Discomfort in your chest?
Author: Maharishi Ayurveda Date Posted:28 March 2016
Discomfort or pain in the chest can be due to a variety of reasons such as panic or imbalance in the cardiovascular, digestive or respiratory system. The recommended Ayurvedic treatment differs depending on the cause.
Take it seriously
Chest pain is always a sign that something needs to be done. Take any chest pain seriously and if you are unsure as to its origins then be sure to get a check up with your doctor.
Having a pulse consultation with a Mahaishi Ayurvedic Practitioner near you is always recommended with chest pain. See list and locations our practitioners .
If there is no practitioner near you then consider a skype or phone consultaton with me. Learn more .
Ayurvedic approach to common causes of chest pain
Let’s consider possible causes and recommendations for four types of chest pain
- Panic induced chest pain
- Cardiovascular chest pain
- Digestive chest pain
- Respiratory chest pain
Panic induced chest pain
Anxiety induced panic attacks can also result in chest pain. Debilitating fear or anxiety is due to Vata aggravation. Settling Vata can really help reduce frequency and severity of panic attacks. To settle Vata dosha in order to reduce such attacks
- Eat at regular intervals. Take breakfast, lunch and dinner at the same time most days.
- Favour Vata balancing foods
- Have plenty of rest and sound sleep
- Do some gentle exercise such as a walk most days
- Have a daily oil massage using Vata Massage Oil. See our self massage instructions
- Avoiding stimulants such as caffeine, nicotine and other drugs is also important for stabilizing emotions.
- Maharishi Ayurveda Aromas and herbal preparations for emotional balance will also reduce feelings of panic or anxiety.
Use drops of Vata Aroma Oile in an aroma diffuser
Take Emotional Balance 2 tablets prior meals and at bedtime
Take 1-2 tablets of Worry Free after breakfast and evening meals
Drink Vata Tea or Worry Free Tea every 30-60 minutes through the day
Learn and practice Transcendental Meditation. TM is a simple mental technique that is a very effective way to reduce stress and maintain inner calm even in the midst of stressful situations. In a meta-analysis of 146 studies comparing meditation and relaxation techniques Transcendental Meditation was shown to be twice as effective at reducing anxiety as any other technique.
Cardiovascular chest pain
- Chest pain arising from cardiovascular disturbance could precipitate a heart attack and requires immediate medical attention.
Cardiovascular chest pain or angina is a result of lack of blood flow to the heart muscle and is triggered by mental or physical stress or artificial stimulants such as alcohol, caffeine or drugs. Angina attacks can be minimised by preventative lifestyle and dietary measures as well as herbal preparations.
- Research on Amrit Kalash found that people regularly suffering from chest pain (angina) were able to walk further without getting chest pain after taking Amrit Kalash. Learn more
In our next article we will look more in depth into Ayurvedic dietary and lifestyle recommendations for helping restore balance within the cardiovascular system.
Digestive chest pain
If your chest pain usually occurs after meals and can be relieved somewhat by lying down on your left side for a few minutes after eating, then digestive imbalance could be the cause of your discomfort. Such pain is often triggered by overeating or consumption of foods high in fat.
- Favour olive oil and ghee (clarified butter) and minimise animal fats, butter and hydrogenated vegetable oils.
- Favour a wholesome diet according to your mind body type
Vata diet
Pitta diet
Kapha diet - Sip warm water during the day and with meals.
- Take regular exercise to maintain a healthy metabolism.
- Taking Herbal Digest prior meal (1-2 tablets three times a day prior meals) can be very helpful.
If you also experience heart burn due to acid coming back up from the stomach then Aci-Balance 1-2 tablets after meals is also helpful
Respiratory chest pain
Imbalances in the respiratory system can also cause pain in the chest due to either an imbalance of Kapha or Vata. Kapha imbalance causes mucous congestion while Vata causes dryness and wheezing.
- When congestion builds in the head and chest area then Kapha has become imbalanced in these regions. To reduce the sticky, heavy, mucous creating qualities of Kapha it is best to favour a Kapha balancing diet
- Favour a light, dry diet including whole grains
- Barley is particularly balancing for Kapha
- Choose fresh vegetables with plenty of leafy greens
- Use spices such as ginger, fenugreek, cloves and black pepper in your meals
- Drink warm water, Kapha Tea or Sniffle Free Tea
- Avoid dairy products especially cheese and ice cream and reduce sweet food in general.
- Doing a steam inhalation inhalation using Breathe Easy Essential Oil will be very helpful. It contains essential oils of camphor, eucalyptus, clove and fennel and is very useful for clearing congestion from the airways.
- Take Congest Assist prior meals three times a day when congestion is present
- Take Clear Throat cough syrup to help break up congestion and to help with cough
- As a preventative take Digest Tone 1 tablet three times a day prior main meals to help prevent the build up of mucous in the first place
Note Respiratory imbalances such as wheezing, tight chest and dry cough are due to aggravated Vata. In this case it is best to favour Vata balancing foods with warm, cooked and unctuous meals.
- Choose warm drinks Vata Tea is ideal
- Get plenty of rest. Be sure to be in bed by 9.45pm light out or earlier if you feel tired.
- Take Breathe Easy 1 two tablets prior breakfast and evening meals to help soothe the underlying imbalance of dry cough and wheeze.
- As respiratory imbalance starts in the stomach also take Digest Plus 1 tablet after meals three times a day.
- For dry irritating cough Clear Throat cough and throat soothing syrup is very helpful.
Wishing you the bliss of balance.
|
Linda Sinden has been a practising Maharishi Ayurveda Consultant since 1990 and is a regular contributor to our weekly Insights. She has a practice in Auckland, New Zealand and also provides phone or Skype sessions for those who need assistance, but don’t have a consultant in their vicinity. Email: lindasinden@orbislife.co.nz Skype: Linda.Sinden |
 |