoimmune disorder.
SELF
HELP APPROACH AND AYURVEDIC REMEDIES
- You should try to avoid animal fats, fried
foods, dairy products, refrigerated food,
white sugar, alcohol, chillies, potatoes,
tomatoes, peppers and tobacco. Reduce the
use of salt.
- Food during an exacerbation should be
light, little and liquid. Weak ginger tea
taken with lemon and honey, if necessary
is best when your tongue is thickly coated.
Then take rice and green gram soup. Continue
it for at least a week before going to your
normal diet.
- Castor oil (oil extracted from Ricinus
communis) reduces the inflammation and scrape
out the aama.
- The intake of bitter and pungent substances
controls vaata and relieves aama. Especially
during exacerbation, they stimulate digestion
indirectly and help reduce, inflammation.
- Triphala guggulu is often useful in such
conditions, since triphala in it purify
the system and long pepper (Piper longum,
pappali) improves digestion while guggulu,
a plant exudate, controls the inflammation
in the body. However, simhanaada guggulu
is the best medicine during exacerbation.
It contains castor oil (oil extracted from
Ricinus communis) as one of the important
ingredients.
- If the digestive tract is full of aama,
it is wise to take 2 to 4 tablespoonfuls
of castor oil plus a cup of strong tea made
of dry ginger to thoroughly flush the colon
and purify the joints.
- There is one simple recipe for rheumatic
complaints. Crush 2-3 cloves of garlic,
add it to a glass of diluted milk, then
reduce to a quarter and drink it just before
bedtime.
- Guggulu (Commiphora mukul) is useful during
remission to remove old, adherent aama from
the dhatus (basic body structures which
perform some specific actions). The best
varieties here are yogaraaja gugglu and
mahaayogaraaja guggulu. Both contain more
than two-dozen pungent herbs for improving
digestion, but mahaayogaraaja guggulu also
has minerals in it for a greater rejuvenating
effect.
- Simple yoga postures and breathing exercise
encourage elimination of aama. As your health
improves, supplement the yoga with energetic
exercise. A regular exercise programme is
especially important for overweight patients
since heavy limbs put extra strain on muscles.
- Brihatvaata chintaamani ras in the dose
of 125 to 250 mg twice or thrice daily can
also be used.
