JOINT PAIN SOLUTIONS!

 

                             ARTHRITIS (JOINT PAIN)

                                 ARTHRITIS IS INFLAMMATION OF THE SYNOVIAL JOINT OF THE BODY AND IS ONE OF THE MOST COMMON OF ALL DISABLING DISEASES, AFFLICTING AN ESTIMATED ONE OUT OF TEN PEOPLE, THIRTEEN MILLION IN THE USA ALONE. ARTHRITIS IS A CRIPPLING DEGENERATIVE PROCESS WHICH CAN RESULT IN IRREVERSIBLE DESTRUCTION OF THE JOINT. THE CONDITION IS CHARACTERISED BY PAIN, SWELLING, REDNESS, HEAT AND LOSS OF FUNCTION IN ONE OR MORE JOINTS. THOSE MOST OFTEN AFFECTED ARE THE LARGE, WEIGHTBEARING JOINTS (HIPS, KNEES AND ANKLES) AND THE SMALL JOINTS RESPONSIBLE FOR REPEATED, FINELY ARTICULATED MOVEMENT, SUCH AS THE FINGERS.

IN THE SCIENCE OF YOGA ARTHRITIS IS NOT CONSIDERED TO BE A DISEASE IN ITSELF, BUT AS ONE SYMPTOM OF A WIDESPREAD METABOLIC AND PRANIC MALFUNCTION WHICH BEGINS EARLY IN A PERSON'S LIFE.

YOGA OFFERS A WAY TO ARREST THIS PROCESS. INFACT, IN THE EARLY STAGES, BEFORE IRREVERSIBLE DAMAGE TO THE JOINTS HAS OCCURED, A COMPLETE REVERSAL IS OFTEN POSSIBLE. IN THE LATER STAGES, YOGIC PRACTICES CAN REDUCE DRUG DEPENDENCY, MAMIMIZE REMAINING MOBILITY AND FUNCTION IN THE JOINTS, AND MAKE THE LIFE OF THE ARTHRITIC MORE TOLERABLE AND ACCEPTABLE. REMARKABLE RESTORATIONS OF FUNCTION AND A VASTLY IMPROVED OUTLOOK ON LIFE HAVE BEEN OBTAINED IS SEVERELY CRIPPED PATIENTS WHO HAVE FOLLOWED A DAILY YOGA PROGRAM WITH DETERMINATION

THE FORMS OF ARTHRITIS

MODERN MEDICAL SCIENCE HAS RECOGNISED SEVERAL DISTINCT FORMS OF ARTHRITIS. FROM THE YOGIC POINT OF VIEW THESE ARE DIFFERENT STAGES OF THE SAME BASIC BLOCKAGE OF PRANA RATHER THAN DIFFERENT DISEASES. THE UNDERLYING PROCESS IS THE SAME, BUT VARIATIONS IN THE RATE OF SYMPTOM DEVELOPMENT HAVE LED TO A NUMBER OF DIAGNOSTIC TAGS BEING ASSIGNED TO DIFFERENT SUFFERERS OF ARTHRITIS.

FACT OF ARTHRITS

 

A NUMBER OF FACTORS, INCLUDING MENTAL AND EMOTIONAL STRESS AND FAULTY LIFESTYLE AND DIET, ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR UPESETTING THE BALANCE OF CENTRAL CONTROLLING MECHANISMS IN THE BRAIN AND ENDOCRINE SYSTEM, ON WHICH THE ULTIMATE HEALTH OF THE ORGANISM DEPENDS.

 

• DIET : OVEREATING AND AN EXCESSIVELY RICH DIET, ESPECIALLY ONE BASED UPON MEAT, ANIMAL FAT, HEAVY FRIED FOODS, HIGHLY REFINED AND SYNTHETIC FOODS, AND EXCESSIVE MILK, GHEE, SUGAR, AND SALT PLAY A LARGE PART IN INITIATING AND AGGRAVATING ARTHRITIS. PLAY A LARGE PART IN INITIATING AND AGGRAVATING ARTHRITIS. CONSTIPATION AGGRAVATES THE DISEASE. 
• EXERCISE : LACK OF REGULAR EXERCISE CAUSES THE JOINT AND LIGAMENTS TO BECOME STIFF AND INFLEXIBLE. HABITUALLY SITTING IN CHAIRS AND RARELY SITTING CROSS-LEGGED CAUSES STIFFNESS OF THE LEGS, HIPS, SPINE AND SHOULDERS.
• MENTAL FACTORS : DEEP SUBCONSCIOUS TENSIONS, SUPPRESSION OF EMOTION, FEAR AND HYPERSENSITIVITY CAN LEAD TO RIGIDITY OF THE PERSONALITY, WHICH IS THEN TRANSLATED AND SO ON. 

