What Is Osteoarthritis?

The Mayo clinic offers us this definition for osteoarthritis:
Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis, affecting millions of people around the world. Often called wear-and-tear arthritis, osteoarthritis occurs when the protective cartilage on the ends of your bones wears down over time.

While osteoarthritis can damage any joint in your body, the disorder most commonly affects joints in your hands, neck, lower back, knees and hips.

Osteoarthritis gradually worsens with time, and no cure exists. But osteoarthritis treatments can slow the progression of the disease, relieve pain and improve joint function.

I appreciated this article on natural healing through the use of glucosamine sulfate (with the caution from Mayo clinic), describing this naturally occurring substance’s ability to stimulate the manufacture of cartilage components. http://www.dynamicchiropractic.com/mpacms/dc/article.php?id=42537

Dr. Mercola offers some helpful insights about why Omega 3 fats are important in healing osteoarthritis: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/12/29/omega-3-radically-improve-arthritis.aspx#!

He also talks about what you need to know if you are using or are considering using prescription drugs to treat arthritis: http://www.drmercola.com/health-tips/why-arthritis-patients-shouldnt-rely-on-drugs/

And here is some additional information from Dr. Faith Coleman, with lots of alternative and self-care ideas if you are suffering from arthritis: https://www.flexablehealth.com/pages/arthritis-resources

As always, it is wise to talk with your own doctor and do your own research regarding the physical cause and treatments that might best work for you.

What is the Metaphysical Meaning Behind Osteoarthritis?

In exploring the metaphysical meaning behind osteoarthritis in meditation, these are the insights I received, and I hope they will be helpful to you:

Osteoarthritis is about working too hard at life; pushing too hard. When you are living outside the natural flow of life (see Chapter Two of my book, The Root of All Healing for more insights about this), you are not on the path of least resistance. You are working and creating in resistance. In a sense you are burning through your life. Your energy becomes too dry internally and your hormones become out of balance.

In order to heal you need to experience greater fluidity in your life. You’ll want to discover how to “go with the flow,” allowing life to happen, rather than making it happen. Discover time to play as well as to work, and when you work, affirm a life in which you achieve with ease.

If you appreciate Louise Hay’s work, as I do, she does not distinguish between osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. (See my article on rheumatoid arthritis if that is the condition more appropriate for you.)

Hay describes the metaphysical meaning for arthritis as:

Feeling unloved. Criticism. Resentment.

How Can I Support Myself emotionally and Spiritually in Healing Osteoarthritis?

Now let’s put these two definitions together. If you are hard on yourself, you will be critical of yourself and others. If you push hard to achieve while others do so with ease, you might find yourself feeling resentful. Ultimately, if you do not love yourself as you are, you just might be working hard to be more—to be worthy of love.

retreat, self healing, natural healing, stress

When you feel the urge to push yourself harder or do more, consider pausing first. Give yourself a moment to imagine, feel, sense, know that there is any easy and fluid way to do this. Become still enough within to recognize the easiest way to achieve. Open up your mind to the possibility that there could be an enjoyable way to create that is truly in the natural flow of life.

Give yourself permission to first love you as you are, with all your perceived strengths and weaknesses. After all this is the journey you came here to experience so that you could discover the depth of your capacity for love. So love it all!

Then when you feel loved as you are, by all means, achieve. There is great satisfaction in creating something meaningful in the world. Consider that you deserve to live life with joy and ease as you create, loving yourself as you are right now and also for the wonder you are creating.

I created a Sound Healing CD for osteoarthritis for a friend, and you can get it too. And remember, in order to address the metaphysical meaning and roots behind osteoarthritis, be gentle and kind as you look for the natural and easy ways to approach life.