Arthritis is not a single disease. More than 100 conditions, each characterized by inflammation of one or more joints are considered forms of arthritis. Some may occur just once. Others recur. Some can be cured depending on the cause and stage. Others can certainly be controlled. Not one is fatal, but the extreme pain and difficulty in moving can prevent you from working and leading a normal life.

Modern medicine recognizes more then 100 types of rheumatic diseases. Causes are attributed to injury, infection, metabolic conditions or tumors. In many cases the cause remain unknown to western medicine. Some disorders are related to age, gender and climatic conditions (i.e., cold or dampness). Ayurveda, the traditional natural healing system of India is regarded as one of the most important systems of alternative medicines available and one that may hold the key to the future medicine of humanity. The system of mind - body medicine considers the physical, psychological and spiritual aspects of healing. It has a practical understanding of all aspects of our being from a cellular level to that of pure consciousness. The speciality of Ayurveda lies in the concept of disease and concept of complete cure. Ayurveda does not consider complete cure, only after disappearance of the main symptoms. This disappearance only shows that the joint action of the vitiated dosha and dooshyas or their amalgamation has been broken away. The internal causative factors are still to be treated and brought to normal if the disease process is to be completely abolished. The Panchakarma therapy is very important because it removes the root cause of the disease.

Symptoms

Obesity, excessive physical stress, climatic conditions or occupation. Here in the body’s immune system fights against itself and targets the joints. Eating incompatible food combinations and following incompatible lifestyle, lack of exercise or exercising after having fatty foods-or with poor digestion produces ama (undigested food toxins). Ama associated with vayu quickly moves to different seats of kapha in the body, filling them (and blood vessels) with waxy material. Thus ama associated with all three doshas blocks tissue pores and passage. This causes weakness and heaviness in the heart, which becomes the seat of the disease. Joints are simultaneously affected, casing stiffness and many other disorders. It can also be considered an autoimmune disorder.

Affected age group

Age is not a barrier here. Not only the elder citizens but also the infants, children, young adults and middle agers can be victims.