Joint pain is included under musculoskeletal diseases. In musculoskeletal diseases, pain is associated with bone, muscle, nerves, tendons, and ligaments.
- SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF JOINT PAIN
- CAUSES OF JOINT PAIN
- PATHOPHYSIOLOGY OF JOINT PAIN
- DIAGNOSIS OF JOINT PAIN
- TREATMENTS FOR JOINT PAIN
- PROGNOSIS OF JOINT PAIN
- COMPLICATIONS OF JOINT PAIN
- JOINT PAIN AND AYURVEDA
- NIDANA- AYURVEDIC CAUSES OF JOINT PAIN
- PURVAROOPAM- AYURVEDIC PREMONITORY SYMPTOMS OF JOINT PAIN
- SAMPRAPTI – AYURVEDIC PATHOGENESIS OF JOINT PAIN
- LAKSHANA- AYURVEDIC SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF JOINT PAIN
- AYURVEDIC PROGNOSIS OF JOINT PAIN
- CHIKITSA- AYURVEDIC TREATMENT FOR JOINT PAIN
- AYURVEDIC LOCAL TREATMENT FOR JOINT PAIN
- AYURVEDIC SAMANA TREATMENT FOR JOINT PAIN
- AYURVEDIC SHODHANA TREATMENT FOR JOINT PAIN
- COMMONLY USED AYURVEDIC MEDICINES FOR JOINT PAIN
- HOME REMEDIES FOR JOINT PAIN
- DIET AND BEHAVIOUR FOR JOINT PAIN
- YOGA FOR JOINT PAIN
- RESEARCH PAPERS OF AYURVEDIC MANAGEMENT OF JOINT PAIN
SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF JOINT PAIN
- Pain varies from a dull constant ache to a sudden sharp feeling.
- Pain manifested in and around the joints.
- Pain may radiate towards the muscles.
- Pain aggravated during body movement.
CAUSES OF JOINT PAIN
- Mechanical causes
- Inflammatory joint diseases
- Injuries
- Osteoporosis
- Osteomyelitis
- Fractures
- Dislocation
- Degenerative arthritis
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Mineral deficiency
- Deficiency of vitamin D
- Infections
- Fever
PATHOPHYSIOLOGY OF JOINT PAIN
- In the case of infections, the immune system sends white blood cells to fight off the infection, leads to inflammation, which causes joint pain.
- Stimulation of specialized pain-sensitive nerve fibres (nociceptors) that innervate bone tissue leads to the sensation of bone and joint pain.
- Bone pain originates from both the periosteum and the bone marrow which relay nociceptive signals to the brain creating the sensation of pain. Bone tissue is innervated by both myelinated (A beta and A delta fiber) and unmyelinated (C fiber) sensory neurons.
- In combination, they can provide an initial burst of pain, initiated by the faster-myelinated fibers, followed by a slower and longer-lasting dull pain initiated by unmyelinated fibers.
- In referred body pain, increased excitation of the spinal cord occurs. Muscular spasm is mostly secondary to a painful lesion in another muscle or joint.
DIAGNOSIS OF JOINT PAIN
- EXAMINATIONS
- Inspection
- Palpation
- Movements – Flexion, Extension, forward bending, Lateral bending
- INVESTIGATIONS
- X – rays
- MRI
- CT Scan
- Laboratory tests – to find out the underlying pathology
TREATMENTS FOR JOINT PAIN
- Medications – Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, Analgesics
- Treatment of underlying pathology
- Physiotherapy
- In the case of nutrient deficiency, calcium and vitamin D supply.
- Radiotherapy
- In few cases may require surgery
PROGNOSIS OF JOINT PAIN
- Prognosis is based on the cause of the disease, duration and condition of the patient
COMPLICATIONS OF JOINT PAIN
- Stiffened joint
- Permanent damage of joint
- Unable to do any movement
JOINT PAIN AND AYURVEDA
- In Ayurveda, joint pain falls under Vatavyadhi or a Vata dosha imbalance disorder.
