Ama Vata :- RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS

RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS(AMA VATAM) 

Definition

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease that causes chronic inflammation of the joints. While inflammation of the tissue around the joints and inflammatory arthritis are characteristic features of rheumatoid arthritis, the disease can also cause inflammation and injury in other organs in the body.

Symptoms

• Sudden bouts of unbearable pain
• Inflammation, tenderness in the joints
• Gout attacks usually occur at midnight or early in morning
• Affected joint becomes hot and swollen and is very sensitive to touch
• Pain and swelling generally goes away after 1-2 weeks
• The pain reoccurs after sometime in the same or some other joint

Causes

• High level of uric acid in the body
• Excessive alcohol intake
• Stress
• Lack of exercise
• Skipping meals
• Dehydration
• High aspirin intake
• Menopause
• Excessive alcohol intake
• Stress
• Lack of exercise
• Skipping meals
• Dehydration
• High aspirin intake
• Menopause

Ayurvedic Perspective

According to Ayurveda mostly pains are caused by the aggravation of vata (air) dosha. Rheumatoid Arthritis is a condition which is caused by accumulation of ama and aggravation of vata. (Ama is a toxic by-product of improper digestion. )This ama circulates in the whole body and deposits or gets collected at the sites which are weaker. When it deposits in the joints and at the same time there is aggravation of vata , it results in a disease called amavata.

Tips to reduce pain in joints

1. Weight reduction.
2. Exercise well moving all your joints.
3. Take a warm shower everyday .

Ayurveda tips to reduce pain

1. Avoid curds , fish, milk, urad dal, jaggery, and constipating food.
2. Consume horse gram, ginger, bitter gourd, drum sticks.
3. Remove the sprouts (which will be present inside garlic cloves) of garlic by splitting, Soak these garlic in buttermilk over night. Next day morning wash the garlic with plain water. ground this garlic to thin paste. Consume 1/2 tea spoon of this paste with warm water every day morning in empty stomach.
4. Always use hot water to bathe and to drink.
5. Avoid cold breeze.
6. Do not consume opposite foods.
7. Empty bowels regularly.
8. Do not control natural urges.
9. Avoid late nights and afternoon naps.   

 Yoga for Rheumatoid Arthritis

 Asanas for Rheumatoid arthritis

Single leg rises:

In this exercise, one leg is lifted upward while the other one resides on the ground. This asana is executed in order to ready the body for other movements or exercises. It benefits the legs, lower back muscles, and abdominal area.

Standing side stretch pose:

The Standing Side Stretch is one more Yoga asana with two lines of energy glowing outside from your centre. This is a very easy yoga asana in which one line of energy arrived at upward from the belly and external from the arms, and other line travels down through the legs.

Wrist bending:

Rheumatoid Arthritis and OsteoArthritis can also affect wrist. So wrist stretching and bending exercise is beneficial. 

Ankle bending:

Continuous strain or sprain in the ankles can show the occurrence of Ankle Arthritis. Manage stress and keep your ankles in good condition by doing the Ankle Bending Exercise.

Investigations

• Rheumatoid factor test
• Anti-CCP antibody test
• Complete blood count
• C-reactive protein
• Erythrocyte sedimentation rate
• Joint ultrasound or MRI
• Joint x-rays
• Synovial fluid analysis
• Blood test for RA factor
• x- ray

Recommended Ayurveda medicines

• Chitrakadi vati
• Agnitundi vati
• Simha nada guggulu
• Maha yoga raja guggulu
• Bala guluchyadi kashayam
• Gandravahastadi kwatham

Recommended pancha karma & other therapies

• Abhyanga
• Swedana
• virechanam
• Basti

Management of Purana ama vatam

• Rakta mokshanam
• pizicchil