Successful Ayurvedic Herbal Treatment for Advanced Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis is a painful medical condition which usually affects weight-bearing joints by causing a gradual loss of cartilage in the joints, sometimes accompanied with joint inflammation. Osteoarthritis usually affects the hands, knees, hips, and spine. Common symptoms of this condition include pain, stiffness, and difficulty in moving joints. According to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases of the NIH, it is estimated that nearly 21 million people in the US and nearly 78 million people in India are currently affected with varying grades of osteoarthritis. The high prevalence of this condition and the resulting disability has been known to result in significant financial loss and reduced quality of life.
Conservative management of osteoarthritis includes rest, weight loss measures, physiotherapy, mechanical support devices, vitamins, heat and cold therapies, electrical nerve stimulation, dietary supplements, acupuncture, pain-killer medications, anti-inflammatory drugs, local ointments, joint injections, alignment surgery, and — as a last resort — joint replacement. Most of these measures reduce pain and suffering, but fail to cure this condition. Joint replacement can instantly reduce the pain and disability of osteoarthritis, but is however, cost-prohibitive.
Ayurvedic herbal treatment for osteoarthritis is aimed at treating inflammation in joints and strengthening the weakened cartilage, which is the hallmark of this condition. Medicines are also given to strengthen the muscles and tendons supporting affected joints. Treatment is in the form of herbal extract tablets to be taken orally, as well as local applications in the form of oils and ointments. Local fomentation with medicated decoctions can be used to bring about fast relief in pain, stiffness and difficulty in moving joints.
Mild osteoarthritis can easily be treated with a course of 2 to 4 months of herbal treatment. Most such individuals can usually maintain themselves quite well with graded exercises, while protecting their affected joints from overuse. Individuals with advanced osteoarthritis need more prolonged treatment, usually lasting about six to eight months. Even individuals with an advanced condition usually report reduction in pain within about two months of starting treatment. A complete course of six to eight months of treatment can significantly help even those individuals who have intractable pain and have been advised a complete joint replacement. Herbal treatment is especially useful for those individuals who cannot opt for costly surgical procedures. Once the affected individual obtains complete relief from pain, medicines can be gradually tapered over the next few months and then stopped completely.
Most individuals with advanced osteoarthritis are usually obese and have weakened bones. A balanced medical protocol needs to be advised for such patients so as to strengthen bones, reduce weight gradually, as well as treat badly damaged joints. Medicines also need to be given to strengthen muscles and tendons supporting the damaged joints, so as to bring about a maximum possible alignment of affected joints. Perseverance and patience works out well for patients affected with severe osteoarthritis, who can obtain complete relief from pain and disability while obviating the need for surgical options.
Ayurvedic herbal medicines thus have a significant role to play in the successful management and treatment of advanced osteoarthritis.
Source by Abdulmubeen Mundewadi
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