By Linda Thompson, Minneapolis, MN, USA
If you haven't had arthritis, you may be envisioning simple stiffness and aching of the joints; well, it wasn't and it still isn't quite like that. My name is Linda Thompson and I'm 58 years old and I live in Minneapolis, MN. My life had always been active. I loved to spend hours gardening, hiking with my husband, and I enjoyed baking with my grandchildren immensely. Yet slowly but surely, arthritis was taking over my life, but at first I wasn't even aware of it.
It began as some stiffness in the mornings and in my hands and fingers. At first, I ignored it and told myself, "It's just me getting older." Then my knees began to hurt each time I took the stairs, and soon it became difficult for me to even open a jar. Holding my coffee mug began to bring on aches in my wrist, and even buttoning my shirt in the mornings was impossible for me to manage.
The constant pain in my body was excruciating, but it was the lack of independence that seemed to affect me far more than the physical pain. It was incredibly embarrassing having to ask my husband to help carry the groceries or pull me up from the sofa. Hiking with the family in nature ceased to be something I enjoyed, as I just couldn't manage to keep up anymore.
Once, my granddaughter asked me for help building a Lego castle. After ten minutes of building, my hands began to ache so severely that I had to stop. "Grandma, your hands are broken today?" she asked innocently. I smiled but inside I was weeping. I knew that day that things had to change, and a quick internet search led me to Karma Ayurveda Reviews USA and their holistic, systematic and lifestyle-altering approach.
What caught my attention was their simple, straightforward manner, and I booked a consultation with their physicians. Much to my surprise, after detailing how badly my joint pain was, my doctor was much more interested in asking about the stress levels in my life, my sleep habits, and the state of my digestion. It seemed strange to me that these questions were relevant, but as I had no answers and felt they would eventually bring about a solution, I went along with the advice.
I followed the recommended Ayurvedic treatment plan together with my conventional prescribed medicines and clinic appointments.
The initial few weeks of changing my diet, introducing a routine, removing processed food from my diet, and continuing to follow the regimen in spite of expecting immediate results required a lot of effort; it wasn't easy.
Things did not happen overnight; but after about 6 weeks, my mornings became noticeably easier to handle, and I was no longer feeling as if I was waking up like a stone. My fingers no longer ached from the slightest movement, and going out into the world did not cause my body as much pain as before.
I remember on Sunday at the farmers' market, where I would usually have to sit down for a short while after twenty minutes; that day I stood there for nearly 2 hours admiring all of the flowers and taking in the ambience. It felt like for the first time in years I wasn't in a cage of pain, but for once I was just alive, and the thought never even crossed my mind to stop.
It felt weird at first living in Minnesota and trying to organize all of the online consultations, but my appointments were organized perfectly and my doubts were addressed with care. I also love that there was no promise of an immediate cure, but my doctor continuously told me that I would heal with routine and by following a regimen. I was making real progress at a sustainable pace.
I started gardening again and even found myself happily baking once again. My granddaughter handed me my Lego box again and I played with it for over an hour with her, and she told me, "Grandma, your hands are working again!" My entire world was brought back to me at that instant.
Arthritis had not just destroyed my joints; it had taken away the joy in my life and had me convinced that I would spend the rest of it feeling this way. I felt my best days were behind me; but after this I knew differently.
Karma Ayurveda Reviews from people like me in the US often tell of their experiences with chronic illnesses, and how it led them to the path of Ayurveda which can help in regaining lost years and even life.
If I have one thing to tell you today it's: don't give up. Ayurveda made me realize that I do not need a thousand drugs or cures for each tiny ailment; I just need a holistic approach.
Today I still practice my daily routine of stretches and maintain my healthy diet, but all that is still part of the joy I feel at life itself.
When asked what it took to overcome arthritis, I say, "I gave up chasing the cure and started to cultivate my well-being".
My approach now to arthritis is simple: it will not get the best of me, because I have been empowered by Karma Ayurveda to regain control of my health. To me, it is a gift.