SANDHIVATA

The number of patients came to clinic with complaints of joints pain .some have knee pain, some have wrist pain.

There are two types of arthritis.

• Dhatukshayjanya vata commonly called as sandhivata or osteoarthritis.
• Margavarodhjanya vata which was commonly known as Amavat or rheumatic arthritis.

Sandhivata- Sandhi means joint & vata means vata dosha . Aggravation of vata dosha in sandhi means joints responsible for a disease known as sandhivata. Mainly vata dosha is responsible for sandhiwata.  Joint is made up of multiple things- like bones, cartilage, synovial fluid, tendons  & muscles. Cartilage is a cushion like structure between two joints & synovial fluid is a lubricating fluid between the joint .  The vata is dry in nature & destructive in nature. It goes into sandhisthan & causes the destruction of cartilage & surrounding structures. It also absorbs the synovial fluid between two joints causing the rubbing of two bones. As the two bones rub on each other it causes pain &  destruction of cartilage leads to restriction of movements.
Causes:-

• Age factor
• Obesity
• Eating excessive use of joints i.e heavy workload.
• Food having low nutritional value.
• Injury to joints
• Hereditary
• Excessive exposure to cold & clammy weather.
  

Symptoms :-

• Pain in joints.
• Restriction of movements
• Swelling
• Tenderness
• Tingling in hands & legs
• Stuffiness
• Crackling sound between two joints.

Our body is same as the machine. The machine needs oveoiling for proper function time to time. Same our body also needs oil for proper functioning of joints . Degenerative occurs in body with the age. Proper supplementation was not provided by our food hence joints & related parts become unnourished, so this process  of degeneration goes faster & leading to weakening of bones and  joints.this condition leads to osteoporosis.  sometime  excessive weight  exerts on joints leads to degeneration of bone surface forming a structure called osteophyte which worsen the pain . The osteophytes formation at vertebral bones exerts the pressure on spinal nerve & causing back pain or lumbar pain . Hence it is must to treat the condition before worse.
Treatment for the pacification of vata  dosha snehan required, hence internal & external application of oil is a must. Application of dhanvantaram tail , mahanaragana tail, reduces pain and swelling. Regular application of oil reduces stiffness of joints.

• Swedan –

Hot formention with medicated steam facilities the movements of joint . It also reduce the pain & stiffness . After  swedan the cells get activated & flush the toxins away from body . The cellular metabolism improves and rejunvates the  joints .
There are many types of Swedan

• Nadi  sweda – when pain is limited to  a part of body or single joint  then it  is used . It is carried out by boling of drugs like rasna , eranda, dhashmula etc.
• Pinda sweda – the bolus of churna  or partra are formed & then heated over pan or dipped in boiled decoction and apply over affected part  by gentle rubbing . The churna or patra used in this treatment had analgesic &  antinflammtory properties.
• Dhara – the medicated decoction or oil poured over  the affected parts in stream along with gentle message &  stroke.. This is very effective in vata , pitta & rakta dushti. It provide strength to muscles & tendons.
• Janu vasti – medicated oil poured in pool like structure for a fixed duration of time over knee joint . It causes the oleation of knee joint . it reduce pain & swelling of knee joint.
• Pichu – the sterile gauze is dipped in to medicated oil & kept for some period of time over affected area. This provide  nourishment to bones muscles, tissue & joint  . it will prevent the further degeneration of joints . it helps in healing of cartilage.
• Lepanam – Application of medication paste over the affected joint. The paste is allowed to stay for some period of time . Hot or worm application of lepa done .The lepanam had antiiflammatory & antioanalgesic property .
• Jalukavacharan – Application of leech over the affected area. Leech suck the impure blood and secrets the enzymes in to the body through saliva causes reduction in pain  & inflammation.
• Basti – basti is best treatment for vata dosha. Medicated oil & medicated decoction  strenghthen the joints & soft tissue, rejuvenates the tissue & eliminates the toxins from body hence healing mechanism occured  faster in body .
• Virechana – elimaination of doshas through purgation . it pacity the pitta , kapha & vata doshas.
• Abhyantar chikita– like  abhyantar sneha pan means adminstrion of medicated ghee or oil causes internal oleation of body . The ghee used are-
• Mahatikta Ghrut
• Dashmula Ghrut
• Amrutadi Ghrut

Ghee or oil pacify the ruksha ( dry) & khara ( rough) guna of vata.
Shaman chikitsa –
The medicines like kaishor guggul , yograj guggul ,  mahayograj guggul , dashmul kwath ,rasna saptak kwath, ammrutadi guggul, yogendraras,bruhat vatchintamani,etc used for internal use.