Relevance Of Ayurvedic Treatment And Herbs To Cure Gout

Herbs To Cure Gout

Gout is a form of inflammatory arthritis that results from an excess of uric acid in the blood. It shows sudden but severely painful attacks, swelling, redness, and tenderness in the thumbs and toes. Gout occurs when urate crystals accumulate in your joint, causing the inflammation and intense pain of a gout attack. Urate crystals can form when you have high levels of uric acid in your blood.

According to Ayurveda, Gout is called Vatarakta. It is caused by the vitiation of Vata dosha and Rakta (blood). In this disease, both Vata and Rakta vitiate each other and get settled in the inter-joint spaces causing redness and pain. Vatarakta has two stages. One is called Uttana and another stage is Gambeera. Vatarakta mainly affects Asthi Dhatu (Bone) and causes pain.

Symptoms Of Gout

Gout is caused when uric acid crystals get accumulated in the joints, leading to many painful symptoms. The symptoms generally occur suddenly at night. They include:

• Severe joint pains. .
• Swelling and redness in the affected joint.
• Lingering discomfort in the joints. .
• Limited range of motion in the feet or toes. .

The above-mentioned symptoms are related to gout. If it is not treated as early as possible more severe health issues will affect your body.

Causes Of Gout

Some of the most common causes of this inflammation include:

• High sugar diet.
• Excess alcohol consumption.
• High salt diet.
• Diet rich in purines.
• Kidney and liver disorders.
• Certain Medications. .
• Obesity and a sedentary lifestyle.

Ayurvedic Management Of Gout

Ayurveda aims to provide the best treatment to reduce complications associated with Gout. For managing Gout, Ayurveda suggests some of the treatment like:

A) Shodhana Therapy

This is also called purification Therapy. Through this procedure the aggravated Doshas from the body are expelled out, thereby eliminating the internal causative factors of the disease. Shodhana therapy removes toxins from the body and restores the equilibrium of Dosha. Shodhana therapy consists of a three-stage purification process as follows:

• Purva Karma

  It is the preparatory purification before the main purification. Purva karma consists of ingestion of medicated or herbal oils, massage therapy with oils, and hot baths or steam baths to induce sweating. All of the Purva karma methods are designed to stimulate the removal of harmful toxins from the body.

• Pradhana Karma

  Pradhāna-karma is a medical term used in Ayurveda meaning "principal therapeutic or surgical appliances". Pradhan karma under panchakarma therapy consists of five basic types of advanced treatment for the evacuation of vitiated Dosha (toxic materials) from the body. The five Panchakarma treatments are Vamana(emesis), Virechana(purgation), Basti (Medicated Enema), Nasya (Nasal Infusion), and Raktamokshan (Bloodletting). In Vata rakta the best Shodana karma is Basti karma.

• Paschat Karma

  The third stage of Panchakarma is Paschat karma. It is called post-rejuvenation therapy. i.e., the adoption of rehabilitative measures after the main treatment. It describes the measures employed after the main treatment, such as diet, medicines, and daily routine.

B) Lepana-Lepana

means the Application of herbal paste. In Lepana patients are massaged with specially designed herbal paste that aims at the origin of their pain and illness. This paste is applied only to the areas of the body that are experiencing the most pain and discomfort.

C) Abhyanga

Abhyanga (oil massage) is a form of Ayurvedic therapy that involves massage of the entire body from the head to the toe with Dosha -specific warm herb-infused oil. It is an effective treatment for Gout. It gives relief to the areas of discomfort and reduces swelling. Not only Ayurveda also recommends a combination of Ahar (healthy diet) and Vihar (lifestyle changes) to manage Gout effectively. These include:

Ahar (Diet Recommendations)

• Consume healthy foods like nuts, dairy, etc in the diet.
• Try to reduce weight through diet, because reducing the weight helps in reducing the burden on joints.
• Avoid carbonated drinks, packaged foods, and junk food.

Vihar (Lifestyle Changes)

• Try to follow Dinacharya, i.e. a systematic daily way of life should be followed.
• Activities that cause both mental and physical stress should be avoided.
• Avoid excessive exercise and physical activities.
• Never suppress your urges (Vegavidharan) to urinate, defecate, etc.

For managing gout, the main Ayurvedic treatment is Shodhana Therapy. Shodhana therapy consists of a three-stage purification process like Purva Karma Pradhan Karma and Paschats Karma. Lepana and Abhyanga are also helpful for the management of Gout. Ayurveda also recommends a combination of Ahar and Vihar to manage the Gout effectively.

Herbal Remedies For Gout

Below are some of the most important Ayurvedic herbs used for the treatment of Gout

• Ashwagandha

  Ashwagandha is an ancient medicinal herb with multiple health benefits. It is known to relieve inflammation and pain and has been used in the treatment of Gout.

• Turmeric

  Its most active chemical, curcumin, has potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. This may help ease gout-related inflammation and pain.

• Ginger

  Ginger has anti-inflammatory properties. So it reduces inflammation, swelling, and lowers the blood uric acid levels and confers respite to gout attacks. Take one inch of ginger, steep well in a cup of water for 5-10 minutes, and drink this powerful concoction regularly to get relieved from joint pain.

• Guduchi

  Guduchi is extensively used in treating gout as it reduces the uric acid levels in the body by actively flushing it through the kidneys and hence, preventing them from getting deposited in the synovial tissues.

• Shallaki

  Shallaki is an effective remedy to control the symptoms of Gout because of its Vata balancing nature and thus reduces the pain and improves the function of joints.

• Coriander

  Coriander can be effective in reducing joint pain and swelling. Coriander has anti-inflammatory properties that can relieve other complications by reducing uric acid. Coriander can also flush out toxins from the body by cleansing the liver. Many amazing antioxidants are found in green coriander, which can help in removing the free radicals of the body. .

• Parsley Leaves

  Parsley can be used as a tea, or as an herb to use in a salad. Regular consumption of parsley tea stimulates the elimination of uric acid buildups in the joints. So it is an effective remedy for Gout.

The Ayurvedic herbs that are very effective for the treatment of Gout are Ashwagandha, Parsley Leaves, Coriander, Shallaki, Guduchi, ginger, and turmeric.

Conclusion

All the information related to Gout is based on different Ayurvedic resources. Always prefer the advice of an Ayurvedic doctor before following an Ayurvedic diet, lifestyle changes, and herbs for treating Gout.