Bone Health
by Sheela Rani Chunkath
All of us have or know someone who has suffered knee pain. I know a vaidyar friend of mine who cannot attend a party or social gathering without people going into excruciating details about their knee pain. “My knee is generally OK, it pains only when I climb down the stairs and then it makes creaky sound.” “It pains when I get up from the chair.” “My doctor says that I have osteoarthritis and that is why I have this pain.” “I seems to be having recurrent fractures, I am told it is because of osteoporosis.” “I used to be able to sit cross-legged on the floor and eat from a banana leaf in family functions but now I cannot. And if I do manage to sit I need a crane to lift me up.” “I just can’t use an Indian toilet any more.” Most of them are busy people, some do not have enough resources to go for a panchakarma treatment and are looking for something that can help them deal with the pain, discomfort and degeneration of the bones.
Allopaths often prescribe calcium tablets but I am informed that the bioavailability of calcium is poor. I have at various times written about Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) and its nourishing properties, guduchi (Tinospora cordifolia) the wonder herb of Ayurveda, Asthisamhara (Cissus quadrangularis) the herb that heals fractured bones, Arjuna (Terminalia arjuna) that is used for heart health, Amalaki (Phyllanthus emblica) the superb anti-oxidant, Bala (Sida cordifolia), which pacifies all the three doshas, guggulu (Commiphora mukul) which helps support the immune system and shuddha laksha (Laccifer lacca) an excellent wound healer.
When our siddhars described medicines or herbs as being good they invariably chose those that had many properties and were therefore capabable of curing many diseases. A herb like Arjuna for instance is an excellent cardio-protective while simultaneously being calcium rich. Our siddhars also believed that like enhances like and so we would find them recommending liver soup to enhance liver functioning, or rib bones to help with respiratory problems or blood for improving haemoglobin etc.
In a proprietary medicine called Asthiposhak I found this incredible combination of ingredients to improve bone health. I am normally a fan of classical ayurvedic preparations and am comfortable having something that has stood the test of time. However when a Vaidyar friend of mine recommended Asthiposhak I was quite taken up with the felicitous combination of ingredients. The first ingredients listed was kukkutanda tvak bhasma namely egg shell calx. As like improves like, it increases the bio-availability of calcium in the person consuming it. In addition it has Asthisamrita, Arjuna, Shudha laksha, Amalaki, Ashwagandha, Guduchi, Suddha Guggulu, Bala and Baboola Kwath. Instead of eating calcium tablets prescribed by allopathic doctors for almost everyone over 50, I think this is a for more effective medication to treat such conditions as osteoarthritis, knee pain, and other joint pains. In addition the herbs have wonderful rasayana or rejuvenative properties and will help with heart health and as an enhancer of immunity. As ayurvedic drugs evolve, the government needs to set up labs which can assess the quality of ingredients. This cannot be a private sector initiative and must come from the government. Testing ayurvedic medicines especially those that contain metals and declaring them safe would go a long way in reassuring people about the safety and efficacy of ayurvedic medications.
--- The writer is retired Additional Chief Secretary, Government of Tamil Nadu. She can be reached at Sheelarani.arogyamantra@gmail. com. Earlier articles can be accessed at http://arogyamantra.blogspot.com/