Back Pain - Prevention and Cure

Back Pain has become one of the most common ailments in the world today, specially with the people who have long sitting hours at work or otherwise. There are different types of back pains ranging from pain in the upper back to spinal cord pain to pain in the lower back etc. and we will discuss in terms of their causes, prevention, cure and best practices that we should in our life style to make sure that our body is away from it. According to ayurvedic philosophy, excess 'apana' in the body is responsible for lower back pain. Hence, the body needs to be detoxified of this element. One of the most effective ways to detoxifying your body is to to take Castor oil thrice a week for a month.

Few of the methods that can help cure Back Pain are:

• The administration of a herbal preparation (such as Asthavargam) is essential to bring the vitiated dosha back to a normal state
• An ayurvedic internal treatment method called 'Panchakarma' is also good to treat back pain. This treatment method includes administration of a full body massage (Abhyanga) and/or meditated enema (Basti) to lubricate the inside walls of the intestine and empty the bowels. Daily purgation, according to ayurveda, helps reduce back pain
• Certain ayurvedic preparations can also be given to reduce back pain. These medications include Lakshadiguggul, Mahanarayana tailam, Triphala Guggul, and Yogarajaguggul. Their consumption leads to an internal action on the causes of back pain.

Few More Methods of Ayurvedic Back Pain Treatment

• Yogasana: One more method to treat back pain ayurvedically mostly include performing yogasanas. The postures that can be done to reduce back pain include the following simple back bend poses: Marjari Asana (Cat pose), Salabhasana Asana (Locust pose), Chakravak Asana (Sunbird pose). It is advised that people suffering from back pain take and strictly follow the advice of their yoga teacher. Doing this would avoid possibilities of any further damage to the lower back
• Breathing Posture: For more stability of spine, it is advised in ayurveda that the breathing posture needs to be corrected. Hence, if you have back pain then inhale in a manner which allows your breath to reach the bottom of your spine. This would result in a relaxed feeling in the full length of the spine as well as the lower back region.
• Aromatherapy: Ayurveda also recommends the use of aromatherapy to reduce back pain. This method is both- external as well as internal. Oils of natural herbs such as basil, cinnamon, frangipani, or henna could be poured into hot water and its vapors inhaled.
• Sleep Well: When it comes to sleeping, good mattresses are important. A good mattress would give ample support to your back. Too hard or too soft mattresses can ruin the posture of our back and can cause or aggravate back pain. We normally ignore the fact that we spend close to one-third of our life in the bed. What is also ignored is that it is highly important to remain in the correct posture while we are sleeping in our bed. The situation aggravates when one sleeps on a too soft or too hard mattress. Such a mattress does not provide proper support to the back. When this is ignored for an excessively long period of time, it becomes the cause of back pain.

Ayurveda can cure Swine Flu

Whenever there is a change in the environment due to spurt in growth of any kind of virus, human beings are the first one to be affected by it. These days, there is a panic all around due to swine flu. On the basis of symptoms like cough, cold, sore throat and fever, one cannot be considered as a patient of swine flu but still people do not want to take chances and getting them checked at special centres and taking preventive medicines. The problem is that the most popular medical science i.e. Allopathy, does not yet offer a preventive medicine or a vaccine for Swine flu. Though, it has the cure but few people know that Ayurveda can cure swine flu like anything and most of all, the medicines have far less side effects. Dr Bhagwan Singh, principal and superintendent of State Ayurvedic College, Lucknow, says, "The disease (swine flu) and its treatment is already mentioned in our old books of medicines by sages. On the basis of the symptoms of swine flu, it has been given the name `vatashlesmic' fever in the ayurvedic medicine books."

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For treating a patient infected with H1N1 virus, ayurvedic medicines like Sanjawini Vati and Tribhuvan Kriti Ras can be given. These medicines are prepared by mixing 12-14 ayurvedic ingredients selected on the basis of the symptoms of the viral disease. Ayurveda claims to have preventive medicine for H1N1 infection also. As I said earlier, on the basis of symptoms like cough, cold, sore throat and fever, one cannot be considered as a patient of swine flu. So to be on the safer side, one could take a medicine named as Gurahi for the sake of prevention. Apart from this, one can also have tea or hot water adding black tulsi leaves to it and following other hygienic practices like using mask etc."

