Arthritis of the spine is commonly known as ankylosing spondylitis. Other joints of the body may be involved during the progression of the disease. In a simple means inflammation of the spine or vertebral column. In this disease starts form the sacroliac joints, where the sacrum meets the pelvis, causing mild to severe pain , inflammation and stiffness. In later stage due to inflammatory response and repair, fusion of vertebrsae takes place in the from of bamboo spine. In this condition the spine decreases considerably. The person cannot move or rotate the trunk and neck in any direction. In advanced cases forward stooping of the spine takes place.
Ankylosing spondylitis is one of the main varieties of spondylitis. This comprises 5-10% of total cases of rheumatic disease in the world. The onset of ankylosing spondylitis is associated with the human leucocyte antigen B-27 gene (HLA-B27). It is not the only diagnostic criteria for the ankylosing spondylitis. Ankylosing spondylitis is considered a hereditary condition precipitated by a number of factors. The onset of the disease occurs at the age of 15-35 years. In the U.S.A. more than half a million people duffer form this disease. The actual data about India is not available but it is believed that it is multifold than the incidence in the U.S.A.
The clinical symptoms vary in range from individual to individual. Males are three times more victim than females. The inflammation and pain caused by ankylosing spondylitis may affect hip joints, shoulders, knees, ankles, ribs, costovertebral, costosternal joints and the joints of hands and feet. The inflammation may involve eyes, kidneys, heart, lungs and muscles and cause mild to severe pain. Mild joint pain back ache and stiffness are usually early symptoms,
Diagnosis of the disease is unknown and the treatment is not satisfactory. So the patient has to live his life with the disease. Being progressive in nature symptoms become more pronounced , so one has to compromise with the disease and try to manage pain, stiffness, limitation of movements, postural deformity, spinal conditions, hip and shoulder conditions, neck pain and neck rigidity. Knee pain makes the person confined to bed. Eye, kidney, lung and heart lesions bring more difficulties off and on in generalized disease conditions.
In ankylosing spondylitis, like in other incurable diseases, marma therapy and panchakarma give amazing results, Regular marma therapy gives prompt relief in pain, stiffnes, swelling and associated symptoms. Radiological finding disappears within 3-6 months of regular marma therapy . many surgical arthritic deformities may disappear or get corrected and symptom- free.
Marma science has already benefited thousand of patients with amazing results in different incurable diseases. It is a non -surgical and non- medicinal intervention reaching the poorest strata and curing all kinds of neurological, bone and other ailments. A number of common diseases like hypertension, diabetes, painful knee diseases can be easily treated by marma therapy.