YOGIC APPROACH

YOGIC MANAGEMENT OF THE ARTHRTIC PROCESS IN ALL-EMBRACING AND EFFECTIVELY COMPLEMENTS STANDARD MEDICAL MEASURES. HOWEVER, YOGA WILL NEVER ADVOCATE DRUG MANAGEMENT OF SYMPTOMS IN ISOLATION, WHILE NEGLECTING TO CORRECT THE UNDERLYING DEFICIENCIES OF DIET, EXERCISE, LIFESTYLE AND SO ON.

ALL THERAPY SHOULD IDEALLY BE LEARNED IN AN ASHRAM SETTING, TO BENEFIT FROM ITS POSITIVE AND SUPPORTIVE ENERGIES. THIS IS ESPIACIALLY IMPORTANT IF THE INDIVIDUAL IS EXPOSED TO NEGATIVITY AT HOME OR WORK, OF IF THE FAMILY IS CREATING A DEPENDENT ATTITUDE IN THE SUFFERER, FOR EXAMPLE "OH THE POOR THING, HE IS SUFFERING SOMUCH. YOU MUST REST, DEAR, LET ME DO THAT FOR YOU". KARMA YOGA IS AS MUCH A PART OF THE SADHANA OF THE ARTHRITIC INDIVIDUAL AS ASANA AND PRANAYAMA. A WELL-ROUNDED PROGRAM OF YOGIC THERAPY INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING ELEMENTS:

1. ASANA
2. SHATKARMA
3. PRANAYAMA
4. MEDITATION
5. DIET

AMAROLI

DRINKING ONE TO THREE GLASSESS OF FRESH URINE PER DAY, MESSAGING THE JOINTS WITH OLD OR BOILED URINE, APPLYING PACKS SOAKED IN URINE, CAN ALL HAVE A PLACE IN ARTHRITIS THERAPY, ESPECIALLY IN LONG-STANDING CASES WHICH HAVE OUTLASTED ANALGESIC OR STEROID THERAPY.

REST

DURING THE ACUTE, INFLAMMATORY STAGE, RST IS ESSENTIAL. SUBSEQUENTLY, PERIODS OF ACTIVITY MUST BE ALTERATED WITH PERIODS OF REST.

 

EXERCISE 

IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO MAINTAIN A DETERMINED AND POSITIVE ATTITUDE TOWARDS ACTIVITY AND EXERCISE, EVEN TO THE EXTENT OF PUSHING ONESELF, IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN A MAINTAIN ACTIVE, SELF-SUFFICIENT LIFESTYLE. WALKING, SWIMMING, GARDENING AND OTHER GENTLE FORMS OF EXERCISE HELP TOKEEP THE MUSCLES STRONG AND THE JOINTS LIMBER, AND CAN BE INTEGRATED INTO THE DAILY ROUTINE IN CONJUNCTION WITH SIMPLE ASANAS.

HEAT AND MASSAGE

TOTAL IMMERSION IN A HOT BATH AND THE LOCAL APPLICATION OF MOIST OR DRY HEAT, ESPECIALLY IN WINTER, RELAXES THE MUSCLES AND LOOSENS PAINFUL CONTRACTIONS. HEAT ALSO REDUCES PAIN AND INFLAMMATION, INCREASES THE METABOLISM, AIDS ELIMINATION OF POISONS, SPEEDS UP THE PRODUCTION OF NATURAL LUBRICANTS, REDUCES SWELLING AND AIDS IN THE READSORPTION OF UNDESIRABLE CALCIUM DEPOSITS, BONE FORMATION IN AND AROUND STIFF MUSCLES, LIGAMENTS AND JOINTS. AFTER HEAT THERAPY, GENERAL MESSAGE OF THE JOINTS AND LIMBS TOWARDS THE HEART INVIGORATES AND RELAXES THE SENSORY AND MOTOR NERVES, PROMOTES CIRCULATION AND IRRIGATION OF BLOOD AND LYMPTH, AND HAS AN OVERALL, RELAXING EFFECT.

MENTAL ATTITUDE

 

ABOVE ALL, ARTHRITIC PERSON WHO UNDERGOES YOGIC THERAPY MUST STRIVE FOR PATIENCE AND POSITIVITY, AND TRY NOT TO BE DISCOURAGED BY THE PAIN AND DISCOMFORT WHICH WILL HAVE TO BE ENDURED AT THE BEGINNING. IT IS WELL WORTH THE INITIAL STRUGGLE IN ORDER TO BREAK DOWN THE VICIOUS CYCLE OF DISEASE WHICH CAUSES ARTHRITIS. YOGA NIDRA IS MOST BENEFICIAL HERE AND SHOULD BE MASTERED AS A FORM OF PAIN RELIEF AND MENTAL TRANSFORMATION WHICH  REDUCES DRUG DEPENDENCY AND PAIN SENSIVITY. THE STRENGTH OF MIND GAINED AN THE JOY WHICH IS EXPERIENCED WHEN THE DISEASE PROCESS IS CONTROLLED AND REVERSED IN SOMEHING THAT ALL SUFFERERS WITH ARTHRITIS CAN EARNESTLY AIM TOWARDS.