Osteoporosis and Osteo-arthritis; Treatments in Ayurveda - Part 3

(Part-3)

Property of coldness (Seetham) is common for Vaatha and Kapha. Hot property (Ushnam) stays with Pitha and that balances the coldness of the other two. Eventhough coldness stays with Kapha and Vaatha, there is a difference in between. Coldness of Kapha is an appetite for thermal energy like the greed of a miser to accumulate more and more money and do not spend at all. Coldness of Vaatha signifies the real emptiness of energy, like a pauper. Low heat or warmth, together with snigdha property pacifies Vaatha and strengthens Kapha; while heat associated by dryness do just the opposite. Here the heat also should be differentiated like excess heat promotes Vaatha and it is warmth, not real heat which is supporting Kapha. Thus, in principle, against the cold and dry tendencies of Vaatha, warm and oily applications are generally done in Ayurveda treatments. Since in Vaatha dominating conditions Kapha part stays weak, heat could be applied above the level of warmth, up to the level of maximum heat which can be tolerated.

Considering internal use, warm, wet (opposite to dehydrating)  and oily food is suggested. Dry, cold and light food are restricted. Lentles, roasted and fried food like popcorn, biscuits, chips, etc. are good examples. Chips and such fried items, eventhough hold oil within, considering the level of cooking, they are Vaatha promoting. Qualities like brittleness, roughness, etc are there signifying the Vaatha promoting nature. In degenerative diseases which are considered as Vaatha diseases initiated by Pitha disorder, enhancing digestion is also given emphasis. In such diseases, Agni in the intestines seems weak and that in the level of bodily materials (Dhathus) overact also. Heavy food is needed and to digest it, agni needs to be strengthened as well. Warm and mildly spiced food, soups, appetisers, digestives, etc. are thus suggested in this condition. Snehapaana (Ghee/oil taking in bulk quantities in daily increasing dozage), using ample quantities of oil in food, Nasyam (Brumhana kind or supporting accumulative tendency; not the usual cleansing kind), Snehavasthy (enema with medicated oils), oily laxatives to clear motion, etc are done based on this logic.

There are many kinds of external oil applications designed in Ayurveda considering the above mentioned logics which are proven highly effective in clinical practice. Some of the possible treatment procedures and their logics are mentioned below.

Sirodhara (with oil) and Sirovasthi:
    
This is a treatment in which a continuous stream of plain or medicated sesam oil is poured on the forehead from half an hour to one hour duration keeping the patient in lying position. Head is the centre of consciousness (Prajna) and the root cause of all diseases is distraction of consciousness (Prajnaaparaadha). Ahamkaaram or self consciousness leads to the feeling of separateness from nature and the world and that makes the individual get out of universal harmony. This distraction is the most basic cause of all diseases. Origin of all diseases also takes place in the psychic level because of the same fact. Sirodhaara is the application of oil which hold feminine qualities facilitating the cooling downward flow of energy.

It should be noted that the soumyam qualites in the psychic level are compromising and finding balance and unity within the external circumstances, while the opposites which promote Vaatha are going in fight with the external nature and promoting separateness and distraction. Dominance of heating upward energy thus starts in the conscious mind based on head. Sirodhara applies a gentle fall and flow of oil right there. It is calming down mind. Stress, anxiety, depression, aggression, greed, etc support the heating up side of metabolism and create space for diseases. Sirodhhara stimulates the other side. Another kind of intense oil application on head is Sirovasthi, where warm oil is kept on head making a cap around. In a milder way, keeping oil on the apex of head dipped in cotton is also done (Pichu).

Abhyanga and Pizhichil:

Oil massage for the whole body with gentle strokes is called abhyanga. Skin is explained as a Vaatha dominating part. Intestinal lining is converging in function, absorbing nutrition and liquids. Skin is its pair, with its excretory function, is generally diverging in nature and hence it is Vaatha dominating. This doesn't mean that skin is only diverging and intestines are converging. It just means that skin does very less absorption and intestinal lining makes very less expulsion. The effect of oil application on skin is somewhat like watering land. Land surface and Skin are in continuous contact with air which represent Vaayu element and their interaction induces Vaatha there.

Pizhichil is an intense kind of oil application where oil is streamed all over the body followed by very gentle massage. If abhyanga is like watering land, Pizhichil is simply like rain. The principle is same behind Sirodhara. Ancient physicians describe their clinical experiences like doing Pizhicil continuously for 24 and 48 hours even, in some cases like hemiplegia where 5 people teams worked in shifts!

Thailadhaara:

Streaming oil locally where there is pain signifying intensified Vaatha action is called Thailadhaara. Intense pain from fracture or adavanced stages of osteoarthritis, especially during night and in winter is dramatically getting relieved when warm medicated oil is gently streamed.

Thailavasthi:

Enema with medicated oil is named Thailavasthi. This is helping to balance vaatha very much since large intestine is directed as a vatha (Apaana) dominating region. Just like intestine and skin, mouth to stomach and stomach to large intestine also pair each other as converging and diverging partners respectively. And that makes oil application in large intestine highly relevant.

Calcium Supplements and Calcium Fixing Agents:

Like Hydrologic cycle maintaining water on earth in all its three states and maintain a dynamic equilibrium and interchange in between them, Calcium cycle also functions. Calcium carbonate exhibits the dense earthine form of calcium while Calcium oxide represents the light and loose form which is equivalent to the steam form of water. Both steam and calium oxide are created by the heating upward form of Agni. Hydration or cooling downward flow brings it back to the carbonate form again. Living beings and the bottom of the ocean thus forms carbonates. It is important here to note that it is calcium oxide helping the regeneration and strengthening of bones. This is just like the next stage of clouds is falling down as rain. From the peak point of the upward going side of any cyclic transformation, starts the downward coming part. Understanding this universal principle, calcium supplements adviced in Ayurveda are either burned egg shell or shells burned.

Another striking point relevant here is that any cyclic transformation presents a converging and diverging phase. Calcim also transfers back and forth from bottom of the oceans to mountains, living to nonliving sides of nature, dense and loose forms, hydrated and dehydrated forms. In an egg shell, calcium stays in the periphery. When it is hatching, bones are getting formed inside and the shell is getting thinner, indicating an inward flow of calcium. In Osteo porosis, the flow is in the reverse direction. Similar to eggs, shells also hold calcium in the periphery. When they are burned and again hydrated, there must be a tendency arising to go deep inward, in to the bones, like in the hatching egg.
In Ayurveda, calcium is neither given alone, nor in big dozes as suggested by modern medicine. Vaatha pacifying (kapha promoting) and calcium fixing herbal ingredients are always associating calcium supplements.

Conclusion:

Ayurveda is a holistic medical system. Learning, understanding, teaching, researching and practicing Ayurveda certainly demands awareness in its philosophical and spiritual foundations. Meanings of whatever said in Ayurveda will then appear clear, revealing all dimensions and giving comprehensive vision. All knowledge is alligned around the central philosophical and spiritual truth. Ignoring this central focus means the loss of this alignment which makes pieces of facts and observations staying in disorder and separated, not matching with each other. In reverse, when you locate the centre, all bits of information align around it perfectly. Ayurveda understands Osteoporosis and Osteoarthritis in their holistic dimensions and offers treatments also accordingly. Excellent results simply accredit this.


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© Dr. Sajan Kumar. S 2012



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