For an easy pain-free life from rheumatoid arthritis, if you follow these easy tips for your benefit you can live your life smoothly without pain and discomfort.
- Importance of Sunlight
- Role of Diet
- Application of Massage with Different Oils
- Process of Fasting
- VITAMIN-C Importance
- Sleep Schedule
- Soothing Music has Its Own Impact
- Day and Night Routine
- GHEE
- What to Do and What to Avoid
- Exercise
- Climate
- Yoga and Meditation
- Role of Hot Water
- Detoxification and Cleansing (Panchakarma)
- Nuts and Dry Fruits
Importance of Sunlight
For a patient suffering from Rheumatoid Arthritis enough consumption of Vitamin D is essential. Sunlight is the natural and best treatment to recover from the pain and it increases the circulation of blood in the body. Soaking up some sunlight for 20 minutes a day or 4 times a week can cover your deficiency of Vitamin-D as most of the time it is observed that people suffering from arthritis are Vitamin-D deficient. Enough Vitamin D protects joints from osteoarthritis damage. Sunlight naturally kills bacterial virus effectively.
Role of Diet
It is essential to eliminate the food that raises Vata and Kapha in the body. Diet should be taken to balance the Vata in rheumatoid arthritis. The main cause for the birth of rheumatoid arthritis is wrong and unhealthy western eating habits. Healthy food choice in rheumatoid arthritis helps reducing inflammation and pain. A healthy balanced diet provides nutrients to the whole body that regulates the functioning of the immune system working well.
Application of Massage with Different Oils
It is called Abhyanga i.e. massage with hot oil. Some specialized oil therapies help to get relief from pain, energize the body and mind and also balance the Vata dosha. It also helps in the removal of toxins from the body. The main purpose is to suppress Vata’s guna i.e. Rukha. No hard massage should be done in arthritis. Massage with light hands with oils like Castor oil, cow’s ghee, sesame seeds oil gives the most effective and early results. You can practice this oil application therapy twice a day.
* It is advised to consult Ayurvedic Doctor first to determine what’s safe and effective for you.
Process of Fasting
Fasting in Ayurveda is termed as “Langhan”. In Ayurveda, it is the easiest and simplest way to remove ama (toxins) that get accumulated in joints. Fasting once a week is essential for a better and disease-free life. Fasting a day helps in cleansing the body internally. We must give a day to our body to relax from binge eating. On the day of fasting it should be a salt-free day with consumption of only fresh fruits or vegetable juice. This will enhance the working of the immune system and also improves digestive fire.
VITAMIN-C Importance
Vitamin C is an antioxidant that helps to reduce inflammation in arthritis and fights against infection in the body. Vitamin C improves the functioning of the immune system which is beneficial in rheumatoid arthritis. Make sure to get enough of Vitamin C daily as it not only helps in the production of collagen i.e. a major component of joints rather it eliminates and makes a body of destructive free radicals that are harmful to joints. Food rich in Vitamin C helps to balance Dosha and also strengthens the joints. An individual with a good intake of Vitamin- C is less prone to be affected with arthritis. Make sure to add Vitamin-C-rich fruits and sip citrus drinks on daily basis.
Sleep Schedule
As often heard “Early to bed and early to rise” holds a word. You may see around you that those who follow this schedule are mostly healthy and enjoy a disease-free life. A proper sleep schedule with no disturbance is a must for a rheumatoid arthritis patient. Day naps should be avoided and the habit of staying awake till late at night should also be avoided. A proper healthy diet and set sleep schedule provide relief from arthritis pain. It is advised to get up early by 6 in the morning for a rheumatoid arthritis patient as it will cause less stiffness.
Soothing Music has Its Own Impact
Listening to any of your favorite music can ease the pain. It is most of the times seen that an individual suffering from a disease who daily spends some time listening to music and the other who is not at all into music is most of the times affected with pain and stays depressed as compared to the one who is into music.
Day and Night Routine
An individual suffering from rheumatoid arthritis faces stiffness in joints as soon as he/she wakes up. Hence, soft movements of each joint accompanying hot-dry-smedha fomentation relieve pain in the joints. Even taking a hot water bath with Epsom salt gives relief to all joint pains. Keep your goals realistic and plan accordingly to fulfill all the work to be completed. Avoid getting fatigued from any particular task. While working in the kitchen use of a stool while cooking and chopping also help in giving relief to joints.