- Vata vyadhi can be correlated to neurological or neuromuscular disorders. The causes and pathogenesis of diseases caused by vitiation of Vata dosha, in general, are the exclusive cause and pathogenesis ofpain, numbness, weakness.
- Vata dosha and asthi dhatu are involved.
NIDANA- AYURVEDIC CAUSES OF JOINT PAIN
- Excess consumption of ununctuous, cold food
- Excessive physical exercise.
- Suppression of natural urges.
- Trauma
- Injuries
- Asthi dhatu kashaya – degeneration of bone tissue
PURVAROOPAM- AYURVEDIC PREMONITORY SYMPTOMS OF JOINT PAIN
- Dull intermittent pain in the joints
SAMPRAPTI – AYURVEDIC PATHOGENESIS OF JOINT PAIN
- Vata, pitta and kapha dosha move through all channels of circulation. Due to the subtle nature of vata it impels the remaining two doshas.
- The aggravated vata having provoked these two doshas, exacerbated and fills up the empty channels and moves greatly inside them or by getting enveloped by the other doshas.
- The aggravated vata resides in the joints and produces different kinds of aches and pains.
LAKSHANA- AYURVEDIC SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF JOINT PAIN
- Toda – aching pain
- Ruk – Pain on the joints
- Redness on joints
- Pain aggravates on movement
- Sopha – oedema
- Sada – weakness
AYURVEDIC PROGNOSIS OF JOINT PAIN
- Pain associated with traumatic injuries is difficult to cure – krichra sadhya
CHIKITSA- AYURVEDIC TREATMENT FOR JOINT PAIN
Ayurvedic local treatment for joint pain
- Svedam – Fermentation
- Pain-relieving lepa application
- Abhyanga – oil massaging
AYURVEDIC SAMANA TREATMENT FOR JOINT PAIN
- Dasamoolarishtam
- Maharasnadi kashayam
- Dhanwantharam ghritam
- Rasna panchakam kashayam
- Rasnasaptakam kashayam
- Rasaraj ras
- Laksha guggulu
- Trayodasanga guggulu
- Mahayogaraja guggulu
AYURVEDIC SHODHANA TREATMENT FOR JOINT PAIN
- VASTHI- Erandamooladi yapana vasthi
- SNEHAVIRECHANAM-Eranda tailam
- NASYA-Ksheerabala
COMMONLY USED AYURVEDIC MEDICINES FOR JOINT PAIN
Internal administration
- Dasamoolarishtam
- Rasnerandadi kashayam
- Rasna panchakam kashayam
- Rasna saptakam kashayam
- Rasaraj ras
- Laksha guggulu
- Trayodasanga guggulu
- Mahayogaraja guggulu
- Dhanwantharam ghrita
External application
- Snehadhara – with balaswagandha tailam and ksheerabala tailam
- Shashtika Sali panda sweda
HOME REMEDIES FOR JOINT PAIN
- Proper rest
- Heat application on the affected area by a towel dipped with hot water
- Massage the painful area for 15 minutes ( NOT too much pressure )
- Drinking plenty of fluids
- Bathing in warm water
- Body massaging
DIET AND BEHAVIOUR FOR JOINT PAIN
- Avoid food items which produce vata dosha imbalance like cold and dry food, hard to digest. Because vata imbalance aggravates the symptoms.
- Consume easily digestible food items, cow’s milk
- Avoid heavy exercises which further aggravate the conditions.
- Oil massage on the whole body advised. This alleviates vata dosha.
- Take proper rest.
YOGA FOR JOINT PAIN
- Nadi Shuddi Pranayam – calms the mind and gets relief from aches and pains
The patient needs to be seated in a meditative posture with the head and spine erect, with the body relaxed. The patient has to close his one nostril (e.g. left nostril if using the right hand and vice versa) with the thumb and exhale completely through the other nostril. Again, he will have to breathe in deeply through the other nostril while the opposite nostril is still closed with the thumb.
- Savasana – relaxes body and mind
RESEARCH PAPERS OF AYURVEDIC MANAGEMENT OF JOINT PAIN
- Multimodal Ayurvedic management for Sandhigatavata(Osteoarthritis of knee joints)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3764880/