Joint pain is one of the most common problems experienced by people all around the world. It can cause pain, swelling and discomfort in the joints of the hands, feet, hips, knees or spine and lead to difficulty in their movement (1).
Usually caused by disorders like osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, gout and injuries, joint pain can adversely affect your day-to-day activities (1). Therefore, it is crucial to treat joint pain on time. Ayurveda offers many therapies and remedies to treat and manage joint pain, one of which is Lepa Kalpana or Lepakarma.
Let’s know more about Lepa therapy in Ayurveda and its benefits for joint pain.
Lepa Kalpana: An Ayurvedic Therapy
Lepa Kalpana is a therapy that involves the preparation of a herbal paste or Lepa for external use. A Lepa is made by pounding wet herbs into a fine paste and grinding dry herbs into a fine powder and then mixing them together with liquid media like Swarasa, Kwatha, Ghrita, Taila, Godugdha, Gomutra, Jala etc. (2).
Lepa can be used to treat a majority of diseases, including joint pain. The herbs and liquid media to be used depend mostly on the type of joint pain and the body constitution of the patient (2).
Lepa Kalpana in Joint Pain: Benefits and Uses
Ayurveda says that Lepas are highly beneficial in the treatment of inflammatory conditions and Vata disorders. Therefore, it is one of the most popular therapies in Ayurveda for treating joint pain, especially Vatrakta or gout (3).
Lepa therapy helps reduce joint stiffness, alleviate pain, relax muscles around the joint and lower swelling and inflammation. Other benefits of Lepas depend on the herbs being used.
Some of the popular Lepas in Ayurveda for joint pain are Dashanga Lepa, Grihadhoomadi Lepa, Jatamayadi Lepa and Kottamchukkadi Lepa (4).
Characteristics of An Ideal Lepa Application (2)
- All the herbal ingredients should be taken in fine powder form.
- Lepa should be applied against the hair follicle direction to facilitate better absorption.
- It should be removed instantly after drying
- It should never be applied during the night.
- Ayurveda does not promote the overlapping of Lepas.
The Final Takeaway
Lepa therapy is highly beneficial in alleviating pain and inflammation in the joints and reducing discomfort. It is an all-natural and herbal approach that only requires an external application. However, you must consult an Ayurvedic practitioner before applying any Ayurvedic Lepa as it is important to use the right herbs to avail the best benefits in joint pain.
You can find Ayurvedic Lepas in the market easily. One of the best places to find your Ayurvedic Lepas is Seniorz Complete Joint Expert Lepa by Zanducare.
References
- https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/symptoms/17752-joint-pain
- https://www.jaims.in/jaims/article/view/509/519
- http://www.iamj.in/images/upload/1176_1185.pdf
- https://www.myupchar.com/en/disease/knee-pain/ayurveda
