Ayurvedic treatment has been around for 5,000 years and originated in India. It seeks to prevent illness through total mind, body and spiritual wellness. Ayurvedic herbs and hatha yoga improve the physical symptoms of osteoarthritis, including pain. If you are considering ayurvedic treatment, consult with your doctor to weigh the pros and cons of the therapy.
History
According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, Ayurveda is a holistic approach to health that is designed to help people live long and well-balanced lives. The word Ayurveda comes from the Sanskrit words "ayus," meaning life, and "veda," meaning knowledge. The basic approach of Ayurveda is to treat and prevent illness by sustaining balance in the body and mind through diet, lifestyle and herbal remedies.
Ayurvedic Therapy
Ayurvedic beliefs state that each person has a certain energy and that everyone’s energy is different. These energy types are called doshas. When doshas are not in balance, it is believed to cause disease, including osteoarthritis. Ayurvedic herbs are prescribed to treat osteoarthritis and correct the imbalance. The herb combination for osteoarthritis is called Articulin-F. It is a blend of boswellia serrata, withania somnifera, curcuma longa and zinc. Ayurvedic therapy also involves exercise known as hatha yoga. Yoga is believed to promote good health and its poses offer postural improvement that may benefit people with osteoarthritis.
Evidence
The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center states that patients experienced positive benefits in a three month, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of 42 people with osteoarthritis. Subjects who were given Articulin-F reported significant improvements in pain and disability, compared to those who were given the placebo. In another double-blind study using RA-11, similar benefits of pain decrease were reported. RA-11 is another fixed combination of the same herbs, except that ginger replaces zinc.
Warnings
Many ayurvedic herbs have never undergone a proper safety evaluation, and those that have been assessed have not been proved harmless. Some ayurvedic formulas may contain toxic levels of lead, mercury and arsenic, according to the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Approximately one in five ayurvedic medicines produced in the United States and India contained measurable amounts of one of these metals. Consult with your doctor before beginning any ayurvedic treatment.
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