What is the Pain of Spondylitis & How to Get Relief?
The pain of any kind is agonizing, and if it’s making your daily life challenging, then it feels like adding insult to injury. Spondylitis is one such pain that saps your energy physically and emotionally, dampening your spirits and impacting your quality of life. What is the pain of spondylitis and how to get relief from this debilitating pain? We will explain that but first, let’s understand what is spondylitis.
What is Spondylitis?
“Spondyl” means spine and “itis” means inflammation, so spondylitis is a condition that affects the spine, resulting in inflammation, stiffness, and pain. It restricts movements of the neck, back, or any other vertebrae of the spine where it affects, and may lead to chronic discomfort. Pain can be mild to severe, or persistent, badly disrupting daily activities.
Types of Spondylitis
Four types of spondylitis according to the part of the spine it affects are:
Cervical spondylitis
As the name suggests, it affects the cervix or the neck vertebrae, causing stiffness, swelling, and pain in the neck region, which may radiate to the shoulders and the arms. Neck movements become too painful.
Lumbar spondylitis
Inflammation and pain in the lower back that spreads down to the legs is often due to lumbar spondylitis. Back pain usually worsens in the morning or after long periods of inactivity.
Ankylosing spondylitis
This is the common type of spondylitis and affects the part of the spine that meets the pelvis region, known as the sacroiliac joints. The symptoms include severe pain and stiffness in the back and hips, and restricting movements like bending, turning, or twisting of the spine.
Psoriatic spondylitis
This is not very common but affects people with psoriasis, resulting in stiffness and pain in the spine and the joints.
Spondylitis from Ayurvedic Perspective
Ayurveda highlights the role of Vata dosha in spondylitis and how vata is responsible for movement and activity in the body. According to ayurvedic principles, when there is an imbalance in vata dosha, it results in dryness, stiffness, and pain in the spine and joints. The factors that cause vata imbalance are:
- Overexertion or inactivity
- Exposure to cold or dry weather
- Erratic diet and lifestyle
- Undue stress
How to get Relief from Spondylitis Pain
Ayurveda doesn’t believe in suppressing the symptoms of pain by the use of painkillers but offers a rounded approach to managing spondylitis pain. Some of the ayurvedic practices that are quite effective are:
Herbal remedies:
Several therapeutic herbs have anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties and form an integral part of ayurvedic treatment. Some of the very effective herbs are Guggul, Shallaki, Nirgundi, etc. These herbs have the ability to strengthen muscles, reduce swelling and stiffness, calm the nervous system, and relieve pain. They can be taken in the form of capsules, decoctions, or powders, as per ayurvedic practitioner’s advice.
Pain relief oils
Ayurvedic pain relief oils play an essential part in improving spondylitis pain. They are infused with herbs that go down into the tissues of the pain area, reducing pain and inflammation. Some of the herbal oils include:
Dhanwantaram oil: It relieves joint and muscular pain, particularly effective on vata disorders.
Mahanarayan oil: This oil is known for its anti-inflammatory properties. It improves mobility and flexibility by reducing the stiffness of the joints.
Sandhi Sudha oil: This ayurvedic oil strengthens muscles and weak nerves. Enhances blood circulation, helping quick recovery of damaged joints and tissues. Strong herbs present activate synovial fluid production, increasing joint lubrication, and reducing swelling and pain in the joints.
Damdar oil: Damdar hotsteam joint pain relief oil with natural herbs that relieves joint, tendon, and muscle pain. It reduces stiffness and chronic aches. Damdar oil generates smoke, which is a sign of deeper absorption of the oil into the tissues, marking its effectiveness. This oil for knee joint pain increases blood flow in the pain area and gives a warm relaxing sensation, reducing stiffness and pain.
Oil massages
Oil massages are part of the detoxification therapy in Ayurveda that aids in balancing constitutional dosha. Massages with therapeutic oils improve blood circulation, and loosen tight muscles, reducing pain and stiffness. Herbal steam therapy is followed after oil massages for better absorption of these medicated oils.
Asanas and Exercises
Regular yoga asanas such as cobra pose (bhujangasana), cat-cow pose (marjaryasana-bitilasana), and locust pose (shalabhasana) are a few of the asanas that strengthen the spine, improve spinal mobility and flexibility, reduce stiffness, and correct posture.
Lifestyle Tips for Spondylitis Management
- Stop leading a sedentary lifestyle or staying in a position for too long. Stretch and walk taking a break every 30 minutes.
- Use a chair that helps keep your spine straight while sitting.
- Calming your mind by practicing meditation, deep breathing exercises, and adequate sleep reduces dosha imbalance.
Try Sandhi Sudha Plus oil or Maha Damdar oilto get relief from all kinds of joint, muscle, and tendon pains including neck, knee, and back pain.
Final Thoughts
Spondylitis is a difficult condition but with ayurvedic management, it is possible to cope with pain and improve quality of life. Pain relief oils, herbal remedies, and lifestyle changes can heal and provide relief. For best results, check with an ayurvedic practitioner to get a personalized treatment plan as per your specific condition and symptoms.
