Knee joint pain can occur for many reasons – from over working the joint, impact or load bearing – plus it can occur as a result of immunological difficulties such as rheumatoid arthritis and fibromyalgia.
Ayurvedic treatment for knee joint pain can help you to identify the root cause of the pain, not just to treat the symptom of the knee joint pain.
It can successfully provide you with a way to reduce inflammation, increase mobility and reduce risk of recurrence by working with you to change your lifestyle habits while bolstering your overall health and wellness.
This is what attracts so many people to Ayurvedic practices, the fact that the medicine focuses on creating a healthy life – not just treating a symptom in the moment.
What is the basis of Ayurvedic medicine?
Ayurveda is a system of beliefs that is centuries old and that originated in the region of India. It is not just a medicine, but a way of living and understanding the context of your existence in the world.
As a form of healthcare, it has been used for many centuries and its influence can be seen in other traditions, such as that of TCM.
Ayurvedic medicine works on the principle that the body is influences by three kinds of energy – that of digestion, movement and immune strength.
They are called Vata, Pitta and Kalpha. Each person is born more imbued with one energy than another and they have to adapt their life to keep their energies in balance to avoid being unwell.
When knee joint pain or illness occurs – it is because one of the energies has weakened (or strengthened) and put the triad out of balance.
Ayurvedic medicine is the practice of balancing energies through diet, herbs, natural medicines, relaxation and movement practices.
How do you know what your natural energy state is?
While it takes a specialist in Ayurveda to really determine the state you are born to, there are some common indicators that will help you begin to understand how to manage your wellness.
Pitta – Pitta people tend to be fair and naturally slender. They can have a fair skin prone to red and are often more introverted than other types. Many times their afflictions can be focused on energy levels.
Vata – Vata people tend to be heavier or bigger framed then the other types. Vata Dosha rules the digestive and hormone systems so it is no surprise that this is the area of their body most prone to illness.
Kalpha – Kalpha are hardy and ruddy people. They are the type that seems to be naturally muscular. Kalpha energy is focused on strength and stamina – whether it is muscular or immunological. They are also very outgoing.
How do they make a diagnosis?
Just like everyone else who practices a healing art, Ayurvedic practitioners are trained in the guidelines for chronic knee pain, but then they have a special training that goes a step further to allow them to create a fuller picture of the causes of your pain.
They are going to examine you through questions, and through touch and massage, to begin to determine the entire path of the disruption to your body through all of your joints and organs.
While you may have knee joint pain, it never arrives alone but always comes with a whole company of other complaints.
Expect to be interviewed about your lifestyle habits including diet, exercise, sleep hygiene and general activity.
For an Ayurvedic practitioner, a holistic understanding of who you are is more important than a specific description of one pain.
They can begin to spot patterns of disruption in your balance from the examination that can help them determine a diagnosis well.
Ayurvedic treatment for knee joint pain
Much of the Ayurvedic treatment for knee joint pain is going to focus on getting the joint to start moving through its full rotation again, while combining diet changes and herbs to promote healthier circulation.
A detoxifying cleanse may also be called for, depending on your current state of health.
If you are overweight, the practitioner may want to work with you to change your diet and cleanse the toxins from your body to improve your Kalpha before starting to do any Pitta or Vata Dosha work.
Knee joint pain can be complicated by bearing too much weight, reduced circulation and poor nutrition.
Poor posture and low mobility are also common issues associated with it. These are addressed in Ayurvedic medicine by employing yogic practices, deep massage, and other methods of relaxing and introducing more flexibility and stamina to the tendons and ligaments of the joints.
The treatment is not viewed as something you do until the knee joint problem disappears; it is viewed as a means to create a new way of living that keeps your life in balance and prevents problems from occurring again.
Does it really get rid of knee joint pain?
The approach to healing used in Ayurveda medicine is very different from the approach used in Western modalities.
The goal is not to mask or eliminate a symptom, but to uncover the cause and work to reduce or eliminate the conditions that allow the cause to be created.
Ayurvedic treatment for knee joint pain may initially focus on helping to relieve the immediacy of the pain, but more of its focus will be on working with you to make changes to how you live so that it won’t return.
This means that success is measured by how well you become overall. Some knee joint pains can never be totally eliminated, but the rest of your health and well-being can be improved enough – along with improvement in the knee joint motion and cushioning, that it becomes less of a burden of pain.
Ayurvedic treatment for knee joint pain is starting to be studied more and more, and the results are showing that it is effective when it is practiced rigorously.
Just like taking pain medication when you are supposed to, practicing the Ayurvedic treatment as it is prescribed is necessary for you to see results.
