Osteoarthritis Development and 4 Stages - Ayurvedic Treatment

Osteoarthritis Development


How does a Normal Joint develop Osteoarthritic Changes?

In the last unit of Email training about Osteoarthritis, you knew about Osteoarthritis, its symptoms and how prevalent it is.


Now, you will know about what kind of degenerative changes start in a normal joint and how it starts to turn into Osteoarthritis. This insight will help you to take care of it with Ayurvedic herbs, home remedies and exercise.

The Normal and Healthy Joint

First, it is important to understand structure of healthy joint. Each Synovial Joint is made up of following structures…


  1. Two more more bones meeting in one place.
  2. The bony ends are made up of slippery cartilage tissue.
  3. Both bony ends are bathing in synovial fluid – a lubricating fluid and are covered with joint capsule.
  4. Surrounding structure like muscles, tendons, ligaments and bursa surround a joint.


A Healthy joint means that..


  1. Bones are in good condition, have adequate calcium and protein.
  2. Bony cartilage is intact and in healthy condition.
  3. Synovial Fluid is in sufficient quantity.
  4. Space between cartilage of two bones is adequate.
  5. Joint capsule and surrounding structures are in healthy condition.


Joint is a living part of body. All of its components – bones, cartilages, synovial membrane, synovial fluid and surrounding structures are constantly reprocessed – as all other living structures.


Ayurveda and Osteoarthritis – Changes occurring in Sandhi-Vata:


We usually tell this to all persons who come to us for Ayurvedic Treatment of Osteoarthritis and Sandhivata.  Sandhivata is not a disorder that develops over few days or weeks. It takes its own time even if some people come under its grip earlier while others might manage to escape from it in older days.


These are the 4 stages of Osteoarthritis where its diagnosis is doubtful to certain. 


First Stage of Osteoarthritis: General wear and tear starts in joints associated with nutritional deficiency in calcium and protein components of joints and bones. Here, people start to feel stiffness, some pain and discomfort. Flexibility and movements start to suffer or become compromised.


Second Stage of Osteoarthritis: Wear and Tear of actual Joint cartilage starts leading to ‘actual Osteoarthritis’. It is accompanied with diminished joint space and synovial fluid.


Third Stage of Osteoarthritis: The second stage is further advanced and distinctly diminished synovial fluid and joint space is visible even in Xrays.


Fourth Stage of Osteoarthritis: Joint cartilage is severely destroyed and bony spurs or spikes or protuberances come out of bones underlying the cartilage. Then, Osteoarthritis becomes quite painful, restricting movements. Surrounding structures of joints do swell and become painful.


These stages are discernible in simple X-Raysfilms.

sYMPTOMS OF OSTEOARTHRITIS

sTAGE 1

sTAGE 2

sTAGE 3

sTAGE 4

Stiffness

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Pain

Mild or No

Mild

Yes, Quite

Yes

Swelling in Surrounding Structures

No

Mild or No

Yes

Yes

Pain on Touch or Tenderness

No

No

Yes

Yes

Bones Rubbing or Scrapping Each other

No

No

Yes

Yes

Extreme Pain on Running, Climbing

No

No

Yes

Very Much

Ayurvedic Subdoshas (Functional Humors) Responsible for Joints Health and Osteoarthritis:


Ayurveda considers ‘Vata Dosha’ as responsible for all movements, pressure forces and impulses.


  1. Prana Vata signifies general vitality of body.
  2. Vyana Vata represents circulation of nutrients and waste metabolites.
  3. Apana Vata stands for cleansing process in body.


Kapha Dosha provides the structural integrity and functional strength to joints.


  1. Avalambaka Kapha gives general supportive energy to whole body, including joints, spine and other weight bearing structures.
  2. Shleshaka Kapha is related with structural and functional integrity of joint structures.
  3. Tarpaka Kapha signifies health of bone marrow and nervous tissue.


Ayurveda and Osteo-Arthritis or Sandhivata:


The understanding of modern medicine and Ayurveda is similar when considering the Osteoarthritis. They diverge on the point of treatment and management of this disorder.


Ayurveda considered Osteoarthritis as a Vata disorder or degenerative disorder. Human lifecyle is divided into three parts – childhood and growing age, youth and middle age, maturity and old age. The last of three phases is Vata stage. Medicine also consider Osteoarthritis as Aging related, Wear and Tear caused Arthritis.


What Causes Sandhivata or Osteoarthritis According to Ayurveda?


As mentioned earlier, Sandhivata is a Vata disorder or degenerative disorder related with aging. It affects most people in their older days. Men are more susceptible before 45 years of age and women suffer more after 55 years of age. Some factors increase the progression or chance of Osteoarthritis…


  1. Poor Nutrition
  2. Injuries in joints
  3. Sedentary Lifestyle, Lack of flexibility exercises
  4. Obesity, Diabetes, Hypertension
  5. Vata aggravating diet, herbs and lifestyle


Key Insight about Osteoarthritis Ayurvedic Treatment:


You could easily see that this condition becomes worse with passage of time. If you have any of the symptoms that relate with Joints pain or Osteoarthritis, it is always best to start with Ayurvedic treatment.


As time passes by and this condition becomes worse, the duration of treatment is longer and response is also poor.


The duration, response and efficacy of Ayurvedic treatment of Osteoarthritis depends upon the stage of Osteoarthritis, the general health of the person and nutrition status and age.

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Real Case Study of Osteoarthritis

Mr. Dayal Singh was 90+ when one of my friend and Chartered Accountant and grandson of Mr. Singh told me about him in 2012. To further complicate the case, he was also on medical drugs.


I was reluctant initially considering his age as mostly it is advanced Osteoarthritis at this age. 


Finally, I sent him Ayurvedic herbs for Osteoarthritis. In just 2-3 months, he let off of the medical drugs and he responded very very well.


This is one of the few great case studies that I have with people of over 90+. I attribute and share this success with Mr. Singh as well as he lived entire life in a village and had good general health otherwise and had been exposed to sunlight and natural milk and yogurt and managed to move. 


As of now, 2019, he is alive and healthy and enjoying life and blessing.

About Next Unit:


In the next training session, you will learn about...


  1. Ayurvedic Treatment plan for Osteoarthritis adopted by Dr. Vikram Aditya Tomar
  2. How everything fits in generating a synergistic approach


This will help you to understand the landscape of Ayurvedic treatment and holistic management of Osteoarthritis.

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