Osteoarthritis and Osteoporosis are two degenerative diseases that come with age. As such, they do not have any known cure. Aging is a natural process that cannot be reversed and there will be degenerative consequences. The main problem, where these become known as diseases is that they create a lot of pain and discomfort in the patient.
Certain experiments have shown
that a person can live a painless, healthy life even with Osteoporosis and
Osteoarthritis if the muscles of the body are healthy enough. If you look at a
car, it has shock-absorbers which not only protect the people inside it from
jerks but even the car from damage if it goes on bumpy roads. Similarly, muscles
act as the shock-absorbers of the body. If they are healthy and elastic, any jerks
and shocks generated by any activity we do are absorbed by the muscles. But if the
muscles are too tight, they can damage easily, while if they are too weak, the
bones underneath them are more prone to damage.
This is why those who work out
too much or participate in sports without enough warm-up and stretches have
very tight muscles which are prone to injuries. And this is also why older
people who have weak or under-exercised muscles, tend to easily fracture their
bones with a fall. The central point here is muscle health.
The best way to keep the muscles
strong and elastic is through Massage and Yoga Asanas. Yoga Asanas ensure that
all the muscles of the body, external as well as internal, are used and kept
healthy, like a well used and well oiled machine. Massage ensures that stressed
and contracted muscles are relaxed through specific manipulating techniques and
they get enough fresh blood supply to keep them healthy. Mental relaxation,
which is a result of massage, help in improving body functions, including
digestion and absorption of important nutrients like calcium.
Massage also helps in draining
out toxins from the muscles and the body in general, which helps in better
functioning of the body and has also anti-aging in property. Geriatric Massage is
very important for the physical and mental health of senior citizens. However,
it is important to note that degenerative diseases are a long-term process.
They can start at a younger age and only show themselves through symptoms when
we get older and when the condition worsens. And so, if we start taking
measures at a younger age, it helps to slow down the degenerative processes and
thus can even help in preventing these diseases to a certain extent.
Writer:
Mr. Pinakin Shah
Founder