Ghee
Ghee stimulates Agni and strengthens the digestive fire. Ghee helps provide lubrication to joints and tissues. It helps to reduce inflammation of joints. Ghee helps to balance Pitta and Vata which are the two most common doshas in rheumatoid arthritis. Patients having dairy products intolerance can still have ghee because it does not contain protein which develops rheumatoid arthritis. Moreover, ghee is the healthiest option to regain the lost mobility of joints and connective tissues.
What to Do and What to Avoid
All the addictions like alcohol, drugs, smoking should be restricted. Maintain body weight by managing BMI. Stay active and perform only those exercises according to the need of the body. Avoid exposure to any infection or environmental pollution. If a patient also complains of Osteoporosis then try avoiding bone loss by consuming Ayurvedic medications. In rheumatoid arthritis, oral hygiene health should always be managed to avoid bacterial infection in the body.
Exercise
Exercising daily gives strength to bones and maintains flexibility of all the joints. Exercise reduces pain and muscular stiffness present in rheumatoid arthritis. But overstretching and heavy exercise is contraindicated in rheumatoid arthritis. Cachexia is also sometimes seen in rheumatoid arthritis can only be restored by performing physical exercises. Exercise also improves the general health of the body, reduces the risk of colonary artery disease, Type 2 diabetes, dyslipidemia, and bone mineral density.
Climate
Weather i.e. suitable temperature for a rheumatoid arthritis patient plays an important role. A rheumatoid arthritis patient has been shown to benefit from dry climate rather than humid, warm climate rather than cold. Avoiding exposure to cold breeze is strictly prohibited. It is proven that there is a connection between pain and weather directly in rheumatoid arthritis patients. On rainy days the pain is usually seen aggravated. Sometimes barometric pressure might also cause pain in tendons and muscles.
Yoga and Meditation
Yoga helps in reducing joint pain, improving flexibility of joints and lowering stress, anxiety and promoting sleep. Yoga includes a few asanas like
- Vrksasana
- Setubandha Sarvang Asana
- Savasana
- Breath regulation (Pranayama)
- Concentration (dharana)
- Meditation (dhyana)
Benefits of yoga have also been seen in persons who experience any work-related stress, post-traumatic stress, stress due to some violence. Yoga helps in weight management and also makes an individual mentally strong which is extremely essential in rheumatoid arthritis. It is seen that stress often worsens rheumatoid arthritis and even the disease. Hence, it is very important to manage stress effectively and heal physically and mentally.
You can also follow our Guide to Yoga Asanas for Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients
Role of Hot Water
A patient with rheumatoid arthritis complains of morning stiffness so a shower of warm water soothes the muscles and improves joint movements. It also loosens up the synovial fluid and allows joints to move comfortably. Soaking hands in lukewarm water helps in the reduction of pain in the phalanges of hands. Warm water with a small amount of salt added in it strengthens the bones.
Detoxification and Cleansing (Panchkarma)
Panchkarma is an excellent procedure to balance dosha in the body. In rheumatoid arthritis langhanam (fasting), sodhana chikitsa (purification) of the body is recommended. Langhanam stops the further production of new Ama in the body by not consuming food and Sodhana is a purification method to completely eradicate toxins from the body and balances the vitiated doshas.
Nuts and Dry Fruits
Nuts are rich in calcium, magnesium, Vitamin E, protein, and Alpha-linolenic which boosts up bodies immunity. Nuts play an important role in giving strength to all the joints pain. Walnuts are rich in Omega-3 fatty acid that relieves inflammation in arthritis. A pack of 1-2 ounces provides a complete nutritious package to the body in rheumatoid arthritis. Almonds and walnuts have a high content of fiber, calcium, magnesium, zinc, and Vitamin E which suppresses inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis. But it is advised to soak the nuts overnight and then consume it the next morning.
Conclusion
Ayurvedic tips to recover from rheumatoid arthritis have an important role in recovery. They promote an easy pain-free life followed by Ayurvedic treatment for Rheumatoid Arthritis.
* Do not forget to consult your specialist before beginning tips or home remedies as every individual has a different body type so it is not always possible that any tips or remedies can suit everyone. So consult an expert and then only begin as guided by them.
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