Gout or gouty arthritis is a purine metabolic disorder. It is the condition where monosodium urate or uric acid crystals get deposited in the connective tissue of synovial joints, tendons, and surrounding tissues. These urate crystals are formed from the increased level of uric acid in the blood. This deposit can often increase in size and provokes an inflammatory reaction in these tissues.

• It affects males more than females.
• In this condition, the uric acid level is >6 mg/dl in females and >7 mg/dl in males.
• These crystals are needle-like so causes pain, swelling & inflammation in the joints. Firstly, it is seen in the big toe so-called Podagra sometimes.

It is called Vata-Rakta in Ayurveda.

Vata – Vayu (Wind)

Rakta – Blood

Here, Vata gets vitiated which then combines with impure blood and travels throughout the body causing pain, swelling, and redness (inflammation)

It is sometimes referred to as the “disease of kings,” because people long have incorrectly linked it to the kind of overindulgence in food and wine only the rich and powerful could afford. In fact, gout can affect anyone, and its risk factors vary.

Etiology/ Causative factors:

• Excessive intake of proteinous diet (eg: red meat, cheese, grams, milk, egg, etc.)
• Sedentary lifestyle
• Renal failure
• Intake of medicine like PYRAZINAMIDE, ASPIRIN.
• Lead poisoning
• Hyperparathyroidism
• Down’s syndrome
• Excessive alcohol intake

According to Ayurveda, nidanas (Causes) are :

• Due to excessive intake of a diet containing salt, sour, alkaline, pungent, fatty, the meat of aquatic and marshy animals, oil-cakes, radish, horse gram, leguminous vegetables, curd, buttermilk, etc.
• Day sleeping habits
• Anger etc.

Due to the fineness and more subtleness feature of Vayu, it circulates all over the body.

Symptoms:

• Onset: rapid
• Joint pain in the very early morning and stiffness.
• Tenderness over the joint.
• Usually, it is first seen in the big toe and affects other joints gradually.
• Piercing pain, heaviness, numbness in joints, feet, hands etc.

Types:

According to modern medicine:

• Acute &
• Chronic

According to Ayurveda classical text:

• Uttana
• Gambhira

Complications:

• Recurrent gout
• Advance gout
• Kidney stones

Pseudogout: In this condition, the calcium pyrophosphate crystals are deposited not the urate crystals.

Ayurvedic management of Gout:

Ayurvedic management of gout aims to regulate the metabolism to prevent a high level of uric acids in the blood and prevent further damage to the joints.

After an initial consultation with an Ayurvedic doctor, your doctor will advise you a personalized diet, herbs, and Ayurvedic detox program as per your constitution and current imbalances.

An ayurvedic doctor may recommend you Panchakarma detox to eliminate the toxins and uric acid accumulated in the blood and joints.

It is experienced that Panchakarma therapies have shown better results with gout patients. The Panchakarma therapies for this include:

• Baluka sweda (Sand fomentation therapy)

Here, sand is tied in cotton, and the bolus is heated and kept over the joints.

The baluka therapy alleviated Vata & Kapha, clearing the very subtle channels of the body.

• Anuvasana Vasti (oil enema )

This is an enema therapy where medicated oil or ghee is administered through the anus, It helps in detoxifying the lower gut.

• Vaitarana vasti (Enema): It is also one of the specific enema therapy that helps for the proper functioning and physiology of the lower gut.

Ayurvedic herbs for Gout

• Giloy (Tinospora cordyfolia) formulations
• Kaishor guggulu
• Dasamool Kashayam
• Punarnava
• Neem
• Ginger

Advice:

• Avoid foods rich in proteins (fish, meat, legumes, etc.)
• Avoid alcohol, sedentary lifestyle, day sleep.
• Take low purine diets like rice, nuts (limited), fat-free cheese, vegetables, fruits.

Yoga and pranayama

• Surya namaskar
• Naukasana (Boat pose)
• Ustrasana (Camel pose)
• Sarvangasana
• Halasana

Pranayama:

• Naadi shuddhi
• Kapalbhati etc.

Note: This article is designed for the general management of Gout according to Ayurvedic principles. Please do not use this information for your self-diagnosis and treatment without the proper guidelines of a professional. If you wish to follow the Ayurveda program, you are advised to book a consultation with a qualified Ayurveda doctor who is specialized to design a personal program comprising a diet, a combination of herbs, and a detox program according to your personal needs. Sunshine Ayurveda offers effective and holistic management of gout based upon the ancient principles of Ayurveda.