AYUERVEDIC HOME REMEDIES

A Simple Remedy for Joint and Muscular Pains

Joint and muscular pains flare up during the winter season. Ayurveda has very
effective formulations to mitigate this pain.

Described below is the method of making 'Karpoorathi thailam' a famous remedy for
joint and muscular pains. This oil is applied on areas of pain and massaged gently.
For good results, a warm water bath 30 - 45 min after application of oil is
recommended.

Though it is available in market readymade, the home made one is more effective.
Now let's get down to the nitty-gritty of making the oil.

The ingredients are 1 kilogram of ajwain (Bishop's Weed), 1 litre of coconut oil
and 200 gm camphor.

800 gm of ajwain is powdered. This powdered ajwain is added to 6 litres of water

and boiled and reduced to 2 litres. This is called kashayam.

The remaining 200 gm of ajwain is then ground to a fine paste using water.

Take a wide bottomed pan and pour 1 litre coconut oil into it. Add the 2 litre
kashayam to this coconut oil. Now add the fine paste of ajwain. Heat the mix and
let it boil in simmering heat. Once you get a sort of sandy deposit at the base,
remove it from stove. Place 200 gm camphor in a steel vessel and pour the somewhat
hot oil into this vessel. Allow the oil to cool to room temperature. Now store this
oil in glass bottle.

Now the 'karpoorathi thailam' is ready. Apply it on painful joints and muscles and
massage gently as explained above.

Courtesy: Dr. Hareendran Nair, Jeevanam

Some Ayurvedic Home Remedies and Tips for Joint Pain in Winter
How to resolve osteoarthritis and rheumatic arthritis pain? This question bothers
the elderly especially during winter times. Dr. Hareendran Nair provides a simple
solution.

Jeevanam is an Ayurveda awareness program telecast in Kairali TV on Saturday

mornings. Dr Harindran Nair of Pankajakasthuri Herbals India Limited answers the
questions of viewers and also recounts his own experiences in treating various
ailments. He offers excellent ayurvedic home remedy tips both curative and
preventative, for many diseases. A very articulate individual, Dr Nair is well
known for his espousal of the Ayurvedic way of life. I view his program often and
can vouch for its usefulness.

In one of his episodes he talks about the aggravation of joint pains during the
winter season, especially among the elderly and suggests some excellent remedies.
He mentions that rheumatoid arthritis and arthritic pain in general can be lessened
to a great degree by following certain simple instructions.

He insists on intake of easily digestible food preferably vegetables. This will

help the digestive system to process the food easily. He advocates usage of carrot,
cucumber etc in plenty. He says that these vegetables have diuretic properties and
help eliminate waste products from our bodies. He also mentions frequent intake of
an ayurvedic drug yogaraja guggulu if needed.
Then he goes on to elaborate the role of honey and lemon in lessening the arthritic
pain. He came to know of this remedy from some of his friends and experimented on
it. He further refined it based on his own personal experience.

Two teaspoonful fresh plain lemon juice and one teaspoon of honey (preferably honey
obtained from small honeybees called cheruthen in malayalam) is added to one glass
of warm water and taken first thing in the morning and similarly on empty stomach
in the evening.

Another alternative is, two teaspoons of honey, one teaspoon cinnamon powder
(karuva) mixed together and taken once before bedtime.

You can follow any one of the two methods mentioned above.

Also, as an external application mix one teaspoon honey and one teaspoon cinnamon
powder to two teaspoons of water and prepare a thick paste. Apply a thin layer of
this on the inflamed painful areas.

Eat a piece of dry coconut everyday in the mornings.

Follow this regimen for 3 months for a noticeable reduction in joint pain. This can
be followed by people with diabetes also.

Thus osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis pains can be eased without side
effects.

Ayurvedic Home Remedies for Rheumatoid Arthritis and Osteoarthritis

The word arthritis means inflammation of the joints. It is, generally, a
chronic disease process.

Mostly arthritis occurs as osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.

Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease which usually occurs in the older

age-group.

Rheumatoid arthritis is a serious disease which affects not only the joints of the
fingers, wrists, hips, knees and feet, but also the muscles, tendons and other
tissues of the body.

Causes and Symptoms

The main symptoms of osteoarthritis are pain and stiffness in the joints. The pain
usually increases after movement. It usually develops gradually over several
months, with persistent pain and stiffness in one or more joints. Ultimately the
whole body is affected.
Given below are a few ayurvedic herbal and home remedies for Osteoarthritis and
Rheumatoid arthritis.

Potato Juice : The method of preparing potato juice is to cut a medium-sized potato
into thin slices, without peeling the skin, and place the slices overnight in a
large glass filled with cold water. The water should be drunk in the morning on an
empty stomach. Fresh juice can also be extracted from potatoes. A medium-sized
potato should be diluted with a cup of water and drunk first thing in the morning.

Other Raw Juices : One cup of green juice, extracted from any green leafy
vegetable, mixed in equal proportions with carrot, celery and red beet juices is
good for arthritis. The alkaline action of raw juices dissolves the accumulation of
deposits around the joints and in other tissues. A cup of fresh pineapple juice is
also valuable, as the enzyme bromelain in fresh pineapple juice reduces swelling
and inflammation in osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.

Garlic : Garlic is another effective remedy for arthritis. It contains an anti-

inflammatory property which accounts for its effectiveness in the treatment of this
disease. Garlic may be taken raw or cooked according to individual preference.

Castor oil : Treatment with castor oil has been found beneficial in arthritis. The
procedure, as prescribed by a Spanish doctor, is to boil two tablespoons of castor
oil over a stove burner. The oil should then be poured into a glass of fresh orange
juice and taken before breakfast daily till the disease is cured. This treatment is
believed to have been adopted by an American doctor, called Dr. Taylor, in 1990. He
advised his patients to take it for three weeks, wait for another three weeks and
then repeat it again for another three weeks. It is, however, essential that the
patient must take an alkaline diet while adopting this mode of treatment; otherwise
the value of the treatment will be lost.

Dietary Considerations : The diet of an arthritis patient should be planned so as

to produce alkalinity in the blood. It should include fruits and vegetables in the
form of salads, and, at least, two cooked vegetables. In server cases, it would be
advisable to put the patient on raw vegetables juice therapy three times a day, for
about a week. Repeated juice fasts are recommended at intervals of every two
months.

Some more herbal remedies for external use.

Juice of Nochi leaves (Vitex Negundo) applied externally on affected parts brings
down pain considerably.

Grind omam using water and make it into a thick paste. Heat the paste and then
apply a thick layer of the warm paste on affected parts before going to bed.

Pour one teaspoon of onion juice in mustard oil two teaspoons and apply on the
affected parts.

Mix camphor in pudhina (mint) juice and apply on affected parts.

Make a paste of dried ginger (chukku) and heat it. Apply the warm paste on affected
parts.

Disclaimer: All information provided in this is for historical and educational

purposes only; statements contained here are reported in an effort to preserve
traditional cultural lore and information. Nothing here should be construed as an
attempt to diagnose, prescribe, or recommend treatment for any disease or
condition. Please consult your physician for medical advice regarding any medical
condition and do not use any of the historical information on this site without
your physicians approval.