How to Treat Parkinson’s With Ayurveda
Parkinson’s disease is a neuro-degenerative disorder that
affects movement. The process begins gradually – usually with a minor tremor in
one the hands. Even though tremors are the most common symptoms of Parkinson’s,
in the later stages, muscles tend to become stiff and movement becomes slow –
often painful. It becomes difficult to perform unconscious functions like
blinking or smiling and speech becomes slurry.
Ayurveda has its own name for Parkinson’s disease – it’s
called Kampavata and is believed to be
caused by the exaggeration of the Vata
Dosha. Since the Vata Dosha usually
falters in the old age, Parkinson’s disease is more commonly exhibited in the
older generation of people.
In Ayurveda, Parkinson’s is believed to be the result of a
flawed lifestyle. Not following proper Ahaar
and Vihaar leads to the
aggravation of the Vata Dosha. This
excess Vata then moves inside the
body through Srotas (micro-channels)
and accumulates in the available spaces in the body. Once this accumulation
reaches a certain threshold, the person starts exhibiting the symptoms of the
disease. Luckily,
Ayurvedic Treatment
for Parkinson
Nidaan Parivarjana: This
treatment focuses on removing the etiological factors that are known to cause
Parkinson’s. This is done by guiding the patient to discontinue the Ahaar and Vihar that is known to
increase the Vata in the body. The
foodstuff that is Rookshya (dry), Laghu
(light), Sheet (cold), Daruna (unstable), Khara (rough) and Vishad (clear) should
not be the part of the diet of a person suffering from Parkinson’s.
Sanshodhan: The
word Sanshodhan refers to fixing. In
this step, the excess Vata that has
been accumulated in the body is made to come out. This is done via a number of
methods including Snehana (massaging),
Abhyanga (massaging with herb-infused oil), Swedana (steam therapy), Nasya
(intranasal drug administration), Basti (enema of herbal oils).
Shaman: This is
the ultimate step for Parkinson disease treatment in Ayurveda.
In this step, the excess Vata in the
body is balanced out with Ayurvedic herbal medicines.
Ayurvedic treatment for Parkinson focuses not only on
counteracting the disease but it also lays emphasis on strengthening the body
to fight the symptoms. For this, Yoga is
highly recommended – especially the Bhujangasana
and Setu Bandhasana. The former
prevents the muscles around the chest from stiffening, thus maintaining the
proper functioning of lungs, and the latter strengthens back extensors which
usually get weakened due to the crooked gait – which is a symptom of
Parkinson’s.
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