Prameha (Diabetes) – How to control the deadly disease

Diabetes is a chronic metabolic disorder in which the body is unable to make proper use of glucose resulting in hyperglycemia (high blood sugar) and glycosuria (sugar in urine). Poorly managed diabetes can lead to a host of long-term complications like Heart attacks, strokes, blindness, nerve damage and even impotence in men.

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Diabetes can be controlled and it has been verified by various studies. As per Ayurveda There are 20 forms of this disease: 4 are due to Vata, 6 result from Pitta, and 10 are caused by Kapha. But prameha is mainly kapha dosha disease.

Causes

• Diet- increasing kapha dosha such as sugar, fats, potatoes, rice
• Lack exercise
• Mental stress and strain
• Excessive sleep etc.

Symptoms

• Excessive urine formation & Frequent urination
• Burning of palms and soles
• Increased hunger
• Excessive Thirst
• Sweet taste to mouth etc.
• Weight Loss
• Blurry Vision
• Wounds that take time to heal
• Skin Infections
• Unexplained extreme fatigue

Remedies

• Diet planning- is the cornerstone of managing diabetes.The diabetic diet is an otherwise normal balanced diet, with a few modifications and proper spacing between food intakes. Avoid diet increasing kapha dosha such as sugar, fats, potatoes, rice. Avoid alcohol
• Daily exercise- One of the methods to heal prameha include strenuous exercises. Regular exercise in any form is a must. In 'Yogasanas' - Forward bending asanas like 'Paschimottanasan','Halasan' etc. are effective
• Restrict and reduce weight
• Avoid sleeping during daytime.
• Avoid smoking
• Try to reduce stress by implementing & practicing Yoga

Useful herbs

• Jambhul (Eugenia jambolana) Powder from jamun core is useful.
• Gurmar(gymnema sylvestre)
• Sagar gota (Ceasalpinia crista)
• Bel (Aegle marmelos)
• Shilájit
• Turmeric
• Neem
• Triphala

Liver Cirrhosis - Ayurveda can help cure this

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What is Liver Cirrhosis: Cirrhosis is scarring of the liver that occurs as a result of chronic liver disease. People who have cirrhosis, the cells of the liver are damaged and can’t repair themselves. As liver cells die, scar tissue forms. When this scar tissue builds up, blood can’t flow through the liver properly.

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It is caused by:

• Excessive Alcohol consumption
• Conversion from hepatitis C or hepatitis B
• Disorder of excretory system of Liver
• Consuming any harmful chemicals etc.

Major symptoms are:

1. Weight Loss or Weight Gain abnormally
2. Nausea
3. Symptoms similar to Jaundice like yellowing of palms, eyes etc
4. Loss of appetite
5. Visible blood vessels on skin
6. Fatigue or weakness

Ayurvedic Remedies:

• Arjuna (Terminalia arjuna) - This is the most useful medicine for this disease. The bark is useful as an anti-ischemic and cardioprotective agent in hypertension and in ischemic heart disease. It also has a tonic effect in cases of cirrhosis of the liver
• Boerhavia diffusa (Punarnava) - An alcoholic extract of whole plant Boerhavia diffusa given orally exhibited hepato-protective activity against experimentally induced carbon tetrachloride hepatotoxicity.
• Eclipta alba (Bhringaraj) - It is the main herb for treating liver disorders. It is normally given after mixing with ethanol in same quantities and it helps the liver by regulating the levels of hepatic microsomal drug metabolising enzymes
• Tinospora cordifolia (Guduchi) : This herb is used to treat HIV/AIDS, other immune diseases, and pita diseases. It is used as a blood purifier, to treat fever, and to aid recovery from fevers. It is also used for jaundice, digestion, constipation, hemorrhoids, dysentery, and cancer
• Glycyrhhiza (licorice or Mulathhi) : Licorice root has been used in both Eastern and Western medicine to treat a variety of illnesses, including liver disease.

Jewels from a rare herbal garden in India

Recently, I got the opportuntity to visit a large and ancient herbal garden in the himalayas and it was amazing to see lot of plants that I always wanted to see but could not, because they were not available anywhere around. One such herb was Bahera or Terminalia bellirica which is also known as Vibhitak, Aksh , Karshfal or Kalidrumu in Sanskrit. This is very useful herbal plant for many disease conditions. It helps to cure hair fall, increase eye sight and improve eye pain, reduce fever due to kapha, reduce hridya vaat etc.

