Ayurvedic remedies therapies yoga for bad knees pain

Yoga For Bad Knees + Ayurvedic Remedies For Knee Pain

Sruthi Bhat, BAMS, MPH Ayurvedic Therapies, Health Conditions 1,822 Views

What Is A Bad Knee?

Most of us would have come across at least one episode of knee joint pain, sprain, crackling noises in the knee, or swelling. During these times, we usually resort to over-the-counter medications. Let’s take a look at Yoga poses for bad knees along with other Ayurvedic remedies for knee pain relief.

A bad knee can mean any knee-related condition that impacts daily functioning and activities. As you age, your knee joint can become vulnerable, which can hinder your day-to-day activities.

Let’s look at some of the most common ‘bad knee’ conditions.

We all intuitively know the fact that pain is the first symptom of a bad knee and common pathological conditions for the same include osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, tendinitis, knee injury, and other knee-related conditions.

Causes And Diagnosis Of Knee Problems

There are different diagnostic tests that can identify the possible cause of your chronic knee pain. These tests consist of blood work, physical examination, X-rays, CT scans or MRIs, and other imaging tests.

The major symptoms of knee hurt include constant ache in the knees and sharp, shooting pain when the knees are in use.

Ayurveda is a medical system that mentions both preventive and curative measures to prevent and treat a wide variety of conditions.

In my clinical Ayurvedic practice, I was able to assist most of my clients who were suffering from chronic knee pain using Ayurvedic treatment protocols.

The most common thing I observed in my clients was that if a person was overweight and had a sedentary lifestyle, the chances of getting knee issues increased with age.

Also, even if the person is not overweight and has a fairly active lifestyle, they can still get knee problems if they overutilize the knee joint.

This can be because of the nature of their work i.e. their occupation. Therefore, we should always take enough care of our bones and joints to avoid disabilities later in life.

Reducing The Risk Factors

There are certain factors which we need to take into consideration for reducing the risk of getting a bad knee.

Firstly, you have to have a healthy BMI (Body Mass Index), at least 15- 20 minutes of daily exercise, and a proper diet along with practicing certain yoga poses.¹

These general guidelines can not only help you in maintaining healthy joints but will also help to improve the overall quality of your life.

Clinical research studies have shown that individuals with RA (rheumatoid arthritis) and knee OA (osteoarthritis) can safely learn to practice yoga poses like the surya namaskar (sun salutation)³ to protect the knee from further damage.

See Also: AyurYoga – Yoga For Your Body Type (Ayurvedic Yoga)

Yoga For Bad Knees

Bala Asana – The Child’s Pose

Sit on your knees with your feet together.
Slowly pull the feet under the buttocks, so that buttocks are resting on your heels.
Slightly, separate the knees about the width of your hips.
Place your hands on your thighs, put your palms down.
Notice your breath movements, inhale deeply, and then exhale as you bring your chest between the knees while extending your arms forward.
Rest your forehead on the floor and your arms around to your sides until the hands are resting on either side of your feet, and make sure that your palms are facing up.
Breath through your nostrils as you hold the posture and hold this posture for about one to two minutes.
Then return to asana upright kneeling position with your back straight and your hands on your thighs.
Repeat the posture at least one more time.

Bunjana Asana – The Cobra Pose ²

Lie on your stomach with the toes flat on the floor and forehead relaxing on the yoga mat/ground.
Keep your legs together, with the feet and heels slightly close to each other.
Place the palms downwards under the shoulders, keep your elbows parallel and close to your body.
Inhale and slowly raise the head, chest, and abdomen.
Pull your torso back, off the floor with the help of your hands.

Vrikshasana – The Tree Pose ³

Try to concentrate on breathing and stand straight.
Bent the right knee and placed the right foot on the left thigh. The sole of the right foot should be placed firmly on the inner left thigh.
Try to find the balance and stay in that pose for a few seconds.
Once you can find the balance, try to bring your both the palms together at the chest.
Once you get into this position, close your eyes and focus in the middle of your eyebrow and continue your breathing.
Exhale and gently bring the hands down to your sides. Gently bring your right leg to the ground and return to your normal posture.
Repeat the steps with the other side and relax.

Marjara Asana – The Cat Pose

As a first step, kneel on the floor and lean forward by putting both of palms on the floor pointing in a forward direction.
Palms should at shoulder length. Your stomach will be parallel to the ground, and your thigh should be straight, and feet should be on the floor.
At this point, relax your body completely, and inhale slowly, as you inhale, slowly raise your chin and tilt your head back, and push your navel downwards. Hold this pose for few seconds.
Next, exhale and drop your chin to your chest and arch your back up and hold this position for a few seconds.
Return to your initial posture.
Repeat the pose at least one more time.

Ayurvedic Remedies For Bad Knees

These Yoga poses may help you in maintaining healthy knees.

Other than the yoga poses, be sure to include Ayurvedic treatments such as abhyanga– oil massage, swedana – sudation using herbal drugs and parisheka – pouring medicated oil exclusively on the knee.

You can also try a procedure called janu basti– oil retention on the knee (janu) and janu pichu– medicated oil held on the knee using a cotton-made dam.

These remedies and treatments are excellent for treating bad knees and relieving chronic knee pain. It is always good to include anti-inflammatory Ayurvedic herbs like ginger, turmeric, ashwagandha in your diet.

Consult a qualified Ayurvedic practitioner before undergoing or trying the remedies, treatments, and herbs mentioned in this article. Consult your Yoga instructor before trying these poses.

References

Greysen, H. M., Greysen, S. R., Lee, K. A., Hong, O. S., Katz, P., & Leutwyler, H. (2017). A Qualitative Study Exploring Community Yoga Practice in Adults with Rheumatoid Arthritis. Journal of alternative and complementary medicine (New York, N.Y.), 23(6), 487–493. doi:10.1089/acm.2016.0156
Middleton, K. R., Ward, M. M., Haaz, S., Velummylum, S., Fike, A., Acevedo, A. T., … Wallen, G. R. (2013). A pilot study of yoga as self-care for arthritis in minority communities. Health and quality of life outcomes, 11, 55. doi:10.1186/1477-7525-11-55
Moonaz, S. H., Bingham, C. O., 3rd, Wissow, L., & Bartlett, S. J. (2015). Yoga in Sedentary Adults with Arthritis: Effects of a Randomized Controlled Pragmatic Trial. The Journal of rheumatology, 42(7), 1194–1202. doi:10.3899/jrheum.141129