Ayurvedic approach in the management of spinal cord injury: A case study

Abstract

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is associated with consequences such as full loss of spinal movements, incontinence of bladder functions, bed sores, etc. There is no satisfactory treatment available in biomedicine with only limited treatments only for enhancement of spinal cord function. These treatments have many limitations. Ayurvedic drugs and Pancakarma procedures have been in use to treat such conditions since a long time. We present a case of SCI with lesion at C4 level which was treated for 2 months with an Ayurvedic combined intervention. The combined treatment plan involved Ayurvedic oral medications (Brhadvātacintāmaṇi rasa - 125 mg, Ardhanāgavātāri rasa - 125 mg, Daśamūla kvātha - 40 ml, Aśvagandhācūrṇa [powder of Withania somnifera DUNAL] - 3 g, Amṛtā [Tinospora cordifolia WILLD] - 500 mg, Muktāśukti piṣṭi - 500 mg and Trayodaśāṅga guggulu - 500 mg) twice daily. Combined procedures involved such as śāliṣaṣṭika piṇḍasvedana (sudation with medicated cooked bolus of rice) every day for 2 months and Mātrā basti (enema) for first 15 days with Aśvagandhā oil. From 16th day, Mustādi yāpana basti (MYB, enema with medicated milk) was given for 16 days. After an interval of 7 days, MYB was further repeated for next 16 days. Substantial clinical improvement was reported after 2 months of the Ayurvedic treatment in existing neurological deficits and in quality of life.

Management of a Case of Lumbar Stenosis With Ayurvedic Intervention

“…Heat administration by Swedana may produce hypno analgesic effect by diverted stimuli. In sandhigatavata, sanga type of srotodushti is present swedana, by doing srotoshuddhi, this sanga is relieved [11].…”

“…It is found in 5-10% of patients with low back ache. The cardinal features include ruk (pain), toda (pin and needle sensation), stambha (stiffness), muhuspandana (twitching and cramping) in the sphik (buttock), kati (waist), uru (thigh), janu (knee), jangha (calves), and pada (foot) [3][4][5]. The ayurvedic treatment consists of both the conditions are snehana (oleation therapy), swedana (sudation therapy), vasti (medicated retention enema), agnikarma (therapeutic cautery), and vatahara shaman yogas (palliative care) [6,7].…”

Ayurvedic management in cervical spondylotic myelopathy

“…There were minor changes made in preparation of Mustadi yapana basti. Majja (bone marrow of goat) was used instead of Mamsa rasa (meat soup) for the preparation of Basti [15]. Majja used in Basti may impart improvement in Majja-pradoshaj vikaras .…”

Ayurvedic management of spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia tarda, a rare hereditary disorder

“…Slight modification was done in M . yapana basti for this case [12], [13]. Trayodashanga guggulu is useful in Snayugatavata (∼various tendon and ligament disorders), Asthigatavata (disorders of bone), Majjagatavata (disorders of bone-marrow), Khanjavata (limping disorders), and various Vatic disorders (∼neurological, rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases) [14].…”