Rheumatoid Arthritis

A type of arthritis in which the joints of the body(fingers, wrists, knees and ankles)becomes swollen, painful, stiff and sometimes deformed. This is accompanied by slight fever and fatigue. Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disorder, where the immune system attacks the body's own tissues.
A low-fat diet is required, also a diet which is high in whole grain cereals, vegetables, fiber, low in sugar, animal products, and refined carbohydrates. A vegetarian diet has been shown to reduce inflammation, cook with vegetable oils and margarine instead of animal fats, such as lard and butter. Eat oily fish: mackerel, herring, sardines, and salmon daily. An alternative to eating fish is a daily supplement of cod liver oil. Increase your intake of vitamin E, found in wheat germ, nuts, seeds and seed oils and take a daily supplement of 400-1000 iu. Sometime rheumatoid arthritis can be triggered by food allergies. Tke a supplement of 50-100 mg of selenium, 1 multivitamin and mineral supplement daily.
Gentle self-massage aids circulation and reduces inflammation: use a light cream or oil, lightly stroke the muscles and tissues around the area involved in the direction of the heart. You can also roll a clean tennis or squash ball over the area, exerting pressure. Swimming in a heated pool helps keep joints mobile.

Peppermint oil

Peppermint oil is excellent for headaches. It clears the sinus. It cools and refreshes to enable free breathing. Place a small amount on one hand, rub both palms together and inhale through the nose and mouth for a short time. Later, place the palms on forehead and back of the head. It is very cooling especially in cases of fever. A small amount of peppermint on the finger and rubbed inside the mouth makes the mouth feel refreshed and cool.

Benefits of massage therapy

Massage is a therapy involved with movement of enegry in the body. For the maintenance of health and to create balance among the three humors, vata, pitta and kapha. Ayurveda recommends massage with various oils. The massage process and type of oil depend upon the person's individual constitution.
For an aggravated vata condition, ayurveda suggests massage with sesame oil to calm and balance the body. Stroking against the body hairs facilitates penetration of the oil into the hair follicles. This technique is indicated because vata people have dry skin and closed follicles. Massage for a person of pitta constitution should be done with sunflower or sandalwood oil because these have cooling properties. For kapha constitution, corn oil or calamus root oil or the massage can be given without oil.
Certain techniques apply to specific disorders. For example, for stagnation of blood and poor circulation, massage towards the heart. For muscle spasms, tightness and soreness, massage in the direction of muscle fibers. massage should be done in the morning during kapha time for kapha disorder, in the evening for vata disorders and in the afternoon for pitta. For kapha people, deep massage is beneficial. gentle massage is good for vata and pitta individuals.