WHAT IS KNEE PAIN

Pain in the knee joint is a common complaint associated with conditions like arthritis, trauma, obesity, meniscal tears etc. The pain may be associated with swelling, redness, stiffness and restriction of movements of the joint depending upon the underlying pathology. The management differs depending upon the cause of pain. CFAAR provides the best ayurvedic treatment for knee pain in India.

CAUSES OF KNEE PAIN

Injuries that affect the bones, cartilages and ligaments of joint and also those injuries affecting the structures surrounding the knee joint like ligaments, tendons, bursae and muscles.

Medical conditions like osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, gout, infections etc

Overweight

HOW TO DIAGNOSE KNEE PAIN

The cause of knee pain is diagnosed by:

Physical examination

Blood tests

X ray

MRI, CT scanning

WHAT AYURVEDA SAYS ABOUT KNEE PAIN

Knee pain is called as Jaanu shoola as per Ayurveda and is primarily due to aggravation of Vaatha. The condition is quite serious since jaanu is one of the vital points of body called as marma. The protocol of management differs as per the underlying cause of the disease.

Management of degenerative changes in Knee joint

Reducing the underlying inflammation and acute pain is the initial step of management. Then measures to enhance the ease of mobility of the joint are performed. Various internal medications and external therapies are done to attain this.

Internal medications include a wide variety of formulations like decoctions, powders, ghee, confections, pills etc prepared from herbal, animal origin as well as mineral origin products. They are subjected to specific processing techniques to make them therapeutically useful and assimilative to the body.

External therapies include the following:

Application of medicinal paste over the joint for a duration of 30 to 45 minutes (pichu)

Application of medicated oil to the area and steaming (abhyanga and ooshmasweda)

Pouring of medicated oil or liquid to the area for a fixed duration with light massage (dhaara, seka)

Bandage of the joint with specific medicinal paste or oil as per the requirement of the condition

Cleansing therapies called as Panchakarma are done to obtain a consistent relief

Management of traumatic conditions and meniscal tear

Here, the healing of injury is given prime importance and hence medicines that promote repair of tissues and are nourishing are selected here.

Steaming the area with vapours of milk is an effective procedure here (ksheera dhooma).

Bandages with specific medicines are also highly effective

Once the repair has been complete, small exercises to restore joint mobility is preferred

Weight reduction is ideal in obese patients since Knee joint is a prime weight bearing joint. Dietary regulations, yoga and exercises are to be practiced here.

Generally avoidance of excessively cold and excessively dry foods is advised. Hospitalization and regular follow up will bring a promising relief in chronic conditions.