Joint Ease and Osteoarthritis
Date Posted:4 September 2012
Do you or a close friend experience joint stiffness, diminished range of movement or find it can be painful to get moving first thing?
Living with these symptoms is painful and limiting. Knowing ‘what to do’ is an important first step in finding a way through. Ayurveda has understood this condition deeply for over 3000 years and has a unique and effective contribution to make.
Take a moment to read below and start your action plan to address the root causes and thereby help to restore ease and mobility to your joints. Or send this email on to a friend or family member who you would like to help. There are a number of effective actions a person can take to restore ease and prevent further symptoms.
About joint pain or arthritis
Arthritis is an illness that results in inflammation of a joint or series of joints, with pain, stiffness, swelling, deformity and diminished range of motion. It can also involve loss of appetite, anorexia, salivation, bad taste, thirst (because impurities clog the fluid channels), nausea, vomiting, belching, constipation, pain, distention of the abdomen, excessive urination, giddiness, cardiac irregularities, disturbed sleep, lassitude and heaviness.
Here are several forms of arthritis each with their own very different underlying mechanism. The main two being osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
Here the spotlight is on Osteoarthritis along with a 3 step action plan for helping to restore joint health both in the early stages of joint stiffness to the more advanced stages when diagnosis of osteoarthritis can occur. We will spotlight rheumatoid arthritis and gout in future insights.
About Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis (degenerative joint disease) is a result of trauma to the joint, infection of the joint, age or inherited defect in the protein that forms the cartilage. It involves the deterioration of the cartilage protecting the ends of the bones.
Most commonly it is wear and tear due to continual use and the aging process, diet and lifestyle. The hands and the weight bearing joints (knees, hip and spine) are the areas most often affected by the degenerative changes of osteoarthritis.
Morning stiffness is often the first most common symptom found to occur, and as the disease progresses there is pain on motion in the involved joint which is best relieved by rest. There are usually no localized signs of inflammation.
Osteoarthritis - 3 step Action Plan
1.Dietary Guidelines Eat at regular intervals and take the quantity that will allow you to be hungry for the next meal. This may be smaller than what you currently eat.
- Favour Vata Pacifying foods.
- Avoid large evening meals: There is a direct correlation between the accumulation of impurities (ama) from incomplete digestion and joint pain so strictly avoid large meals in the evening. Have a light and warm meal by 6 -7 pm. Take heavier proteins and main quantity of food at lunchtime when your digestive enzymes are strongest.
- Build digestive enzymes: Take 1-2 teaspoon of grated or thinly cut ginger root with a pinch of rock salt and a light covering of lemon or lime juice prior main meals 3 times daily. Eat only freshly cooked or prepared foods and strictly avoid canned, reheated or packaged foods.
- Reduce acidic foods by limiting consumption of milk, dairy, red meat, caffeine, alcohol, citrus, sugar and salt, refined flours and grains - the body can remain in an alkaline state. Acidity of the body increases the system's inflammatory response which leads to more joint and tissue damage.
- Avoid nightshades - vegetables from the nightshade plant family are known to contain a substance called solanine which interferes with enzymes in the muscles and may cause pain and discomfort. Avoiding white potatoes, tomatoes, eggplants and peppers has been seen to reduce the pain intensity in arthritis sufferers.
- Flush out impurities – drinking sips of hot ginger tea or Vata Tea every 30-60 minutes during the day helps to flush out impurities and restore digestive strength and thereby reduce the build up of impurities in the first place.
2. Herbals – an essential component The key focus of herbals for osteoarthritis is to help cleanse impurities (ama) that aggravate symptoms, to nourish and strengthen bone and cartilage renewal, and to provide protection from DNA damage. If possible take Joint Assist, Osteo Relief and Amrit Kalash Ambrosia for a minimum of 3 months for best result.
- Joint Assist helps to scrape out impurites from the joints supporting cleansing of fat tissues, bones and joints. It supports long-term bone and joint nourishment and mobility.
- Osteo Relief – assists in the healthy renewal of bone and cartilage and contains several well known ingredients.
- Amrit Kalash Ambrosia nourish and strengthen the whole body by taking Amrit Kalash Ambrosia twice daily. This potent antioxidants helps to neutralise inflammation and support collagen structures, and assists with prevention of DNA damage from inflammation.
- External application: Use Ayurveda Balm a fast-acting herbal balm for ease and for more chronic or acute conditions use Joint Soothe II Oil for external application. It is very effective.
- Digest Tone - If you have a bowel motion less than daily take Digest Tone 2-4 tablets prior bed. It is essential to clear the bowel daily.
Lifestyle
Our daily routine has a big impact on how strong and resilient our body is when recovering from arthritis. Key pointers to be aware of are:
- Adequate sleep is essential it is nature’s cure. Be in bed by 9.30 to 10.00 pm light out for sleep. Aim for 7.5 – 8.5 hours of undisturbed sleep.
- Stress reduction: When overloaded or stressed inflammation increases in your body, and digestion is impaired causing a further build up of impurities. This means increased pain for you, so reducing stress is important. How? Do whatever works for you. Adopting Transcendental Meditation can be really helpful as in only a few minutes the body gets deep rest and stress hormones are neutralized. Plus it helps to strengthen the body and mind and hastens recovery.
- Daily Oil Massage: Pamper yourself and your joints will thank you! Have a daily self massage taking a little extra time over the joints that need it. Use Vata Massage Oil or add 6 drops of rosemary and chamomile essential oils added to four ounces of organic sesame oil. For extra relief add 10 drops of rosemary and chamomile oils to bath water and soak in the bath for 10 minutes.
We are here to help you
Keep in touch with us - knowing what works for you helps us and can also provide inspiration for another just when they need it!
As you take action we are here to support you and are happy to provide support via email, facebook and phone.
The Get Balance Team
Related articles
- Relieve Joint Pain: Ama- and Vata-Related Joint Issues (getbalance.co.nz)
