Gout

Gout is one of the forms of arthritis or joint inflammation. Usually one or two joints are affected at a time. Commonly joints of feet and ankles are inflamed in gout. The commonest site is the ball of the big toe. The first attack of gout subsides in a week or so without treatment. There may be a long gap of many months or years between attacks. As time passes the attacks become more frequent and more severe involving many joints. When the frequency of attacks increases progressive joint damage sets in. This is known as chronic gout. This leads to disability and crippling. Gout is very rare in women but usually affects men. In women it is seen after menopause.

Cause Of Gout:
Presence of uric acid crystals in joints causes inflammation of joints.Uric acid is formed during metabolism of food and building up of body tissues. When the level of uric acid increases in blood than normal levels, the uric acid forms microscopic crystals in joints. These crystals lead to inflammation of joints.

According to ayurveda causes of vitiation of blood:

• Indigestion
  
• Excessive consumption of salty, sour, hot, spicy, oily foods
  
• Consumption of Fish
  
• Consuming horse gram, urad dal
  
• Alcohol
  
• Consuming opposite foods
  
• Lack of sleep
  
• Obesity
  
• Sedentary work
  

Reasons For Increased Uric Acid Level In Blood:

• Hereditary
  
• Obesity
  
• High alcohol intake
  
• High intake of food like liver, kidneys, sweetbreads, tongue, red meat, shellfish, fish peas, lentils and beans. These foods contain purines
  
• Few drugs used to treat high blood pressure
  

Symptoms:

• Inflammation
  
• Swelling
  
• Tenderness in the affected joint
  
• Touching or moving the joint is extremely painful
  
• Fever and stress
• Severe pain in muscle joints
• Inability to bend fingers, toes, or other small joints
• Inflammation of joint tissues
• Burning sensatio
• Warmth in the joint
  

Long Term effects of gout gone untreated include one or more of the following conditions:

• Rheumatoid Arthritus and/or Osteoarthritis
• Inflammation of the spine (Anklosing Spondylitis) that causes the joints of the spine to grow together
• Fibromyalgia (Wide spread pain of muscles and attachments to the bones that occurs most often in women)
• Lupus (inflammation and damage of joints and connective tissues throughout the body)
• Scleroderma (disease of the connective tissue that causes thickness of skin)

Ayurveda Tips To Control Gout:

• Consume wheat, green gram, raisins, ginger, milk
  
• Avoid horse raiding, or other sports which involves lot of joint movements
  
• Avoid afternoon sleep, roaming in hot sun
  
• Do not consume alcohol, fish, urad dal, horse gram, curds, radish
  

How to Eat: When it is time to eat one should make sure to eat 4-5 smaller meals in a day rather than 2-3 larger meals in a day. This will help the body digest more foods more thoroughly, and the body will take in more of the necessary nutrients.

Exerize Regularly: A person with gout should be sure to exercise for at least 30 minutes a day. Stretching exercizes can loosen up the muscles, and help reduce stress on the body. Also, massaging of the affected joints can help as well. When possible, one should also partake in a moderate aerobic activity to help prevent further attack of gout.

Ginger: Ginger produces prostoglandins and leukrotrienes. These substances help eliminate pain and inflammation of the muscles. Studies have proven that the use of ginger has worked to relieve arthritic pain, and has done so with no side affects. People have taken ginger for arthritic pain and inflammation for up to two years.

Ashwagandha: This medicine will help in reducing muscle inflammation. When the person affected with gout follows the above diet recommendations and partakes in one or more of the ayurvedic remedies, that person is most likely to be cured. Also, one will be able to fight against the possibility of a future attack.

Cinnamomum Camphora: expectorant, skin stimulating, diaphoretic, decongesting, antispasmodic, analgesic, antiseptic.

Vetiveria Zizanoides: toning, cooling, stomachic, stimulating, antispasmodic, diuretic, emmenagogue.

Tips To Reduce Blood Uric Acid Level:

• Avoiding consumption of food which contain purines
  
• Reducing the intake of alcohol
  
• Weight reduction
  
• Altered medication for high blood pressure

Arthritis

Arthritis is one of the most common ailment for which Ayurvedic help is being sought these days.
The ayurveda suggests that arthritis is caused primarily by an excess of ama and lack of agni. This can be caused by poor digestion and a weakened colon, resulting in the accumulation of undigested food and the buildup of waste matter. Poor digestion allows toxins to accumulate in the body, and problems with the colon allow the toxins to reach the joints.

Symptoms:Following are the signs that indicate the presence of this ailment:

• Severe pain in the affected joints.
• Muscles, ligaments and cartilage become inflamed.
• Movement of the joint becomes extremely painful, especially in cold, windy and damp weather.
• It is notable that if this disease is not taken care of properly at the initial stages the joint becomes immobile and may also become permanently deformed.
  

