Ayurvedic Oils for Rheumatoid Arthritis

Inflamed joints are often painful and give you a repulsive appearance. Wake up!  It is rheumatoid arthritis, when left unnoticed can dramatically affect the functioning of other organs of your body. Experts term it as a long term ailment that ends up in swelling, irritation and redness of the joints and tissues surrounding it. The ancient wonder science gifted by our ancestors has mind-blowing and natural remedies for rheumatoid arthritis.  This illness is known as Ama vata in Ayurvedic terms and most often it is said that the pain in the affected joint areas is as painful as a Scorpion’s sting. The prescribed use of Ayurvedic essential oils according to the Ayurvedic body types has proven positive effects in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.

Causes and symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis:  The exact cause for rheumatoid arthritis is not known. Few may inherit this disease from their family and Ayurveda strongly denotes that the basic reason behind this illness is due to the toxins known as ‘Ama’ due to unevenness of body fire. This sultry toxin has the dangerous effect of jamming the function of the vital parts of the body that helps in nourishing the system.  Imbalanced vata carries this toxin and it finally reaches kapha subjugated parts of the body like stomach, joints, brain, chest and few others. Since this is an autoimmune disease, it erroneously affects the healthy tissues of the body and gradually lowers the regular functioning of the body and slows down the system.

The symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis are swelling, inflammation of the joints, loss of appetite, indigestion, pain, morning stiffness, pleurisy, burning and itchy eyes, insomnia, burning sensation in the feet and hands, loss of energy, fatigue, nodules under the skin, weakness, aversion to food and few more. This disease is common among women than men, especially in the middle ages. According to Ayurveda, there are three types of rheumatoid arthritis. They are Vataj, Pittanubandi and Kaphanubandi and each of them have the predominance of the Ayurvedic doshas, vata, pitta and kapha.

Ayurvedic remedies for rheumatoid arthritis: The greatest value to treasure about Ayurveda is that it treats a disease from the beginning by analyzing its root cause and not by looking at it just at the surface level. This is because it aims at permanent remedy as well as focused prevention of the illness in the future. By this time, you must have clearly understood that rheumatoid arthritis occurs mainly due to the uneven deposition of toxins in the body especially, the joints. So Ayurveda focuses on the process of eliminating, purifying and discharging the toxins settlement using simple yet startling essential oils and certain other natural remedies.

  • Turmeric essential oil for rheumatoid arthritis: Popularly known as the ‘Golden Goddess’ this oil has innumerable curative properties and the most highlighting among them are anti-inflammatory, analgesic and anti-bacterial properties. Turmeric essential oil eliminates the toxins that are stored in the body and cleanses the system and is perfectly called as an ‘All-purpose cleanser’ in the Ayurvedic world. It treats the kapha imbalance and is prevalently used in weight-loss treatments with its therapeutic and warming properties. A renowned research has proved that Turmeric and its extracts like Turmeric essential oil with the presence of curcuminoids are in charge for the antiarthritic effect and have been effectual in treating and preventing inflammatory disorders like rheumatoid arthritis.
  • Peppermint essential oil: Another celebrated remedy for rheumatoid arthritis is the use of peppermint essential oil that has anti-inflammatory, anesthetic and analgesic properties that help in lessening the inflammation, reducing pain and soothe the inflamed areas from within. It is also used as an excellent cleanser for mouth, which is considered as the storehouse of ‘Ama’ or the toxic substances of the body. You can dilute this oil in carrier oils like jojoba oil or olive oil and gently massage the affected areas for guaranteed relief from pain, swelling and irritation.
  • Oil Pulling: Oil pulling is a natural treatment for removing toxins from the mouth and from all over the body. The benefits of which are mentioned in Charaka Samhita, the Ayurvedic text. Regular oil pulling with sesame oil, coconut oil or sunflower oil preferably in the morning in empty stomach for about 20 minutes will help in oral hygiene, whiter teeth, stronger gums and natural alleviation of toxins from the body that cause rheumatoid arthritis and other major health disorders.
  • Other natural remedies: Apart from the use of Ayurvedic oils for treating rheumatoid arthritis, Ayurveda has few more suggested remedies like the use of Ashwagandha herb (Withania Somnifera) and Asparagus racemosus, which have been proved beneficial in the healing of rheumatoid arthritis. Ayurveda also insists on regular physical exercises that involve the movement of joints, yoga and meditation for quick remedy of rheumatoid arthritis. The Arthritis Foundation has also listed a research update by the scientists from the Baltimore John Hopkins University, stating that yoga has absolutely been helpful for treating people with rheumatoid arthritis.

