Sunday, June 8, 2014

AYURVEDIC TREATMENT FOR FROZEN SHOULDERS


Frozen Shoulders

In Ayurveda, Frozen shoulders has been named as 'Apabahukam' . It is mainly caused due to vitiation of Vata dosha Frozen Shoulders is a disease which manifests itself in the form of acute pain, loss of motion and a feeling of stiffness in the shoulder. People with diabetes stand a greater chance of being affected by this disease. Hyperthyroid, Parkinson's disease, cardiac diseases, injury or immobilization of the shoulder for a certain period of time etc also lead to the incidence of this disease.
The onset of the disease will be marked by an attack of pain on the outer area of the shoulder and the upper arm. This will be followed by stiffness in the shoulder and inability to move his hands as one would wish to. It is generally seen that the onset of the disease is a three stage process.
The initial stage, lasting for a period of six weeks to nine months, will be marked by the onset of mild pain which worsens with the passage of time leading to the loss of shoulder motion. In the secondary stage, lasting from 4 months to nine months, the patient will feel a lessening of pain; the stiffness, however, will still remain.
Ayurveda offers effective treatment to free you from frozen shoulders. Read below about Ayurveda treatments to relieve you from your pains.

Diagnosis  the Ayurveda way

All treatments in Ayurveda are prescribed only after a careful diagnosis of the patient's body constitution, family history, sex, age, stage of the disease etc. This will enable the patient to receive treatments that are specifically suited to his very needs. Ayurveda treatments will therefore vary from patient to patient.
The first consultation with an Ayurveda doctor, including the diagnosis will last for more than an hour. The basic step in the diagnosis will be to find the person's body humour (dosha) , Vata, Pita or Kapha, because it is the imbalance of these body humours that create every disease.
The dominance of dosha in a person is found by asking several questions on his behaviour, food habits, sleeping patterns, personal details like age, height, weight, place of life, profession, health problems and medical reports etc. Ayurveda diagnosis comprises of clinical and laboratory tests also. The doctor can decide if an Ayurveda treatment is helpful on providing these details.
Pulse, tongue, nail, and eye examinations are important diagnosis methods used to reveal a person's body humor and its imbalance. This will help the doctor in treating the disease. Pulse diagnosis in Ayurveda is not just counting the beats. It also reveals the health status of the entire body constitution, including the dosha imbalance and the health of the various body organs.
In tongue diagnosis, the doctor checks the general appearance, colour and coating of the tongue. In Ayurveda, as different areas of the tongue correspond to different organs of the body, the Ayurvedic practitioner can determine which organs of the body are out of balance by having a detailed tongue examination.
Nail examination is done to check the type, colour and shape of the person's nail. Imbalances of doshas are easily detected on close examination.
In the eye diagnosis, the colour, size and even the shape of the eyes are important in determining the dosha dominance of a person. His mental status nervousness, anxiety, confidence level etc  can also be learned through eye diagnosis. A preliminary consultation with Ayurveda doctors online is also possible nowadays for guests worldwide

Treatment Methods for Frozen Shoulders

Ayurveda Treatment approach is to increase natural healing ability of the body and not to attack the disease with something from the outside, like drugs or surgery, and cure the diseases in one or two days. It may take a few weeks to regenerate the health. The healing response is one of the most complex and coordinated activities within the human physiology and often cannot be strengthened without the patient's personal conscious efforts.
After the diagnosis, the doctor sets out to treat the patient in a very systematic manner. This would include a set of appropriate Panchakarma treatments and Rasayana therapies . The Panchakarma Treatments are meant to flush out the toxins, They are classified as pre-purification, main purification and post purification phases and include various types of therapies like oil massages, fermented liquid massages, medicinal enemas, herbal purification methods.
The Rasayana Therapies are meant to nourish the body, to bring the doshas back to balance and to regenerate the body.These comprise diet regulations, daily regimens, intake of oral medicines and ayurveda tonics, yoga and a stress free life. After the treatment the ayurveda doctors will advise you how to lead a healthy life. T he beneifts and results of the treatment are shown only after the Rasyana Treatment is over and docotrs advise is strictly followed. The results will manifest itself normally after 3 to 4 weeks as the body takes time to regenerate itself.

