Osteoarthritis is a
common and debilitating condition which affects joints, causing severe
limitations to quality of life and creating an enormous economic burden. Though related to ageing, osteoarthritis can
also be adversely affected by other factors like obesity, trauma, previous
surgery or infection, and genetics.
Recent medical trends believe osteoarthritis to be a mix of inflammation
and degeneration which affects the entire joint. Weight bearing joints like the knee joints
are primary affected with this condition.
In the initial stage
of this disease, inflammation usually causes swelling of the joint and may last
for prolonged periods ranging from years to several decades. This stage is usually followed by a gradual
loss of joint space due to softening and degeneration of the cartilage. Advanced conditions usually causes joint
deviation, for example, in the knee joint, there is a collapse of the inner
side of the knee resulting in outward deviation of the joint and leg.
In the initial stages
of osteoarthritis, almost any anti-inflammatory medicine, be it Allopathic or
Ayurvedic, combined with local application of ointments, application of heat,
and simple exercises, can result in a satisfactory resolution of symptoms and
provide long term relief. However, in
the chronic phase of the disease, most medicines do not work and individuals
affected with this disease usually progress and become suitable candidates for
joint replacement or arthroplasty. This
is the usual state of affairs since there is no known Allopathic or modern
medicine which can significantly stop the progress of the disease or modify the
structural damage resulting from chronic and advanced osteoarthritis.
Ayurvedic herbal
medicines have a dual advantage of complete safety and a significant ability to
reverse the entire disease process as well as the structural damage resulting from
osteoarthritis. Ayurvedic herbal
medicines help to reduce inflammation and swelling, repair damage to the
cartilage, help in healing of damaged muscles and menisci, and remove overall
inflammation and swelling of the entire joint capsule. Herbal medicines also gradually repair damage
to eroded bone ends. Local applications
of medicines as well as hot or cold compresses can provide immediate and
temporal relief from pain; however, Ayurvedic herbal medicines, given orally,
form the mainstay of treatment for chronic or advanced osteoarthritis.
Depending upon the
severity of the condition and the degree of joint damage, Ayurvedic herbal treatment
may be required for periods ranging from two to eighteen months; however, this
treatment is usually successful in reversing the disease process and repairing
structural damage to the maximum extent possible. With this, even individuals with advanced
osteoarthritis who have been advised joint replacement can successfully lead a
normal quality of life and recover joint mobility to the maximum extent
possible. Ayurvedic herbal treatment is
thus a viable, safe, effective and proven treatment modality for advanced
osteoarthritis as compared to surgical options which can be prohibitively costly
and still provide limited mobility after surgery. Ayurvedic herbal treatment thus has a
significant role to play in the management of severe or advanced
osteoarthritis.
The writer, Dr. A. A.
Mundewadi, is available as an online Ayurvedic Consultant at https://www.mundewadiayurvedicclinic.com and http://www.ayurvedaphysician.com