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Bahera, as it is popularly called, acts more beneficially id it is mixed with some other material. Like if it is taken after mixing with sugar (shakkar), the laar issue form mouth goes away completely. Likewise, it can altogether remove cough (be it dry or otherwise) if taken as mixed with goat's milk with black salt.

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It is found in all of India (though I could not see it earlier so closely) and it's tree is 60 to 80 feet in height , straight and dark brown in colour. The flowers are white or yellowish 3 - 6 inches long and are in groups. The fruit is half inch in diameter and looks like a pentogon after it dries up.

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It is also known as tridosh-har but it is mostly used in kaph related problems. It is also very useful ingredient of most famous formulation ‘Triphala' which is useful in acidity and constipation. It removes excessive ‘kapha' which is main cause of loss of appetite. It removes the coating of ‘kapha' from the intestines and aids in the proper excretion of juices. Other than the problems stated above, it is also seen to help in curing potency issues in men, diarrohhea and high fever.

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In the next posts, I will discuss on more rare herbs and their uses as medicines.

Arthritis or Joint Pains - A common disease

Joint pains or Arthritis is a common problem these days. Whenever winter comes, it increases. According to Ayurveda mostly pains are caused by the aggravation of vata (air), dosha. Arthritis is a condition which is caused by accumulation of Ama and aggravation of vata. Ama is a toxic by-product of improper digestion. When the food we eat is not digested completely by the digestive fire, it produces a toxic substance called Ama. This Ama circulates in the whole body and deposits or gets collected at the sites which are weaker.

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It causes many diseases in the body depending on the location of deposition. For example, dangerous asthama is one which is caused by deposits in the lungs. If it deposits in the intestines it causes dysentery. When it deposits in the joints and at the same time there is aggravation of vata, that means if biological humor air is also disturbed, it results in a disease called Ama vata. This Ama vata is arthritis. Thus the patient generally has a weak digestion. A history of wind and constipation is usually found in these cases. People who overeat or eat too much fried foods, sweets, meats etc. and have no or very little physical activity can develop this problem.

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Symptoms:

The main symptom of this disease is severe pain in the affected joints. The muscles, ligaments, synovial membrane and cartilage get inflamed and the movement of the joint becomes extremely painful, specially in cold, windy and damp weather. If the condition is not treated properly, the joint becomes immobile and this may ultimately lead to deformity of the joint. Sometimes it is associated with fever. Infact, these days fever has become a regular part of arthritis symptoms and it raises the infection levels in the body shown by allopathic pathological test ESR.

Cure: Ayurvedic herbs are quite successful in curing the arthritic joint pains and there are a lot of herbs that can be used here. Some of them are:

• Ashwagandha - Also called as winter cherry in the west. This is one of the wonder herbs as stated by Ayurveda and curing joint pains is just one of the uses of this one.
• Alflafa - The tea of alfalfa reduces the joint pains considerably specially in the early stages
• Dandelion - Magnesium is something which is required for proper mineralization of the bones and dandelion is rich in magnesium. It's use make the bones stronger and joint pains can be prevented
• Vishwagarbha taila - If the joint pains are due to trauma, then Vishwagarbha taila is prescribed for external application over the region where the joint pain is felt. For internal administration, the patient can take rasnadi guggulu.

Above are few curing herbs for joint pains but as they say prevention is better than cure and it is more than 100% right in case of joint pains. Certain good living habits can make sure that arthritis can be delayed by at least 10 years and hence 10 more years of comfort

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Hast Mudra - Gyan Mudra, Pran Mudra and Surya Mudra

Gyan Mudra - As the name suggests, this mudra has it's most number of benefits in the Gyan or Knowledge field. If used regularly, this Mudra increases the memory of children and adults alike (with varying degree of success though) and also increases the concentration and intelligence. Not only this, it also reduces the negative thoughts content in the mind and hence reduces mental tension which is the root cause of multiple diseases. Other diseases where this Mudra is proven beneficial are headache, lose temper and insomnia.

How to practice this Mudra - Join the tip of thumb and index finger keeping all other fingers straight as per the picture shown here. Practice this for 30- 40 minutes in one stretch continuously or in 5 - 10 minutes periodical stretches in a way that you are able to practice this for at least 30 - 40 minutes total in a day for better results.