Panchakarma for Frozen Shoulders

Pre-purification therapies are the first ones applied to loosen the toxins, open up the circulation channels and get the body ready for discarding these wastes. These methods are highly relaxing for the body and mind.
The following pre-purification methods are usually adopted in the treatment of frozen shoulder.
Njavarakizhi: This is a tissue-nourishing treatment, making use of highly nutritious rice called 'Njavara'.It is beneficial in treating diseases like paralysis, Parkinson's disease, cervical spondylosis, frozen shoulder etc
Njavarakizhi is also an excellent rejuvenating therapy to keep the body young and healthy. It nourishes the muscles, improves their tone, and imparts longevity.
In njavarakizhi, the person is first preconditioned by applying mild oil on the body and head, and is made to lie down relaxingly. Warm 'Njavara' rice, cooked with herbal decoction and milk, is squeezed out through a cotton pouch and massaged on to the whole body of the person. This continues for about 30 to 40 minutes until the whole preparation is evenly spread on the body. As soon as the rice spread looses its warmth, it is completely wiped off and warm oil is applied on the body. The person lies idle for another 30 minutes before he goes for a warm refreshing shower.
In the meantime, the rice and herb mixture infuse their properties into the body tissues and nourish them. This revitalizes the deficient areas of the body, reduces its degeneration, and stops muscle wastage. And as a result of extended treatments of 2 to 3 weeks the body recoups its lost vitality.
Lepam is spreading of thick herbal paste on any affected part of the body. The paste is a blend of many powerful herbs, spices, juice of leaves and buttermilk. This localized form of treatment relieves various inflammatory diseases of the body such as rheumatoid arthritis, back aches, headaches and frozen shoulder.
Warm herbal paste is gently applied on the affected area to a thickness of half a centimeter. For active penetration, the applied paste is let to dry on the affected part for about 45 minutes. This creates a mild heat on the skin and as a result, its medicinal properties perforate faster in to the cells and absorb the unwanted components that cause inflammation and pain.
Choorna Pinda swedam
It is an herbal powder poultice fomentation. Dry powders are roasted in castor oil. A poultice is prepared. It is then poured again in warm oil, which is kept in a vessel over the heating system. Choorna Pinda swedam has been found to be highly effective in the treatment of frozen shoulder.

Main Purification Therapies for Frozen Shoulders

This is the phase of elimination of toxins that were loosened at the pre purification treatment stage. These therapies are highly potential methods and are usually overseen by doctors. The main purification therapy adopted for frozen shoulder is Nasyam. Nasyam is the pouring of herbal oil in drops in to the nostrils and inhaling the contents. This opens up the head channels and enables the herb extracts to act directly on the central nervous system. Nasyam treatment lasts for twenty to thirty minutes. The herbal oil is a blend of sesame oil mixed with herbs such asSida plants,Bael and Vitex etc .

Rasayana Therapies for Frozen Shoulders

These are body nourishing therapies to rejuvenate the body and mind after the Panchakarma treatments. They keep the enzymes in the tissue cells in their normal functioning condition, restore and balance the body functions and maintain the overall health and well being of an individual for much longer periods after the
Panchakarma course. Rasayana treatments for frozen shoulder consist of oral medicines and diet regulation.

Oral medicines for Frozen Shoulders

Herbal medicines form an important part of any Ayurvedic treatment. Oral medicines for frozen shoulder will be extracts of pure medicinal herbs, leaves, spices etc. These are prepared specifically to restore the lost balance and to provide the needed inputs to cure frozen shoulder. Kashayam and Arishtam herbal decoctions and fermentations Lehyam semi solid formulation are commonly prescribed
Ashwagandha and Shatawari, are the two main medicinal herbs used in the preparation of Kashayam, Lehyams and aristams meant for frozen shoulder patients.
The type and quantity of the medicines to be taken are decided by the doctor after a detailed consultation and examination. The patient's body type, age etc are also important factors to be considered.

Diet Regulations for Frozen Shoulders

Diet regulation will be suggested for patients suffering from frozen shoulder. Proper diet is a brilliant means of controlling and curing this disease. Ayurveda diet provides adequate nutrition as well as rest for the needed organs. Frozen shoulder patients are advised to consume a well balanced high fiber content diet. They should consume large quantities of water so that the toxins accumulated in the stomach are eliminated through urine. They should, besides consume ample quantities of green leafy vegetables and fruits.. They are also advised to avoid consuming sour things especially curd and also hot, spicy and fried foods.
You can find out your type of Prakruthi and decide a diet for yourself.

Yoga & Meditation for Frozen Shoulders

Yoga and meditation are always beneficial and have always played a vital part in curing every type of disease. Yoga exercises done every day replenish and rebalance the physical and emotional systems that are depleted by the everyday stresses that lie so heavy on our lives. Yoga makes it possible to rest on a strong base of confidence and strength within oneself.

Life Style

Doing simple exercises like stretching the shoulders and strengthening the tendons around the shoulders are beneficial. Hanging oneself on a bar is found to be effective in mitigating the effects of this disease. Jogging and walking is advised. But doing exercises when the stomach is full is to be avoided.

General Information

The ability to properly digest food is very important to sustain health. Incompletely digested foods create toxins and impurities in the body and disrupt body functions. This process plays a major role in a wide variety of chronic conditions. Your Ayurveda Doctor will advise you how to increase your digestion power.
The nervous system controls your bodily functions, and the chronic condition is affected in some way when the nervous system activity becomes imbalanced. Vata is the physiological principle at the basis of nervous system. Imbalance in nervous system or Vata Imbalance worsens symptoms of chronic diseases. Yoga and meditation would help you to avoid stress situations.
It is important to have a lifestyle that does not disturb natural bodily rhythms. When we eat, sleep and exercise in constantly fluctuating and disturbing patterns, the body loses its natural balancing cycles and cannot cleanse or heal itself as effectively. Therefore, regularity in our daily routine can be extremely effective in reducing physiological imbalance to avoid chronic disease.



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