Home Remedies for Joint Pains

The Ayurvedic name for arthritic joint pains is Sandhi Vata. As the name suggests, it is caused by vitiation of the vata dosha in the human body. The word sandhi means ‘joint’ in Sanskrit. Ayurveda believes that Sandhi Vata can be caused due to rheumatism, infections, gout, hemophilia, trauma and even due to digestive problems which result in a buildup of ama in the body.

Causes of Joint pains:

• Excessive wear and tear of the joint muscles (particularly applicable to athletes)

• Osteoarthritis (growth of bone spurs and cartilage degeneration at a joint. Common in adults above 45 years)

• Chrondromalacia patella (weakening of the patella cartilage)

• Tendonitis (inflammation of a tendon)

• Fractures and injuries

• Osteomyelitis (inflammation of bone and bone marrow, usually caused by bacterial infection)

• Gout (inflammation of the big toe due to uric acid metabolism disorder, resulting in accumulation of the acid and its salts in the blood and joints)

• Bursitis (inflammation which are fluid-filled sacs protecting the bones in the joint)

• Aseptic necrosis (scant blood supply to a bone area, resulting in bone degeneration)

• Autoimmune disorders like rheumatoid arthritis, which further stiffens the joints

• Contagious diseases like hepatitis, influenza, mumps, chicken pox, measles, etc

• Sickle cell disease (an anemic disorder in the cells)

Treatment for Joint pains:

a. Massage the joints with a mixture of camphor, eucalyptus oil and menthol before going to bed.

b. Have a glass of carrot juice early in the morning. Continue this till you find reduction in the pains, which should happen within a week.

c. Do not exercise wildly, but at the same time do not keep your joints lethargic. Perform some activity with them so as to keep them mobile.

d. Have a bath with warm water every morning. This facilitates proper blood circulation.

e. Ginger and garlic are extremely good for controlling joint pains. Some people find the odor of ginger intolerable.

f. People with joint pains should totally steer away from all kinds of sour foods, since these can increase the vata.

g. The alfalfa herb is very effective in the reduction of joint pains. It must be had in the form of a tea four times a day

h. Ashwagandha is the herb popularly known as Winter Cherry in the west.

i. The banyan tree produces a sap much like the latex from rubber. This is used as an external application over the joints.

j. Oil extracted from the bishop’s weed is applied locally on the affected joints to relieve pains in them.

k. Celery can be used as an effective treatment for rheumatism and gout, both of which can cause pain in the joints.

l. Dandelion is rich in magnesium, an element that is needed for the proper mineralization of the bones.

m. If the joint pain is due to trauma, then Vishagarbha taila is prescribed for external application over the region where the joint pain is felt.

n. Panchamrita or Lakshadi Guggulu is prescribed. The dosages are 125 milligrams twice a day for one month and 250 milligrams thrice a day for three months respectively.