Whatever illness you may have, Ayurveda has the right protective shield for you and it is rightly called as the ‘Science of Life’.

Thought for the day:

Health is the soul that animates all the enjoyments of life, which fade and are tasteless without it.                       – By Lucius Annaeus Seneca

Suggested reading:

  1. Oil Pulling Therapy: Detoxifying and Healing the Body Through Oral Cleansing by Bruce Fife.
  2. Ayurvedic Yoga Therapy by Mukunda Stiles
  3. Yoga & Ayurveda: Self-Healing and Self-Realization by Dr. David Frawley

Reference Links:

  1. Rheumatoid Arthritis by PubMed Health
  2. Ama Vata by Podar Ayurved Medical College
  3. Yoga helpful for Rheumatoid Arthritis by Arthritis Foundation
  4. Turmeric extracts containing curcuminoids prevent experimental rheumatoid arthritis by The National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI)
  5. The benefit of Ayurvedic diagnostics in treatment strategies for rheumatoid arthritis by European Journal of Integrative Medicine.

Think Ayurveda To Think Better

Your thoughts decide your actions and your actions define ‘YOU’. There are myriad emotions that are exclusively indulged with humanity. Only you can smile, you can talk, you can discover and you can create. Thinking positive indicates that you are a proud owner of a healthy physique that keeps your thinking sound as well. Ayurveda talks about the constructive effects of positive thinking that helps you keep going on and on. Pessimism or negative thinking can even stop the functioning of your heart and collapse the brain’s functionality. Every human being has his own problems but just the severity of the problem differs. You can laugh at a person if he says he is free of troubles because in this materialistic world only a five-headed snake can be free of worries. It does not count whether you have problems or not but it matters how you deal with it and Ayurveda paves way for such an optimistic living.

Optimistic thinking: There’s a popular book named ‘You Can Win’ by Shiv Khera where the author beautifully lists the mentality of Pessimists’. 3 of my favorite lines in that excellent piece of writing are:

‘Pessimists don’t see the doughnut, only the hole,

Pessimists forget their blessings and count their troubles

Pessimists stop sleeping in bed when they hear that more people die in bed than anywhere else’

Yes my dear friends! This is the way that negative thinking affects your life and the best way to come out of this dark world is to think better with the natural and holistic healing of the ancient science named Ayurveda.

Ayurvedic treatment for optimism: According to Ayurveda, a healthy mind is the key to a healthy body and your attitude decides it. In this mechanical epoch that drains you, demands more than your potential with taut deadlines and cumbersome workload ends up in mental stress, difficulty in striking balance between your work and your family, anxiety, fear, fatigue and deep depression. When every single problem is placing you in the darker side of the world, let it know that you are strong with the real power granted by the natural Ayurvedic essential oils, meditation and yoga along with the robustness to turn the tide.

Ayurvedic essential oils for positive thinking: Essential oils of lavender, marjoram, grapefruit, thyme, sandalwood, jasmine, lemon, peppermint and ylang ylang possess an adorable fragrance in nature. These oils have soothing, calmative, stimulating, energizing and revitalizing properties that can enrich your spirits along with your mind and body. Using these essential oils either as a massage oil or to your bath tub or in your diffuser will calm your nerves, relax your muscles, alleviate stress, lighten your pressure, uplift your mood, kindle your thoughts, augment your mind power, improve your memory power, balance your emotions, fortify your immune system, strengthen your will power, encourage a peaceful sleep while invigorating your system for a replenished crack of dawn.

