Can Ayurveda Ease the Struggle of Joint Pain After Chikungunya?

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  • Chikungunya is a viral disease caused due to Aedes aegypti virus and is transmitted through mosquito bites. What makes this disease hard to tackle is that there is no treatment of it in the modern system of medicine. One of the most optimum ways to manage the symptoms of this disease is to opt for Ayurvedic treatment for Chikungunya.
  • A doctor will only recommend bed rest and some precautions in diet which is aimed at letting the body’s immune system fight Chikungunya.
Chikungunya
Can Ayurveda Ease the Struggle of Joint Pain After Chikungunya?
  • In Ayurveda, Master Charak, the great physician of Ayurveda has mentioned epidemic conditions under “Janapadodwamsa”.
  • In Ayurveda, Chikungunya is also known as “Sandhi Jwara – Fever of the Joints (haddiyokabukhaar)”. This is a Vata Dosha disorder, and you should practice an increased intake of fruits, vegetables, and reduced intake of oil, chillies, tea, and coffee.
  • Various medicines are available in the Ayurvedic system of medicine for Chikungunya, which help to manage the symptoms of Chikungunya.

What are the Symptoms of Chikungunya?

Once you are bitten by an infected mosquito, you may observe the following symptoms after 3-7 days

  • Fever
  • Joint Pain
  • Swelling Over Affected Joint
  • Body Pain and Headache
  • Muscle Pain and Rashes

Chikungunya is not a life-threatening disorder, but the symptoms can be painful, severe and disabling.While fever may subside in 7-10 days, muscular and joint pain and extreme fatigue may persist for months.

What are the After Effects of Chikungunya Fever?

  • Pain in joints
  • Feeling of weakness
  • Lethargy and fatigue

Why Pain Occurs in Chikungunya?

  • The counter-attack by the body’s immune system to the viral infection results in joint pain. The immune system gets activated when the body is exposed to a certain virus or any other disease.
  • The defence system of the body recognizes its own cells as infective agents and therefore it starts to kill its own cells along with the chikungunya virus which results in inflammation of tissues and results in damage to the body cells.
  • When this occurs in muscles and joints, it causes muscle and joint pain. Apart from causing immense pain, it could lead to locking of the knee joint, wrists and elbows.
  • A viral attack activates the antibodies that often ends up striking cartilages in the joints. This leads to swelling in the joints that restricts the movement.
  • The residual toxin left after the disease could be the cause. These toxins tend to attack the cartilage and lead to inflammation in the joints. The result could be frozen joints and pain.

Most commonly affected joints in Chikungunya fever are

  1. The joints of the hands
  2. Wrist and elbow
  3. Joints of ankles, feet, and hip are also affected.

What are the Home Remedies for Chikungunya?

You can also try the following home remedies as a starting ayurvedic treatment for chikungunya

1. Cinnamon Powder

Add a pinch of cinnamon powder and 2-3 tablespoons of castor oil and heat it. When the oil is lukewarm, massage over affected joint.

2. Garlic or Clove

Local application of garlic paste or clove oil on the affected area will give some relief from pain.

3. Tulsi Leaves

A few tulsi leaves can be chewed daily. It reduces fever and increases immunity.

4. Cold or Hot Compress

Cold and hot compresses can be used to ease your joint pain. Heat compression reduces the pain, relaxes the swollen joints, and increases the blood circulation and muscles. On the other hand, cold therapy decreases the inflammation of the inflamed joint. Put hot and cold towel alternatively on the inflamed area that will result in immediate relief from pain.

5. Turmeric

Add a teaspoon of honey and a pinch of turmeric in a glass of lukewarm water and drink this solution on a daily basis for a week. Turmeric is very effective for treating joint pain because it contains anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.

6. Papaya Leaves

Consume 2 teaspoons of papaya leaves juice once daily.

Do’s and Don’ts in Chikungunya

Your recovery from chikungunya will be faster if you take care of few things

  • Avoid spicy, heavy and deep-fried foods.
  • Avoid taking cabbage, potato, tamarind, cauliflower, and curd
  • Include bitter vegetables like snake gourd, ridge gourd, bitter gourd and bottle gourd etc .in your diet
  • Minimize the intake of milk and its products.
  • Eat light and easily digestible food
  • Drink sufficient warm water
  • Take plenty of rest
  • Drink fluids to prevent dehydration

How Planet Ayurveda Can Help in Chikungunya Fever?

Planet Ayurveda offers various herbal remedies which are Jvara hara (anti-pyretic), shoth-har (anti-inflammatory), vedana hara (analgesic), balya (tonic) and rasayana (immunomodulator) in nature.

Herbal Remedies by Planet Ayurveda are

  • Giloy Capsules
  • Joint Aid Plus Capsules
  • Boswellia Curcumin Capsules
  • Gandhak Rasayan
  • Hakam Churna

1. Giloy Capsules

Giloy Capsules of Planet Ayurveda are prepared using the standardized extract of the herb Tinospora cordifolia. Giloy is also known as Amrita or Guduchi due to its great medicinal properties. It is effective against wide variety of disorders due to its anti-inflammatory and anti-pyretic properties and are widely used in the chronic fever, gout etc.

 Dosage: 1 capsule twice a day with plain water after meals.

2. Joint Aid Plus

Joint Aid Plus of Planet Ayurveda is one of the wonderful combinations for joint health. These capsules are a blend of the best Ayurvedic herbs that act against inflammation and very useful for pain and swelling in joints associated with Chikungunya.

Ingredients of Joint Aid Plus Capsules are

Sr. No. Herb Used Botanical Name Quantity
1. Nirgundi Vitex negundo 100 mg
2. Shallaki Boswellia serrata 150 mg
3. Guggul Commiphora mukul 150 mg
4. Sonth Zingiber officinale 50 mg
5. Ashwagandha Withania somnifera 50 mg

Dosage: 2 capsules twice a day with plain water after taking meals.

3. Boswellia Curcumin Capsules

These capsules by Planet Ayurveda contain Shallaki (Boswellia serrata) and Curcumin (Curcuma longa). Shallaki contains anti-inflammatory terpenoids known as boswellic acid. Because of these terpenoids, it is useful in the inflammation and pain associated with chikungunya. Curcumin is antibiotic, analgesic, anti-inflammatory in nature. Thus, this combination works wonderfully in the treatment of chikungunya.

Dosage: 2 capsules twice daily with plain water after taking meals.

4. Gandhak Rasayan

It is the herbal supplement used since ancient times for rejuvenation. It has an excellent property to remove toxins from the body. This Ayurvedic medicine has a broad-spectrum antibiotic activity and it acts as an excellent blood purifier as well.

Dosage: 2 tablets twice daily with plain water after taking meals.

5. Hakam Churna

Hakam Churna is one of the unique formulations of Planet Ayurveda which is a combination of different herbs that have anti-inflammatory action and this combination is called Tridoshic Rasayan. All the herbs used in this formulation keep the system light and hot. Moreover, these herbs destroy the Ama formation in the body.

Ingredients of Hakam Churna are

Sr. No. Botanical Name Common Name Quantity (100 gm)
1. Lepidium sativum Chandershoor 25 gm
2. Nigella sativaa Kalonji 25 gm
3. Trigonella foenum graecum Methi 25 gm
4. Trachyspermum ammi Ajwain 25 gm

Dosage: 3-5 grams of this powder should be consumed with warm water twice a day after taking meals.

All these formulations are very effective herbal remedies for chikungunya which provide relief naturally and do not cause any side effects.