Causes:
Causes include internal and external factors. It is more common in cold, damp and windy climates. Internally it is a condition which is related to low Agni (poor digestive fire) and poor digestion which leads to the accumulation of toxins (ama). The toxins (ama) produced in the colon are taken up by various parts of the body and depending on the site of deposition, it causes many diseases in the body. For example, if it deposits in the lungs, it causes cough and asthma, in the intestines it causes dysentery. When it deposits in the joints and at the same time there is aggravation of vata, that means if biological humor air is also disturbed, it results in a disease called amavata or arthritis.

Remedies:

1. Two tea spoons of lemon juice mixed in 250 ml. of warm water and a tea spoon of honey is good to take twice a day -morning and evening.
2. Body massage with sesame or mustard oil helps to reduce the vata and thus reduce the pain. The joints affected by pain can be massaged for longer time.
3. Light exercise is useful but you must know your limits: as a general rule if any exercise, including walking, causes pain after one hour, you have crossed your limit.
4. Liberal intake of orange juice or sweet limejuice or Vitamin C enhances the efficacy of any anti rheumatic drug, since Vitamin C can reduce skeletal pain.
5. Camphor, wintergreen and cinnamon oils are beneficial for external application. They can be combined with herbs like ashwagandha in sesame oil for external applications.
6. Half a teaspoon of turmeric powder with warm water helps cure arthritis.Dosage: Taken twice a day
   
7. One raw clove of garlic every day is very beneficial. This clove can be fried in ghee (clarified butter) or castor oil.Dosage: Once daily for two-three months.
   
8. Guggulu (a herb) is very helpful in curing arthritis. If available, eat half a teaspoon twice a day after meals with warm water. ·Paste of 1 teaspoon red chilies and fresh ginger mixed in half a cup of sesame oil and strain. Gently rub this oil on the affected joints. ·Camphor, wintergreen and cinnamon oils are also beneficial for external application.

• Mahanarayan oil improves flexibility, stiffness, muscle fatigue, and removes pain. It is mixed with sesame oil (1:1) and applied to the painful areas. This oil also breaks up blockages and begins to heal locally. After oil application, warm heat, yoga, bath, or mild exercise further improves this situation.
• Narayan oil is good for muscle and joint pain, lower body circulation, and reversing imbalances caused by aging.
• Avipattikar churna is good to ingest for rheumatism.
• Mahamasha taila is also good for externally apply.
• Karpashasadi oil is good for muscle pain & stiffness.
• Rasnadi kashayam: 2tsp kashayam mix with 4 tsp warm water ,take thrice a daily before meals.
• Sahacharadi kashayam : 3tsp twice a daily.
• Ayurfine forte tab, Dhanvantaram tab, Myostal forte tab, Flexopen tab, etc...
  

Therapies:

• Steam Applying heat to the site of arthritis, liquefied toxins, enabling them to flow back into the blood stream to their site of origin. Herbs, food plans and panchakarma removed the toxins from the system. A pressure cooker with herbal or oil steam, like eucalyptus, dislodged toxins. Oils were also be applied to the arthritis (e.g.,. winter green, mixed in a base oil) to help dislodge toxins and remove pain.
• Enemas and other means of cleaning the colon are often used to help detoxify the body.

Useful Herbs:
A variety of herbs, spices and bitters are used in ayurveda. These are often applied externally or ingested. These are believed to cleanse the body and to relieve pain and stiffness. Mint, ephedra, golden seal, gentian, nirgundi, eucalyptus leaves, prasarini, quassia, coptis, scute, phellodendrom, aloe, guggul, du huo, ligusticum, Siberian ginseng, myrrh, and yucca are some of the herbs used.

Dos and don'ts:
Following is the diet suggested for the patients suffering form arthritis:

• Vegetable juices and soups
• Coconut water
• Coconut milk
• Carrot juice
• Beet root juice
• Cucumber juice
• Cooked vegetables like squash, zucchini and pumpkin
• Spices like cumin, coriander, ginger, asafetida, garlic, fennel and turmeric Green salad with a dressing of lemon juice and a little salt
• Khichadi (recipe made by cooking rice and mung dal )
• Regular physical exercise and massage with oil should form an important part of the routine.

The patient of arthritis must avoid the following:

• Eating hot, spicy and fried foods, sweets, wind forming foods like cabbage, Cauliflower, spinach, broccoli, okra and potatoes.
• Too much tea, coffee, alcohol, white sugar, yogurt, chocolate, cocoa.
• Antibiotics, painkillers, steroids and nicotine
• Sleeping during the day
• Staying up late at night
• Mental tensions like worry, anxiety, fear, stress and grief.