Meditation: Ayurvedic way of treating humanity can never be fulfilled without meditation. Spend some quality time for yourself and let that time of eminence be your meditating time especially in the early hours of the day when your environment is calm and composed. Meditation with deep breathing exercises can empower your mind while promoting positive feelings and preparing your body to adapt to new challenges and your mind to learn luminously, think undeniably, regulate stressful situations, recall your past and retain your balanced system for the days of harmony ahead you.

Being an optimist is the best way to setting your life as a role model for your younger ones to lead their life with great trust as real optimists always see an opportunity in every threat:)

Reference Links:

  1. You Can Win by Shiv Khera
  2. The healing force is within ourselves by Ayurveda France
  3. Attract more positive energy by Rejuvenation Lounge

Tomar Seed Oil

With the botanical name Zanthoxylum armatum, the Winged Prickly Ash tree is a member of the Citrus family Rutaceae. Tomar tree is indigenous to Eastern Asia to China along the Himalayas and few other parts of India. The essential oil is extracted from the seeds of this tree through steam distillation method. The naturally spicy, warm, woody, peppery, rich and floral aroma has made its use remarkable since the pre-historic period.

Ayurvedic system of natural healing has used Tomar seeds for treating numerous health conditions including oral problems and this is the main reason why this tree has been named as Toothache tree. This is a proven fact and is in practice even in today’s contemporary living. Popular Indian Ayurvedic toothpaste like Dabur Red toothpaste has Tomar seeds for its antiseptic and odor fighting potential along with other powerful herbs like pippali, kashni, lavanga, sunthi, pudina, maricha, karpoora, and hareetaki.

Purchase Tomar Seed Oil – Wholesale – CLICK HERE

Tomar tree is also known with other popular names like Toothache tree, prickly ash, suterberry, yellow wood, tumbru, darmar, tumru, timroo, tejphal and mukthrubi. The most common synonym for Zanthoxylum armatum is Zanthoxylum alatum. Tomar seed oil is pale yellow in color with an energizing aroma for which it has been mainly used in the making of apothecary perfumes, incenses, colognes, forest notes and certain other high class floral compositions.

Traditional uses: The time-honored use of Tomar tree includes its use by various communities across the globe. The social and ethnic groups in the Uttaranchal Himalaya use Zanthoxylum armatum for medicine, food and barter.  This tree is regarded to have religious importance and magical powers. Every part of the tree including the fruits, bark, stem and fresh leaves are used for various purposes. The decoction extracted from the bark or fruits or seeds of this tree were used as a sweet-smelling tonic for treating cholera, dyspepsia and fever.

Timur fruits are used as spices, condiments, medicine and as flavoring agents for soups and many other conventional dishes. It is used as a trusted remedy for treating cough, stomach problems, common cold, toothache and fever. It is also said that the Sino-Annamites used the fruits and leaves of this tree as emmenagogue, astringent and carminative. The branches of this tree are used as a natural toothbrush. A fresh or dried Tomar fruit is kept on the affected tooth for curing toothache instantly.

Ayurvedic health benefits of Tomar Seed Oil: Ayurveda strongly believes that human beings are a part of nature and the remedy for their illness should also be from nature. Ayurvedic principles state that the universe is made up of five elements like fire, water, earth, air and ether. Human body also has these five fundamental elements as a combination of doshas or the individual body types namely vata, pitta and kapha. A healthy lifestyle and harmony with nature’s law of living aids an individual to live a long, healthy and harmonious life according to Ayurveda.

This spiritual science also states that health is a combination of physical, mental and spiritual well-being and any disease is an indication that the body is in disharmony with nature. The most stunning fact about Ayurveda is that it treats the individual as a whole instead of the disease alone. It supports this common sense science to identify the root cause of an illness and treat it naturally and prevent it in the future also.

