Rheumatoidarthritis treatment in ayurveda | Importance of Panchakarma (H1)
Ayurveda believes vitiation of vatain the Rheumatoid arthritis patients facilitates deposition of ama in the body at the joints hence affecting the tissue metabolism. and immune systems functions. Hence, rheumatoid arthritis treatment in ayurvedarequiresclearing the sites where ama is deposited in order to restore the affected functions.
Ayurvedic treatment for Rheumatoid arthritis follows a combination of oral medications, panchakarma, and lifestyle modifications. Patients often understand the importance of changing the lifestyle and the need to take oral medication as a part of rheumatoid arthritis treatment in ayurveda but often doubt the need for panchakarma. Let’s discuss this doubt in detail
Importance of Panchakarma in the ayurvedic treatment of Rheumatoid arthritis (H2)
According to classical textbooks of ayurveda, Panchakarma refers to ShodhanaChikitsa which targets violation of the pathogenesis in rheumatoid arthritis. It is the only method which targets the causative mechanism of rheumatoid arthritisi.e. ama which is accumulated at the affected sites due to vata dosha.
Digestive system of a rheumatoid arthritis patients is completely compromised due to to the excess ama in the body. Bloating, abdominal pain etc. are a clear sign of compromised digestive system. When oral medicine passes through this compromised digestive system, it constantly hinders with the mechanism of the medicine by not allowing the medicine to reach the affected site.
Panchakarma treatments help restore the functioning of the compromised digestion system by unclogging ama hence allowing an easy passage for the oral medication to reach the affected tissues of rheumatoid arthritis patient’s body.
The unclogged ama is required to come out of digestive system to be excreted out via vomit, stool etc. Symptoms like constipation, heartburn etc. are a sign of excretion passage to be affected with ama. Panchakarma treatments unclog these excretory channels allowing the gut flora to flourish by reducing the irritants. This detoxifying action of panchakarma allows better absorption of nutrients from the food and facilitates better nutrition to the body for a faster recovery.
According to ayurveda, our immune system is directly related to our Metabolism (agni) hence by improving the metabolism its is believed that we can restore our immune system. Once the immune system is restored it will not damage the joints of the Rheumatoid arthritis patients instead it will start repairing the joint structure. Panchakarma treatments improves the metabolism allowing the immune system to be restored whereas they facilitates the ayurvedic medicine to work efficiently for a faster recovery of joint structure in rheumatoid arthritis patients. Hence, panchakarma treatments plays a crucial role in the ayurvedic treatment for rheumatoid arthritis. Now, let us try to understand the action of these panchakarma treatment in rheumatoid arthritis.
Panchakarma and the treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis(H2)
As per the classic texts of Ayurveda,panchakarma plays a major role in thetreatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis. These external procedures are recommended to provide a focused impact on the most affected joints while acting as a catalyst in increasing the rate of recovery of the joints. Panchakarma treatment also plays an important role in eradicating the root cause of Rheumatoid arthritisby removing the lodged ama at the site while reducing the chances of ama formation in the body.
Panchakarma treatment for Rheumatoid arthritis includes:
- Fasting for Rheumatoid Arthritis treatment (H3)
Fasting or langhanacan be defined as the state of abstinence from all kinds of food items and during this phase of treatment, patient’s diet consists of a liquidor light and easily digestible food items. Rheumatoid Arthritis is said to be a disease originating from the accumulation of ama (undigested food) and by keeping patients on a fast can help the body in digesting the undigested foodfirst instead of focusing on the recently consumed food, hence reducing ama from the body and improving the metabolism.
- Treating Rheumatoid Arthritis with steam bath(H3)
During Swedana, patient is made to sit in a chamber and medicated warm steam is passed into it.Swedana reduces the vitiated Vata dosha resulting in the reduction of heaviness, stiffness, cold sensation, and inflammation in the bod. Dry fomentation or Swedana is indicated for Acute Rheumatoid Arthritis and contraindicated for Chronic Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Oleation duringayurvedic treatment for Rheumatoid Arthritis(H3)
Rheumatoid arthritis treatment in ayurveda requires the patients to consume“sneha” like castor oil, medicated ghee etc. to help loosen the undigested food and relieve symptoms of bloating, abdominal pain, constipation, etc.In chronic cases, oleation or snehapana can be performed to reduce the dryness caused by Vata dosha imbalance which will help provide nutrition to the affected joints and increase the mobility of the joints.
- Purgation for Rheumatoid Arthritis treatment (H3)
According to the classical textbooks of ayurveda, stomach is known as the habitat of Ama which is transported to different site of the body via vata. Virechanaor therapeutic purgation is performed to induce bowel movements in the patients targeting the detoxification of the stomach from the pyloric end. Ayurvedic laxatives are given to the rheumatoid arthritis patients to increase the bowel movement allowing the undigested food to pass along with the bowels. Therapeutic purgation helps rheumatoid arthritis patients in relieving symptoms like distension of the abdomen, intestinal gurgling, constipation, joint pain, stiffness, inflammation, and spasms of muscles
- Enema to treatRheumatoid Arthritis(H3)
Ayurveda states that Basti or ayurvedic enema is the best way to treat the vitiated Vata dosha, In Basti a decoction is passed through the anal route in order to induce bowels. Basti helps improve the nutrients absorption in the body hence providing nutrition to the affected joints for faster recovery. It also helps in recovering the bacterial plethora inside the gut hence reducing the problem of bloating, constipation etc. and improving the metabolism.
At Sreesubramania ayurvedic nursing home, we mostly encounter chronic cases of rheumatoid arthritis which is why we include panchakarma in our treatment plan. We believe external treatments like panchakarma, poorvakarma etc. are very important for the rheumatoid arthritis patients especially in chronic cases. Treatment for rheumatoid arthritis at SSANH is planned after the assessment of patients condition and previous history.
If you are suffering from rheumatoid arthritis, please contact us and let us help you treat rheumatoid arthritis from its root.
