Joint pain can happen anytime throughout the year but it can really worse during the cold and dry winter months. Since winter is the time when Vata aggravates and leads to pains and aches, it becomes essential to take proper care of joints during the cold season.
It’s the most common problem or symptom found in almost every second person of middle age and above. Although joint pain can be a single symptom or associated symptom of some other disease like Arthritis, Bursitis, Diabetes, Dislocations, Ankylosing spondylitis, bone infections, Gout, etc.
The joint pain is felt more in winters with stiffness, swelling like conditions. In Ayurveda, it is mentioned that the connective tissues, ligaments, and bones are associated with Kapha dosha while the space between them is associated with Vata Dosha. The imbalanced Vata dosha affects the bones, ligaments which in turn causes joint pain.
Remedies for Joint Pain
There are several herbal and diet remedies that can help to relieve the joint pain, few of them are listed below:
- Turmeric and Dry Ginger decoction: Turmeric is the most common spice in India, contains curcumin that helps to reduce arthritis pain as it has anti-inflammatory properties. Ginger also has anti-inflammatory properties. Both together form a perfect duo to fight joint pain. Usage: Boil 2 cups of water with 1/2 tsp turmeric powder and 1/2 tsp dry ginger powder ( Saunth) each for 5 minutes. Strain it and consume the same twice in a day.
- Add Spices in food: Include spices in food such as black pepper, dry ginger powder, and long pepper powder. These spices have hot potency which helps in relieving joint stiffness.
- Triphala- Triphala contains three herbs Amalaki, Bibhitaki and Haritaki. It balances tridoshas. It contains calcium and other micronutrients that are useful for bone health. Take 1 tsp of Triphala Powder with warm water at night.
- Carom Seeds (Ajwain ) Water – Add 1 tbsp of Ajwain in 1 liter of water and boil it for 5-10 minutes, strain it and take the same throughout the day. Keep this water in a flask and consume it hot. It helps in reducing pain and swelling, as it has anti-inflammatory properties
- Massage with Sesame Oil – Light massage with Sesame oil followed by hot fomentation is very effective for relieving pain in osteoarthritis.
- Exercise Regularly: People with arthritis tend to be less active, due to the pain they feel stiffness in the body parts. However, exercise is very important for joint health and in the long run, can actually help prevent further damage to the knees & other joint areas in the body.
As the winters are approaching, now is the time to focus on your joints. With these simple tips, one can reduce pain and experience a more enjoyable season.
