Arthritis
"Arthritis" literally means joint inflammation. Joints are places where two bones meet, such as your elbow or knee. There are many different types of arthritis with different causes and treatments. There are several types of arthritis. Common ones include the following.
Ankylosing spondylitis is a type of arthritis that causes inflammation in the joints and ligaments of the spine.
Gout is a type of arthritis that occurs as flares, typically in your big toe or a lower limb. Juvenile idiopathic arthritis is the most common type of chronic arthritis that affects children.
Osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis and is more common in older people.
Psoriatic arthritis can occur in people who have psoriasis (scaly red and white skin patches). It affects the skin, joints, and areas where tissues attach to bone.
Reactive arthritis is caused by an infection in your body. Symptoms often clear up on their own within a few weeks or months.
Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune form of arthritis where the immune system attacks the healthy joint tissues. The substrate for the development of autoimmune issues originates from the lifestyle and food habit of an individual and family. Risk factors include smoking, obesity and exposure to air pollution. Women and older people have a higher risk of developing RA. Rheumatoid arthritis causes inflammation and pain in one or more joints. It can happen in most joints, but it’s most common in the small joints of the hands, wrists and feet. RA is chronic and may worsen over time without treatment. It can lead to severe damage to the joint and surrounding tissue. It can also affect the heart, lung and nervous systems. Early signs and symptoms: pain, stiffness, tenderness, swelling or redness in one or more joints, usually in a symmetrical pattern. The symptoms can worsen over time and spread to more joints including the knees, elbows or shoulders. RA can make it hard to perform daily activities like writing, holding objects with the hands, walking and climbing stairs. People with RA often feel fatigue and general malaise and may experience depressive symptoms. Early diagnosis and management can reduce symptoms, slow the disease and prevent disability. In some cases, the disease can go into remission. Therapeutic approaches help to improve and maintain joint mobility and muscle strength, to reduce and cope with pain, and to increase exercise capacity and the ability to perform daily activities.
Arthritis in Ayurveda can be classified into categories such as Amavata, Vatarakta, Sandhigata vata, and Mamsamedogata vata, depending on the specific symptoms and presentations. For instance, Amavata typically manifests with mild fever, joint pain, loss of appetite, weakness, constipation, and headaches, necessitating treatment tailored to the level of toxicity (ama), tissue involvement (dhatu), and the patient's strength.
Vatarakta involves redness or dark discoloration of affected joints, intense pain accompanied by burning sensations, and skin lesions, indicating an imbalance in both vata and rakta doshas. Therefore, management strategies must carefully balance these doshas.
Sandhigata vata presents with joint swelling and pain during movement, often alleviated by the application of oily medications. Timely diagnosis is crucial for determining appropriate treatment approaches, which ultimately aim to improve the patient's quality of life.
Treatment for different types of arthritis varies based on the site of the disease and the extent of imbalance in bodily tissues. For instance, in conditions like vatarakta, if the imbalance affects up to the muscular tissue level (mamsa dhatu), external therapies such as oil massage (abhyanga), poultice application (lepana), dipping the affected part in medicated liquids (avagaha), or pouring medicated water (Parisheka) are recommended. Deeper tissue involvement may necessitate purificatory treatments like purgation (Virecana) or enema therapy (Vasti).In cases where inflammation is prominent, the initial focus of treatment is on reducing inflammation so rookshana(drying) therapies are adopted. Alternatively, if degenerative changes dominate, nourishing therapies (brmhana) are prioritized. Depending on the specific condition, a physician determines the appropriate level of treatment for each type of arthritis.