Start Your Ayurveda Experience Here |
Step 1 Step 2 |
To follow Dr. Lonsdorf's additional continuing comments on natural approaches to Arthritis subscribe to her RSS feeed on arthritis by clicking on the RSS image on the right. |
 |
There are a variety of factors that can create and worsen the arthritis condition. The good news is that almost all of these factors revolve around diet and lifestyle and therefore are under our control.
The main Ayurveda understanding of arthritis is that it is a condition created by the buildup of toxins and impurities (called "ama" in Ayurveda) in the joints which cause aggravation, swelling and often initiates an auto immune response.
1. Poor Digestion and Eating habits
Before ama accumulates in the joints it has to be created somewhere else. The start of arthritis is actually in the stomach. Most toxins and impurities that lead to the arthritis condition come from poor digestion. When we eat improper foods, or our digestion is weak, the result is the incomplete digestion of our food. Food is not broken down into small molecules, rather it is incompletely processed, leaving much larger molecules than normal (ama) which now get absorbed into the bloodstream.
These biochemical impurities circulate and eventually get localized in a tissue or block circulation somewhere in the body. When a tissues circulation becomes blocked then the tissue cannot be cleansed properly. This results in buildup of ama that eventually initiates an aggravation, swelling and auto immune response. When the tissue is the joints the result is arthritis.
2. Accumulation of Free Radicals
It is most patients experience that eating acidic, sour and exceptionally hot, spicy food can seriously aggravate arthritis. This brings up the two sides of ama. The first type of ama is impurities that clog the body but are not exceptionally aggravating. However, certain sour, acidic and highly pungent foods can create the second type of ama - chemicals that are free radicals which are highly reactive and damaging to tissues. This reactive ama also is created from the clogging ama when it is allowed to stay in the body a long time. For this reason avoiding certain foods and doing natural cleansing regimens are important components of Ayurvedic treatment for arthritis.
3. Stress
Most arthritis sufferers also report flare-ups from excessive stress. Ayurveda also describes how it is important in arthritis to maintain balance and stability in the mind and nervous system.
1. Eat the largest meal of the day at lunch, between 12:30 and 1:30, when the digestion is strongest. The sun, the heat element in nature, enlivens Agni, the fire of digestion and metabolism. At the height of the day our digestion is strongest and Ayurveda simply recommends eat the largest meal when you are most capable of digesting it.
2. Avoid eating heavy meals in the evening. The single biggest contribution to toxins and clogging in the body comes from heavy evening meals. Agni is much weaker in the evening and it is vitally important to eat lighter meals. Also after dinner there is often only 2-3 hours before we lie to sleep and further slow, circulation and digestion.
3. Eat warm food. Heated food is much easier to digest than cold food. Ayurveda recommends we eat fresh food freshly prepared.
4. Avoid leftovers. Once food has been heated and then gets put back in the refrigerator it becomes hard to digest and very clogging in nature.
5. Avoid Excessively hot spices, sour and acidic foods. These foods can be very aggravating to the body. Many people experience their arthritis becomes worse when they eat acidic foods like tomato sauces and yellow cheeses.
Diet is not the only consideration in arthritis. Ayurvedic theory also recommends the following behavioral changes to help reduce pain and inflammation from arthritis.
1. Go to bed by 10:00 P.M. Between 10:00 PM and 2 AM the bodies natural rhythms enliven the metabolic process of internal cleansing. If we are always active at this time we are short-changing the body on its natural cleansing activities and toxins ama starts to accumulate. Good sleep is also important for reversing stress. Almost everyone with arthritis experiences that if they are under excess stress their condition flares up. There is no technique for helping the body adapt to stress that is more powerful than going to bed by 10:00 PM.
2. Have a regular routine of life. Eating, sleeping, working and exercising at about the same time each day is very balancing and stabilizing to the entire physiology. Arthritis often flares up when routine of life is hectic and scattered.
3. Practice Yoga asanas and meditation. Yogas asanas and meditation (I recommend the TM technique because of its ease of practice and scientific verification) are very balancing to all aspects of mind and body and have been used by many people to reduce arthritis symptoms.
By the time the pain and inflammation of arthritis manifest there has been imbalance growing in the body for some time. Focus on having a healthy lifestyle and diet and Be patient!
This condition did not develop over night and it cannot be unwound in an instant. Reducing stress and ama often reduces the flare-ups people experience and over time great progress can be made in the over all condition.
Note: This article is for educational purposes only and is not meant to diagnose or treat disease. Please consult your physician regarding any symptoms you have or before you make changes in lifestyle and diet.
Nancy Lonsdorf M.D.
Dr. Nancy Addresses Your Concerns |