What is Arthritis?

Arthritis is the inflammation of joints. The word arthritis is used for any disorder that affects the joints, tissues surrounding joints and connective tissues. Joints are the places where your bones connect such as your knees, hips, wrists, or fingers. Arthritis can affect one or more one joints. There are more than 100 types of arthritis and all have different causes and different treatments. The main focus of the treatment of arthritis is to reduce the symptoms and enhance the quality of life.

The most common types of arthritis are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. In Osteoarthritis the cartilage( hard and slippery tissue) gets breaks down. Cartilage covers the ends of bones where they form a joint.

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disorder that targets the lining of joints (synovium).

Arthritis usually affects people above 60 years of age but it can affect people of all ages. It is more common in overweight people and women.

Causes of Arthritis

There are many factors that can cause arthritis in a person, there can be different causes for different types of arthritis. Some common causes of arthritis are:

Injuries hereditary/Inheritance Infections Reduction in cartilage tissue. Abnormal immune system Weak metabolism Diet and nutrition can cause gout arthritis.

Risk Factors of Arthritis

Gender- arthritis is more common in females. Age- older people are at more risk of arthritis than the younger generation. Overweight- excess weight increases pressure on the knees which develops into arthritis. Occupation- jobs that require frequent movement of legs are linked with arthritis. Genes- people with certain genes are at more risk of arthritis. Smoking and high blood pressure have also been linked with arthritis in some studies.

Symptoms of Arthritis

Symptoms of arthritis develop gradually in a person but in some cases, sudden onset of symptoms can be observed. Most common symptoms of arthritis are:

Pain in the joints Stiffness in the joints Decreases range of motion Tenderness Swelling of the affected joints and the surrounding area. Redness of the skin around the affected joint. Weakness Loss of appetite Decreased amount of red blood cells Weight loss Poor sleep Unable to use hands and legs more the movement. Muscle aches Muscle weakness Loss of flexibility Aching around the joints Fatigue

In some cases, the body becomes very stiff and doesn’t move an inch. All the symptoms of arthritis disturb the normal life of a person to a large extent, in some cases, the social life of the patient completely disappears due to the pain and immobility. Early diagnosis and early treatment is the key to getting relief from arthritis.

Therapeutic Iyengar Yoga for Arthritis

Some common asanas or yoga for Arthritis which can be performed by Arthritis patients are:

1. Sirsasana This yoga for arthritis is practiced at our center and so under the guidance of our expert teachers. As this asana is against gravitational force, it makes the joints tension free and relieves the pain. This asana is beneficial for all joints arthritis. 2. Sarvangasana This asana is very effective for shoulders and hands as it stretches the joints and releases the stiffness. This asana by reducing the pain in the upper joints arthritis, re-initiates the movement of joints properly. 3. Rope I - Rope Yoga This asana as seen benefits in shoulders and wrists arthritis. This asana by stretching them and increasing blood flow relieves the arthritis pain and provides flexibility. 4. Rope II - Rope Yoga This yoga for arthritis is also very effective for shoulder pain and wrist arthritis and provides very effective relieve in pain and improves the mobility of the joints. 5. Utthita Bhekasana This asana as you can see above regulates proper blood flow towards knee joints and provides flexibility and relief from knee pain by reducing stiffness in the knee. 6. Parivrtta Parsvakonasana The asana above is a twisting asana, along with reducing stiffness from the stomach, improves the blood circulation in the upper body. This yoga for arthritis provides relief in back arthritis or spine arthritis, pelvic arthritis, shoulder arthritis, neck arthritis, and ribs arthritis. This is very effective to provide relief in the pain of arthritis. 7. Bharadvajasana This asana is also a twisting one and very beneficial for back arthritis and overall spine from neck to tail bone. This asana improves flexibility in the spine and reduces back pain. 8. Adho Mukha Svanasana This asana also regulates blood flow in the spine and hip joints. It reduces the stiffness from the hip joints and back. Reduction in stiffness along with relieving pain helps in the movement that affected due to arthritis. 9. Supta Padangusthasana This yoga for arthritis is very effective in reducing pain from back, knee, hips, and ankles. This asana helps in reducing stiffness from the joints and overall provides relief in back pain, knee pain, and hips joint pain. 10. Ujjayi Pranayama This pranayama is very effective in calming the mind as it increases the energy and oxygen level in the body. Previous Next