Ayurveda is used widely to treat Arthritis. According to the Ayurveda, arthritis is caused due to an excess of ama and lack of agni. The reason for this is nothing but poor digestion and a weakened colon. This results in the accumulation of undigested food and also building up of waste matter. Poor digestion in the system allows toxins to accumulate in the body. Along with this the problems with the colon let the toxins to reach the joints.

Therefore, the only way to treat arthritis is by stimulating the digestive fire which is the agni and to reduce the ama.

Ayurveda identifies and distinguishes three categories of arthritis. These categories are corresponding to vata, pitta, and kapha. For treating this condition properly, it is crucial to carefully diagnose which type of arthritis you have.

There are three types of Arthritis according to Ayurveda. These include:

- Vata
- Pitta
- Kapha

Vata

If arthritis is due to vata in your body, your joints will crack and pop. The joint then become dry. they are not swollen if excess vata is not the cause for arthritis.

Pitta

The arthritis which is caused due to Pitta is characterized by inflammation. The joint becomes swollen. The joint also becomes painful even without having any kind of movement. The knee looks red and feels hot to the touch.

Kapha

In kapha-type arthritis, the joint tends to become stiff and swollen. The joint also feels cold and clammy rather than being hot. A little movement in the joint tends to increase the pain than reducing it.

General Treatment of Arthritis

Depending on an individual's lifestyle, his diet, and his emotional pattern, either vata, pitta, or kapha goes out of balance and this can lead to arthritis. After that, a particular dosha slows down agni which is the digestive fire. This results in the toxic, sticky by-product of insufficient digestion and this is known as ama.

Vata is the main active dosha. Vata brings the ama into the colon. After that, from there it travels through the system. Vata then gets in the bone tissue and in the joints. This gives rise to the stiffness and pain characteristic of arthritis.

Ayurveda tries to remove the ama from the joint. It also mainly attempts to bring it back to the colon and later eliminating it. For being able to do this, we need to keep the colon clean and the best way to determine the kind of arthritis. Once you determine that, you can start remedies which are recommended for the specific type of arthritis. If you do not know which kind of arthritis it is, whether vata, pitta, or kapha arthritis, you can safely take 1 teaspoon of triphala at night. You can take that along with 1/2 to 1 cup warm water.

If you kind of get to know which kind of arthritis it is, you can follow this. Along with 1/2 to 1 teaspoon with warm water, use the following for treatment:

Use Haritaki for vata-type arthritis Use Amalaki for pitta-type arthritis Use Bibbitaki for kapha-type arthritis

Ayurveda suggest general techniques to increase the intensity of the digestive fire which is agni. This is done to burn up the toxins which are posing threat to the body.

Natural Solution: Arthcare Oil - An Anti-inflammatory Herbal massage oil.

Arthcare is an anti-inflammatory herbal oil which not only gives a relief from joint pains but also strengthens the bone tissues, the skeletal and the neuromuscular systems, giving a comfortable movements of joints and muscles.

You can follow some diets, any of the below and start getting treated for arthritis

You can use selected foods and herbs

You can use detoxification diet

Normally, a three- to five-day detoxification diet is prescribed to people having this kind of problem. You can have plenty of vegetables, juices, spices and herbs. These are usually taken during the fast. This food habit lasts till the body shows signs that the digestive fire is really burning strong. Also importantly, these signs include a return of the appetite. These signs also create a feeling of lightness apart from creating a feeling of giving a clear coating to the tongue.

Use of Enemas/ Cleaning Colon

There are enemas and other means of cleaning the colon. These are used very often to help detoxification in the body.

Gemstone Therapy

Use of Ruby, garnet or other "hot" gems which are set in gold are also used for all three kinds of arthritis.

Also there is a use of herbal, medicinal or essential oils to treat arthritis.

Several oils could be applied to the skin. These oils help the body clear toxins. They also help you relieve pain and restore mobility in your legs.

There is an oil names Mahanarayan oil. This oil helps in improving flexibility, stiffness, and muscle fatigue. This oil also removes pain. The oil is mixed with sesame oil and applied to the places where there is pain. This oil also breaks up the blockages. After the oil application, you can take warm heat, yoga, and bath. You can also take a mild exercise as this can further improves this situation.

Narayan oil is another good oil if you have muscle and joint pain. This can also be used for lower body circulation apart from being used for reversing imbalances caused by aging.

Avipattikar churna is used to ingest for rheumatism.

Heat Therapy

In this kind of treatment, the patient will be asked to sit in a sauna. He may also be told to have steam applied directly to the affected areas.

Use of herbs, spices and bitters

There are various herbs, spices and bitters which are being used in Ayurveda. These herbs are often applied externally or they are ingested inside the body. These methods of treatment are believed to cleanse the body. They also do a great deal to relieve pain and stiffness. Some herbs which are used include Mint, ephedra, golden seal, gentian, nirgundi, eucalyptus leaves. Apart from that herbs like prasarini, quassia, coptis, scute, phellodendrom, aloe, guggul, du huo, ligusticum, Siberian ginseng, myrrh, and yucca are also used.

Using all the above methods of treatment, one can successfully treat arthritis. In most cases, the oil used tends to be every effective especially for people in the older age who will not be able to take specific kind of treatments like yoga or exercise to treat arthritis.