A chronic osteoarthritis condition is caused when the cartilage in your joints wears down and the bones begin to rub and scrape against one another, causing stiffness, joint pain and loss of movement.
Here are some of the measures suggested by Dr. Partap Chauhan, Director, Jiva Ayurveda, which you can use to prevent joint pain from making your life difficult.
1. Daily joint rotations
Include daily joint rotations in your workout routine along with some low impact exercises like cycling and swimming. It will help you ease the joint pain and prevent worsening of the condition. Additionally, walking can also prove to be helpful, but make sure you don't walk too fast and wear comfortable shoes that are relatively flat.
2. Practice Abhangya
It is a form of full body massage with medicinal oils. This therapy helps reduce vata and mobilises the toxins from tissues. To give yourself a proper massage, heat approximately one cup of organic sesame oil and apply on the entire body from scalp to toes. Massage using vigorous long strokes for at least 10 minutes each day. If you have rheumatoid arthritis, do not practice Abhyanga.
3. Include ghee in your diet
Arthritis is seen as a disease of excess vata, which reduces moisture throughout the body and causes loss of lubricity. Consumption of ghee (clarified butter), sesame oil or olive oil can help soothe inflammation, lubricate the joints, and banish arthritis stiffness.
4. Gentle yoga
Yoga provides a gentle form of exercise that helps maintain mobility of the joints. Practicing poses like Tadasana (Mountain pose), Virabhadrasana (Warrior pose) and Dandasana (Staff pose) can help reduce the pain in arthritis and increases the mobility.
5. Proper diet
Maintaining a balanced diet is essential to managing joint pain. Consumption of grains like "raktashali" and "shasthika" lower the inflammation. Veggies and fruits like karela (Bitter Gourd), brinjal, neem and drumsticks are recommended along with berries and avocados.
Living with joint pain can be very difficult, especially if you're getting on in age. While it's possible to find short term relief by following the outlined tips, long term treatment of the condition will need professional intervention.
( With inputs from IANS )