Pran Mudra - This Hast Mudra helps to improve the eyesight and is particularly helpful in reducing myopic vision rather than hypermetropic vision. Not only this, it is also beneficial for other eye related ailments like glucoma. This also helps in improving immunity of body to fight with diseases and help the body to keep itself fit and full of energy. We can also overcome our hunger or thirst during fasting by practicing this.

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Important - For better results in Insomnia, practice this mudra in tandem with gyan mudra
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How to practice this Mudra - Join the tip of little finger, ring finger and thumb keeping all other fingers straight as per the picture shown here. Practice this for 30- 40 minutes in one stretch continuously or in 5 - 10 minutes periodical stretches in a way that you are able to practice this for at least 30 - 40 minutes total in a day for better results

Surya Mudra - Surya Mudra is quite advantageous in reducing obesity, mental tension and blood cholestrol level. Diabetic patients must do this Mudra becasue this also helps in curing diabetes. This mudra is also seen as beneficial in lever disorders and improves digestion power of body. Since this increasses the heat level in the body, we should not practice this for a long time in summer season. It is also advisable that a physically weak person should practice this under proper guidance.

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How to practice this Mudra - Keep the tip of ring finger at the root of thumb and press the same finger with the thumb. All other fingers should be kept straight in this Mudra as per the picture shown here.

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Hast Mudra - Prithvi Mudra and Apaan Mudra

Prithvi Mudra - This mudra has been proven as most beneficial for improving digestion. Since, there is a big number of diseases related to digestion, it works as a wonder to reduce all of them. It is most effective in preventing diseases that are due to deficiency of vitamins and minerals as better digestion improves the capability of body to absorb these nutrients in the system. In addition of this, regular practicing of this mudra improves the body strength and balances the body mass index. It also helps in bringing back the lost glow in the skin and increases the activeness of body.

How to practise this Mudra - Join the tips of thumb and ring finger keeping all other fingers as straight as per the picture shown here. Practice this for at least 30- 40 minutes in one stretch continuously or in 5 - 10 minutes periodical stretches in a way that you are able to practice this for at least 30 - 40 minutes total in a day for better results.

Apaan Mudra - This mudra helps in curing diseases due to apaan vayu like constipation, retention of fecal matter in the rectum, piles, gulm etc. It helps in removing the toxins from the body through sweat. Apaan Mudra is seen to be helpful in curing heart diseases, kidney diseases specially retention of urine and dental problems.

How to practise this Mudra - Join the tip of the thumb with the tips of middle finger and ring finger keeping rest fingers as straight as per the photograph shown here. Practice this for at least 30- 40 minutes in one stretch continuously or in 5 - 10 minutes periodical stretches in a way that you are able to practice this for at least 30 - 40 minutes total in a day for better results.

Hast Mudra Series - For a disease free life

Often, we take lot of medicines for number of dieseases either for curing it or for preventing it and multiple times it is seen that these medicines backfire at older age when we start seeing their aftereffects in body. Yogasan came as a breather for all those who want an alernative for taking medicines and yet remain free of diseases. Hast mudras are the next generation of yogasan and have multiple benefits.

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Our universe is made up of five tatvas viz. Aakash, Vayu, Agni, Jal and Prithvi. Likewise our body is also madeup of same five tatvas and whenever the proportion or the placement of these tatvas change in our body, it becomes prone to diseases. Right proporation of these tatvas in our body is called as Samsthiti and it becomes Vishamstithti whenever the proportion changes. These 5 tatvas controls the internal secretion of glands and hence proper functioning of internal organs. The five fingers in our hands also represent these 5 tatvas and we can alter the proporation of these tatvas to the right combination by exercising few mudras made with the helps of these fingers. Let us see which finger represent which tatva:

Thumb: Agni

Index Finger: Vayu

Middle Finger: Aakash

Ring Finger: Prithvi

Little Finger: Jal

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Now, we will go through few Hast Mudras below:

• Vayu Mudra - This mudra is beneficial for all the 80 types of vatvyadhis like arthritis, paralysis, cervical, joint pains, gastric troubles etc. It strengthens the backbone and improves blood circulation. This mudra can be exercised by keeping the index finger at the root of thumb and pressing the thumb lightly on the index finger. All other fingers should be kept straight. Given picture shows the correct form of this mudra :