Knee Pain/ Knee Joint Injuries/ Knee Osteoarthritis
Knee joint pain is a problem which affects the day to day life activity very badly when we get up from bed, it restricts the movements and makes the patient helpless.
The knee joint is a very strong joint of our body and injury to this joint makes it very difficult to recover. Knee joint is made by Bones- Femur, Tibia and Fibula and has Ligaments, mainly Anterior cruciate, Posterior cruciate, Lateral & medial collateral ligament. Knee joint help in walking, running, sitting, standing, climbing & jumping etc. It is a very important joint and it should be taken care of very consciously so that knee joint pain can be prevented. If pain occurs, then it takes a long time to recover.
Knee Pain Causes
Knee joint pain can be due to multiple reasons. Injury is the most common cause of knee joint pain and it can be any sports injury, dashboard injury or accidental slipping of leg etc. Due to injury to the knee joint, ligaments can be ruptured or meniscus can be torn, a sprain can occur and causes pain and swelling in the joint.
Another cause of knee joint pain is due to degenerative changes. Due to this cartilage is damaged and synovial fluid is reduced. Due to this, the gap between joints is reduced, which leads to pain, stiffness and restricted movement of joints.
Pain may be due to Arthritic changes in the joint, Due to ageing or due to any infection or obesity, long sitting or standing jobs, long walking, long traveling, driving, or running.
According to Ayurveda, all sandhi’s or joints are the place of kapha dosha. Due to the wrong diet and due to wrong daily activities or due to Vata Prakop ahar and vihar, kapha is reduced and vata dosha is aggrevated in the knee joint which causes pain, stiffness & swelling in the knee joint.
Due to poor digestion, Ama is formed in the body and it generates toxins in the body that are circulated in the body and accumulate in the knee joint & with time cause pain, swelling and stiffness in the joint.
Sign & Symptoms
The main symptom is pain, restricted movement of the joint and swelling in joints due to infection, injury, or strain. If pain is more or Ligaments injury is there then knee bending & problem of balancing are also there.
According to Ayurveda, if swelling is there it is due to kapha dosha Prokop. If redness or tenderness is there it is due to rakta dosha or pitta Prokop. If vata Prakop or degeneration of sandht is there, then it causes pain and stiffness in the knee joint.
Knee osteoarthritis is very common nowadays and modern doctors suggest total knee replacement which is very expensive and also there are risks of operation related complications.
If a patient is obese or diabetic, then also this surgery has very limited outcomes.
In osteoarthritis, the knee joint degenerates, cartilage is damaged gradually and synovial fluid is reduced which causes a reduced gap between joint bones and due to this pain occurs.
Patients have difficulty in long-standing, walking, running, or sitting. He is not able to sit and stand.
Knee joint osteoarthritis has 4 stages:- According to the severity of degeneration & it is called - Grade-I, Grade-II, Grade-III, Grade-IV.
- In Grade-I:- Pain is there.
- In Grade-II:- Pain and limiting movements.
- In Grade-III:- Swelling, pain and limiting movement
- In Grade-IV:- Knee joint bend in outer side & joint is deformed in shape, due to this walking is very difficult & patient has to walk with knee bending in Lateral sides.
Diagnosis
Diagnosis of the knee joint is done by X-Ray & MRI.
- X-Ray:- By this we can find knee joint bone shape, reduced gap. Any osteophyte growth, fracture, crack or deformity, etc.
- MRI:- By this we can find any ligament injury, meniscus injury, any type of cyst, growth, or rapture of tissue in the knee joint.
Knee Pain Treatment in Ayurveda
In Allopathy or modern science, treatment for the knee joint is mainly done by painkillers, calcium and steroid medicines, surgery is advised in ligament injuries and total knee replacement in case of knee joint osteoarthritis. All these treatment options are only symptomatic and surgery is very risky with complication chances.
In Ayurveda, surgery for the knee joint is not advised. According to Sushruta, different types of knee joint injuries can be treated by different medicines: Lepa, Manipulation, Panchkarma treatment, marma treatment, Raktmokshan & Agni karma are done according to the condition of the patient.
We treat all type of knee joint problems, injuries, degenerative conditions, ligament injuries etc. by a proper protocol which includes Raktmokshan, Snehan, Svedana, Pinda Sweda, Basti chikitsa, Upnaha karma, Taila Dhara, Janubasti, Agni Karma, Bidh Agni karma, Cupping Therapy manipulation and by Marma Massage techniques.
21 days protocol for the above procedures is followed according to the condition of the patient, age of the patient, stage of disease with very fine results by pure authentic Ayurveda principles.
By these therapies, pain, stiffness, and swelling is reduced. The knee joint is rejuvenated and bones and muscles get stronger with these therapies. We also advise specific exercises and yoga postures for the strength of joints and muscles so that a patient can live a healthy life with his own knee joint.
Oral Herbal medicines are advised for 04 to 05 months which helps to maintain the condition stable and helps to cure the symptoms. Medicines are totally herbal and pure ayurvedic formulation without any side effects.
In severe conditions, Panchkarma therapies are advised to repeat after 03 to 06 months for 03 to 04 sessions. This treatment of knee pain in Ayurveda is totally safe, purely herbal and according to authentic Ayurveda principles.
We have been treating this disease for many years and the success rate is very high. Treatment of knee pain is very effective and with this, patients can live a better life without the need of any surgery with their own knees.
Prevention and Lifestyle Changes
- Knee joint pain can be prevented by following ways:
- Avoid Vata Vardhak aahar & vihar that means avoid cold, dry items in food, avoid dahi, rice, rajma, cholle etc. in the diet. Avoid fast food, preserved food, Maida food etc.
- In vihar- avoid excessive walking, running, longtime standing, driving etc.
- Do Til oil massage daily or two times a week on the knee joint for proper strength in muscles & joints.
- Avoid lifting heavy weights or jumping etc.
Home Remedies for Knee Joint Pain:- For knee osteoarthritis conditions
For knee osteoarthritis conditions -
- Take powder of Ashwagandha, Safed Musli in an equal quantity of 2-2 gm daily with milk.
- Take Alsi seeds fried in ghee - one spoon daily with milk or water.
- Take nuts, almonds, and walnuts daily in small quantities.
- If there is a pain in the joint, then make a powder of saunth + suranjun + Haldi + Aswgandha in equal quantity and take 2-2 gm daily two times with water or milk.
- Daily do massage with til oil (Seasum) on your knee joint for proper strength.
- If there is severe pain then prepare oil at your home & for this, take til oil- 100ml, add Lehsun 10gm + Saunth 10gm + Ajwain 10gm & boil it properly. After boiling make Lukewarm and add Kapoor 10gm & keep it in sunlight for 02 hours. Do massage with this oil daily on the joint.
- Do Hot water fomentation on the knee joint to relieve pain & swelling of the knee joint.
- Along with the treatment of joint pain in Ayurveda, these are some home remedies that will help to control the knee pain and degeneration conditions.
- Do exercise and yoga to give strength to your knee joint by guidance from a yoga expert.
Summary
The knee joint is the most important joint of our body. It helps us in all daily movements. This joint can be affected by any injury, jerk or wrong lifestyle habits and when pain, stiffness or degeneration occurs, it is very difficult to cure the condition by Allopathic medicines. In treatment for joint pain in ayurveda which is done By Ayurvedic medicines and Panchkarma therapies, we can treat the condition in a better way and avoid knee replacement surgeries. Ayurvedic medicines help to treat degeneration and help to give strength to this joint. So from today, approach an experienced Ayurveda expert for all types of knee joint problems and treat yourself with safe, cheap and pure Ayurveda remedies without any side effects.