ARTHRITIS

Rheumatism is an umbrella term applied to diseases which have inflammation or degenerative action on the muscles, joints and other parts of the body. It is the term used to describe the various physical symptoms arising from relative blood acidity.

Rheumatoid Arthritis is an illness most often attacking those in their thirties or forties and more common among women than men. Of all the rheumatic diseases, this is one of the most serious crippling one. Onset of the disease is generally accompanied by pain and swellings in the fingers and this may eventually spread throughout the joints of the body.

Rheumatism and Arthritis are invariably accompanied by depression and mental tension. As already stated, acidification, which is the basic cause of rheumatic ailments, is due to the excessive formation of uric and oxalic acid within the bloodstream. Superfluous fat, excessive sugar constitute irritating impurities.. These harmful substances are normally rejected by the liver, unless it is excessive. In which case, liver's strength gradually decreases. Our bodies are not now used to the same extent; many of us are under-exercised; our food is not balanced or wholesome and most of us definitely over-eat. When there is a great deal of impurity in the body, it often sets up an irritation in movable parts, especially joints liable to overstrain, for instance, the knees, ankles or feet. Such irritation of a joint gives rise to inflammation and the body system attempts to localise this by reducing the circulation within the joint.

This is one reason for the swelling, redness and pain of the joints in rheumatoid arthritis. Lest one might think that arthritis is a sudden development or it is caused by some current illness, it is to be made clear here that at least ten years of subnormal health must have elapsed before a person develops rheumatoid arthritis. Most rheumatic patients suffer from fatigue in one form or another because it is often created by the very presence of rheumatic deposits in the joints. Fatigue may also arise in the mind or the digestive system or the muscular system itself. The scientific analysis of arthritis, joints and the soft tissues that support them, are the most vulnerable areas of our skeletal frame. They act as shock absorbers for our bones, bearing the brunt of weight and exercise.

Rheumatoid Arthritis can respond particularly well to Yoga therapy. It is due to an auto-immune conflict that affects both muscles and joints, causing pain, chronic fatigue and inflammation. Here, Yoga, meditation balance your immune system and stretching exercises release your stiff joints. The cleansing effect of Yoga also increases the effectiveness of anti-inflammatory drugs, helping you to reduce your dosage. Ageing-related joint conditions are also aggravated by stress but are primarily caused by chronic ill-use of the joints. Long-term inactivity makes the joints stiff and painful . Yoga also comes in handy to overcome emotional stress caused, say, by bereavement in the family, depression, extreme excitement, all of which cause stress and have a bearing on arthritis.