Rheumatoid Arthritis is a chronic inflammatory disease in which there is destruction of the joints and the surrounding tissues resulting in deformities. Arthritis causes the inflammation in the lining of the joints or other internal organs. Patients experience inflammation of the membrane lining the joint, which causes pain, stiffness, warmth, redness and swelling. The inflamed joint lining may also damage bones and cartilage. Joints may also lose shape and alignment, causing pain and impairment of movement.

Symptoms
• Inflammation of joints
• Swelling
• Difficulty and pain in movement
• Loss of appetite
• Fever
• Loss of energy
• Anaemia
• Rheumatoid nodules

Ayurvedic View of Arthritis
Arthritis, known as Amavata in Ayurveda, is a chronic condition involving loss of mobility and enduring pain of the joints with some swelling of the synovial joints.

Ama is a kind of toxin that is generated when the body is not able to digest food properly. These toxins are then carried throughout the body by Vata (Ayurvedic humour representing Air) and get deposited at various places, primarily joints, which is the seat of Kapha (Ayurvedic humour representing Water). Gradually, as the Vata gets aggravated, all the joints get affected, resulting in severe pain and swelling. When Pitta (Ayurvedic humour representing Fire) also gets aggravated, it causes burning sensation around the joints. In essence, any or all three doshas can be the cause of Arthritis.

Causes
Arthritis is an autoimmune disease, in which the immune system attacks healthy joint tissues and causes inflammation and damage. Heredity is believed to play a part, although other genetic factors also affect the propensity to suffer from the disease.

The primary causes, according to Ayurveda, include the following:
• Indulgence in incompatible foods and habits
• Having food at improper times, causing poor digestion which creates undigested toxins or Ama
• Vitiation of Vata due to consumption of dry, cold or stale food
• Excessive intake of milk and milk products, especially yogurt
• Irregular sleeping habits
• Suppression of natural urges
• Exposure to severe cold and dry weather
• Psychological factors such as stress and depression cause aggravation of Vata. Conclusively, stress can trigger the disease.
• Local degeneration of the cartilages due to ageing, excessive strain on the joint, or any kind of injury to the joint

Treatment
Even though the symptoms of Amavata are comparable with those of Rheumatoid Arthritis, the Ayurvedic line of treatment is slightly different that than followed by allopathic medication. It involves the diagnosis and treatment of the three doshas, along with repairing of tissues, clearing blockage from body channels, and enhancing the digestive fire. The main objective is to treat the root causative factor as well as the symptoms. Because emotional stress also plays an important role in causing this disease, rest – both emotional and physical - is considered as one of the most essential treatment factors.

Recommended Diet
What to Take:
• Barley flour
• Horse gram, Split green gram
• Whole meal bread and cereals
• Vegetables like Squash, Bitter Gourd, Pumpkin
• Steamed or boiled vegetables
• Cumin Seeds, Dried Ginger Powder, Garlic

What Not to Take:
• Fish and milk together
• Oily, fatty foods
• White flour
• Dairy products
• Sugar products
• Citrus fruits

Some Home Remedies:
• Mix powdered long pepper, black pepper, and dried ginger root in equal quantities. Take 1 teaspoon of the powder with lukewarm water twice a day.
• Dry fomentation (application of dry heat) using sand is very helpful for reducing pain and swelling. Take a four-folded cloth, fill with hot sand, and make a bundle of it. Place the bundle on the painful joints.
• Take 2 tablespoons each of long pepper powder (pippali), piper root powder (pippalimool), Java long pepper (chavya), and dried ginger root powder (shunthi). Boil this in 1 gallon (or 4 liters) of water (or milk) until only half of the liquid remains. Strain and drink this liquid whenever you feel thirsty.

Arthritis is a chronic condition, alright. But then, there’s no reason for you to think that there’s nothing you can really do about it. You should at least work on making your life better using Ayurvedic treatment and products.

Article Summary
Arthritis, known as Amavata in Ayurveda, is a chronic condition involving loss of mobility and enduring pain of the joints with some swelling of the synovial joints. Ayurvedic treatment of this disease involves the diagnosis and treatment of the three doshas, along with repairing of tissues, clearing blockage from body channels, and enhancing the digestive fire. The main objective is to treat the root causative factor as well as the symptoms using Ayurvedic products and medicines.