Trado Photo-thermal Medicinal Applications of Shea-butter on Arthritis

Introduction- Advancement in age comes with it lots of health issues. Usually, people begin to experience pang of pain in their joints as they clock certain age brackets , say, 50 – 100 years, around some areas in their bodies which may require some medical concern. These pains come in the forms of back, neck, finger, hands, wrist, waist, fractures and joints pains. The effects can be mild , intermediate or acute , and are connected to the circumstances to which the body is exposed. For instance, sitting, standing or twisting the body at some angle for a long time can create pain unnecessarily. All this is a clear indication that Arthritis is gradually creeping into the system and demands lasting remedies; either by the administration of pharmaceutical substances or other effective means that will keep life sustained and enjoyable. Aging should be a thing of ecstasy and not regret !

Arthritis and Its Signs- In a human body, there are too many areas where different bones intersect and commute together. These areas are called joints, and constitute about 70% structural design of the body. If inflammation or degeneration occurs in the body, it activates some degree of pain . This is referred to as arthritis. It is accompanied with series of signs or symptoms noticeable in all age range but most pronounced with elderly people. Its causes are both known and unknown but exist in different forms such as Osteoarthritis(OA), Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS), Juvenile Arthritis (JA) , Gout Arthritis (GA), Psoriatic Arthritis (PA) and Rheumatoid Arthritis. Each of these specifies the area of concentration and root cause of the pain. However, other factors contributory to the development of arthritis are lifestyle, aging, weight, sex, etc. With these kind of people, stiffness, pain, redness, swelling, tenderness, warmth and tear in the skin are common.

Photo-Detection of Arthritis in the Body- Arthritis can be detected by the use of X-ray, MRI or other painless radiation machines. These machines are controlled by specialists who use them to take photo-shots or pictures of the bones, joints and soft tissues. Consequent upon proper study of the pictures and discover of the affected areas such as cartilage breakdown, bone fractures, tendon wounds and inflammation around the soft tissues, appropriate medical prescriptions are administered. Take note that Arthritis cannot be cured but can be managed or treated to a level of less noticeable. This can be achieved by considering the entire health challenge of the patient. Blood tests have clinically shown no results on arthritis and cannot be relied on .

Traditional and Photo-thermal Methods of Managing Arthritis- Traditional approach to the treatment of arthritis has been proved effective in the eastern part of Nigeria. The techniques are simple and involve the extensive use of Shea-butter in combination with infrared , that is , heat from a hot-red metal or hot-red firewood. Two powerful agents are synchronized to work together as a unit in order to get a result. However, the chemo-components of Shea-butter are found as triglycerides(oleic), stearic, linoleic, palmitic fatty acids and unsaponified materials. Also, other nutrients of great vitality that it contains are : vitamin F, A, and E, antioxidant vitamins which improve body moderation and healthy skin condition. Shea-butter is a fatty substance extracted from Shea-tree popularly known as Karite . This tree is native in Western African Lands and bears a botanical name vitellaria paradoxa. It has a pH value of the range 6.50 +- 0.30 ~ 6.78+- 0.30 , less toxic and good for heart health. It protects the skin from UV harshness but makes use of thermal radiation for therapy purposes.

Shea-butter is heavily laddened with fat . This feature accounts for its rapid dissolution rate when closely exposed to solar / thermal radiations. The principle is simple. It absorbs latent heat from radiant energy source (hot-red metal or firewood) which causes a breakdown in its cohesive bond, in favour of a body with an adhesive recipient force. As exposure to heat lasts, it begins to loose its viscous constant and eventually converts to a transparent liquid substance. In this liquid state, it still maintains its hot content and becomes very light to apply to the affected location. The patient is meant to lie down so as to expose the body part or site where the application will take place. Then, the hot liquid content is vigorously rubbed on the surface site for quick penetration into the skin - accompanied with hard massage. This practice continues daily for seven days after which, the patient will experience a superlative relief with some level of fitness.

However, other areas where thermal applications of Shea-butter is highly potent are the treatment of cough, numbness, migraine headache, swollen arm/leg, hardening of hair follicles / scalp, skin toning and shrinking of pores etc.

Who Can Use Shea Butter Thermally? Anybody can use this method to treat arthritis if you understand the approach. Just feel free to use it and good enough, no side effect !

Disclaimer: Always see your doctor for a professional advice ! This article is written to contribute to the body of knowledge and should not replace the services of a physician.

REFERENCES : www. health-line.com, www.webmd.com