How to take care of Muscle Pain and Soreness with Ayurveda?
What is Muscle and Joint Pain?
Various factors lead to joint pain; in some cases, the pain diminishes or goes away with rest. However, joint pain due to Arthritis could be severe and debilitating.
The medical term for muscular pain is Myalgia and it involves muscles, ligaments, tendons, and the fascia. Myalgia is a pretty common ailment and most people experience it at some time or the other. Muscle tissues are located all over the body; hence muscle pain could occur anywhere. Along with strain, overuse, injury, or damage, muscle pain could also occur because of certain viral infections or diseases. While muscle aches could be managed at home, joint pain mostly needs medical help. Age-related muscle pain needs to be taken seriously to avoid permanent damage to joints.
A few parallelly experienced indications are
- Mild, moderate, or severe pain in the joint or the surrounding area
- Swelling, redness, and a rise in skin temperature on and/or around the affected area
- Tenderness at and/or around the affected area
- Stiffness and difficulty in movement or motion
- Fever in some cases
Why Do I Feel Pain in My Muscles and Joints?
A strain of any kind in the muscles leads to muscle pain. Physical injuries or trauma or even excessive physical activity can strain the muscles, and this leads to pain. Exercising without warming up first by way of stretching, too, can cause muscle aches. Other reasons could be:
- Fibromyalgia
- Viral and/or bacterial infections
- Autoimmune diseases
- Side-effects of certain medications
- Low potassium levels or electrolyte imbalances etc.
- Myofascial pain syndrome which involves inflammation of the connective tissues
- Conditions like Osteoporosis, Gout, Frozen shoulder, Tennis Elbow, and Achilles tendonitis
- Arthritis
Arthritis is the most observed cause of joint and muscle pain, and it comes in various forms. The two most common ones are Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis. Osteoarthritis refers to a lack of lubrication and breaking down of the cartilage, whose function is that of a shock absorber. This affects the movement of the joints and leads to pain. Osteoarthritis is mostly observed in the 40-plus age group and the wrists, knees, and hips are known to be affected.
Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disorder that occurs when the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks its own joint lining membrane, affecting lubrication and causing inflammation and pain. RA is mostly seen to affect the knee joint.
How Can The Healers help with Joint and Muscle Aches?
The Healers’ Clinic is a holistic and integrative healthcare facility where traditional forms of healing blend with the modern.
Ayur-Physio, a unique offering of The Healers’ muscle pain treatment Dubai is a blend of Ayurveda and Physiotherapy. It is known to help in pain management and addresses chronic pain, core strengthening, and rehabilitation by way of assisted stretching, Ayurveda therapies, and Yoga. It is successful in treating back and neck pain, sports or repetitive injuries, arthritis, gait or posture correction, neurological and musculoskeletal disorders, as well as chronic conditions of the nerves, muscles, and joints.
Here are a few of its other benefits:
- Facilitates detox
- Helps in the prevention of disorders
- Balances the hormones
- Improves digestion
- Enhances vigor and vitality
- Changes in Lifestyle to Help Manage Joint and Muscle Pain
Ayurveda believes in and promotes the prevention and management of ailments via small but important modifications in diet and lifestyle. Along with massage of the affected area with medicated oils and Abhyanga, slight modifications in diet and lifestyle would go a long way in ensuring sound health.
A few suggested modifications:
- Physical activity is known to reduce stiffness and walking is a great way to improve mobility. Please remember to take this up only after proper orientation, as too much may result in the worsening of the condition.
- Calcium and Vitamin D are essentials for good health; hence consumption of foods rich in these is suggested.
- Yoga assists in pain management and strengthens the bones and joints.
- ‘Surya Namaskar’ or the ‘Sun Salutation’ exercise is recommended. Typically, this is done at sunrise and is known to improve joint mobility.
- Panchakarma is known to facilitate the removal of toxins from the body and help in rejuvenation.
- Meditation helps calm the mind and manage stress, thereby acting as an obstacle to joint pain.
- Adding turmeric, ginger, and cinnamon to a meal or consuming water infused with these can help reduce toxins and improve digestion. Water infused with these can help reduce toxins and improve digestion.