Ayurveda states that the tree of Tomar known as Tumburu or Gandhalu in the Ayurvedic world is yet another significant gift of nature to mankind. The essential oil extracted from the seeds of this tree are said to have healing properties like antiseptic, hepatoprotective, stomachic, disinfectant, deodorant, anthelmintic and carminative.

Effectiveness in treating hepatic diseases: Human liver is the major organ for governing the process of metabolism, excretion and certain other physiologic activities of the body. The most common disorder that affects the liver is hepatic diseases. Such hepatic damages are mainly due to toxins in the food, pharmaceuticals like CNS active agents and antibiotics, peroxides in edible oils, hepatotoxic chemicals like alcohol and certain other environmental pollutants. Ayurvedic medication has explored numerous natural remedies for treating liver diseases, which are still in use in many parts of India since centuries. When compared to modern medications like immunosuppressive agents and corticosteroids, these natural Ayurvedic remedies are claimed to grant better relief in a longer run.

Tomar seed oil is said to possess antioxidant properties and it also contains phenolic compounds. It is a proven fact that plants that contain antioxidant property is also said to exhibit hepatoprotective action. A renowned study on ‘Hepatoprotective Effect of Zanthoxylum armatum DC’ proved that the presence of ethanolic extracts in Zanthoxylum armatum showed hepatoprotective effect against liver damage by regularizing the increased levels of the hepatic enzymes and showed shielding effect on the plasma membrane of hepatocytes. This proved the effectiveness of using this herb in Ayurvedic treatment for liver disorders.

Natural insecticide: The essential oil of Tomar seeds yielded nearly 28 compounds and the major ones being monoterpenes and oxygenated monoterpenes. This oil also showed antifungal properties against 24 different fungi. It also exhibited repellent and larvicidal activity against three mosquito vectors, proving it as an effective natural alternative to chemical larvicides.

Other health benefits: This oil was trusted to give warmness to the body and was recommended for treating ailments like rheumatism, bronchitis, indigestion, asthma, varicose veins, toothaches and cholera. It was also proved that Zanthoxylum armatum showed spasmolytic effects that make it a natural remedy for treating cardiovascular, respiratory and gastrointestinal disorders. Another research published in PubMed evidenced the antioxidant, antifungal, antiaflatoxin activity of this essential oil. Tomar seed oil has also been used as a gentle massage oil blended with carrier oils like coconut oil to treat fibrositis, rheumatism, leg cramps, varicose veins and certain other skin problems. It is also said to stimulate the mucous membranes, lymphatic system and promote blood circulation.

Disclaimer: All essential oils are highly concentrated liquids and applying them directly on your skin or taking it internally is not advisable unless and otherwise recommended by your Ayurvedic practitioner as per your health conditions.

Thought for the day:

Nature goes her own way, and all that to us seems an exception is really according to order. – Goethe

Suggested Reading:

  1. The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Essential Oils: The Complete Guide to the Use of Oils in Aromatherapy & Herbalism by Julia Lawless
  2. The Complete Book of Essential Oils and Aromatherapy: Over 600 Natural, Non-Toxic and Fragrant Recipes to Create Health – Beauty – a Safe Home Environment by Valerie Ann Worwood
  3. The Aromatherapy Bible: The Definitive Guide to Using Essential Oils by Gill Farrer-Halls

Reference Links:

  1. Traditional Uses and Conservation of Timur (Zanthoxylum armatum DC.) through Social Institutions in Uttaranchal Himalaya, India by Conservation & Society Journal
  2. Hepatoprotective Effect of Zanthoxylum armatum DC by the Institute of Pharmacy and Emerging Science
  3. Safety assessment of Zanthoxylum alatum Roxb. essential oil, its antifungal, antiaflatoxin, antioxidant activity and efficacy as antimicrobial in preservation of Piper nigrum L. fruits by PubMed
  4. Chemical composition and larvicidal activities of the essential oil of Zanthoxylum armatum DC (Rutaceae) against three mosquito vectors by National Institute of Malaria Research