8 Ayurvedic treatments to treat joint pain

Here are 8 Ayurvedic techniques that can help relieve joint pain significantly.

By: Pavitra Sampath | | Updated: March 30, 2015 6:33 pm

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Joint pain can be absolutely excruciating, to such an extent that it can be debilitating. While there are medications that can help manage the pain, they often tend to have a rather temporary effect and in some cases may even leave you with severe side-effects. Not surprisingly, there are more natural and less harmful ways to relieve pain like with Ayurveda. In this post Dr Gauthaman, Ayurvedacharya and CEO of rVita tells you about the top 8 Ayurvedic remedies to relieve joint pain. Also Read - Winter workout tips: Why your muscles and joints hurt more in cold weather?

Abhyanga: This involves a full body massage with Ayurvedic oil for 45 minutes. The oil is selected after understanding the patient’s body nature, the season, and disease condition, if any. The number of strokes and pressure vary with the condition of the individual.

Benefits: Its rhythmic motion helps to relieve joints and muscles from stiffness and makes all body movements free. This treatment increases blood circulation, which in turn encourages quick removal of metabolic wastes and toxins. Indications: It is used in cases of anxiety, fatigue, circulatory disorders, rheumatism, arthritis, backache and injuries. It also prevents wrinkles, helps in treatment of spondylosis, sleep disorders, paralysis, improves physical consistency, induces sound sleep, increase a general sense of well being and life span. It also helps improve complexion and the texture of the skin, prevents obesity and diabetic gangrene

Pizhichil: Pizhichil, which literally means squeezing, a cloth dipped in warm medicated oil is squeezed over the patient’s body. The patient should be made to adopt the seven standard positions so that no area of the body is left uncovered.

Benefits: Relieves body pain and muscle spasms, helps preserve and promote optimum health, helps in the healing of fractured bones, increases immunity and prolongs life span, promotes development of muscles, improves skin complexion, anti-aging and rejuvenating, ensures better blood circulation, alleviates the burning sensation in the body. A soothing and relaxing procedure, prescribed in clinical conditions like paraplegia, hemiplegia and other degenerative conditions. This treatment is very useful for rheumatic diseases, arthritis, paralysis, sexual weakness, neurological disorders, blood pressure, nervous weakness, diabetes, blood pressure, fits, convulsions, paralysis and helps to arrest the aging process. It is very effective in asthma and even in tuberculosis in early stages.

Navara Kizhi: It involves fomentation of the body with bolus of cooked rice. The rice is first cooked with milk and a herbal decoction. Four boluses are made of the cooked rice and are tied up in linen bags. This therapy is done in seven standard positions. This is a strengthening fomentation employed in all kinds of neurological disorders, rheumatism, arthritis congenital deformity of the limbs, dislocation of bones and joints etc.

Benefits: Strengthens the body, rejuvenates the tissues, improves muscle tone, improves blood supply by cleansing the channels of circulation, effective in curing diseases of the nervous system and others such as chronic rheumatism, osteoarthritis, gout, emaciation of muscles, numbness and diseases caused by vitiation of blood, makes the body strong and sturdy, nourishes the body and increases immunity, promotes sharpness of vision and functions of other sense organs, slows down aging, premature graying of hair, baldness, appearance of wrinkles over the body, gives softness to the body by improving the health of the skin.

Ela Kizhi/ Podi Kizhi: Leaves and powders of medicinal herbs are fried in medicated oil and applied over the body in rhythmic massage. Good for arthritic conditions, lumbago, cervical spondylosis, frozen shoulder, sciatica, pain and stiffness of joints, post paralytic spasm, other spastic and inflammatory conditions etc.

Benefits: Relieves pain, numbness and edema, controls vitiated Vata, improves peripheral blood supply, cures diseases like arthritis, paralysis and convulsions, stimulates the nerve endings, treatment for spondlitis and sports injuries.

Kati Vasti: Lukewarm Ayurvedic / herbal oils are poured into a artificial bridge created around the affected area (Knee, Lower back, Neck etc). The healing properties of herbal oils used for this massage enriches the blood and builds and maintains strong muscle and connective tissues.

Benefits: Loosens stiff joints, helps to cure cervical spondlitis, neck pain, paralysis and numbness of hands, Stimulates and nourishes nerves relieving pain and numbness, This treatment is very effective in treating different conditions of the knee joints like arthritis, degenerative conditions etc.

Pichu: A thick layer of cotton soaked with warm medicated oil is applied over the affected area. The oil is recycled periodically to make it warm.

Benefits: Very effective for degenerative and painful problems like back pain, osteo-arthritis, spondlitis, injuries, etc. Recommended for neurological disorders like paralysis, facial palsy etc.

Ksheera Dhoomam: A fomentation process, medicated milk is heated and the steam is passed over the entire body. It is effective for numbness, headache, allergies, nervous disorder and paralysis.

Benefits: Helps relieve nervous disorders of the face, speech disorders, cervical spondylosis, spastic disorders and neurological problems

Vasti: This is a treatment in which prescribed medicated oils, decoctions, herbal preparations, extracts are applied through the rectum. It purifies the body, maintains health and longevity.

Benefits: Good for arthritis, paralysis, hemiplegia, numbness and constant constipation, degenerative, neurological problems, chronic back pain, infertility, sciatica, obesity, digestive disorders, ulcer.

Photo source: Getty images

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Published : August 7, 2014 12:11 pm | Updated:March 30, 2015 6:33 pm

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