Low Backache Management Through Ayurveda

Low Backache Management Through Ayurveda

Low backache is a very common health problem worldwide. It is a major cause of disability – affecting performance at work and general well-being. Low backache can be acute, sub-acute, or chronic. Though several risk factors have been identified (including occupational posture, depressive moods, obesity, body height, and age), the causes of the onset of low backache remain unknown in most of the cases. Backache is not a disease but a group of symptoms.

Some common cause for low back ache are

• Muscular spasm
• Sprain of muscles, ligaments, tissues, etc
• Slipped disc
• Sacroiliitis
• Osteoporosis
• Lumbar spondylosis
• Facet arthropathy
• Rheumatic arthritis
• Osteoarthritis
• Ankylosing spondylitis
• Sciatica
• Any injury or trauma
• Spinal deformities
• Pelvic inflammatory disease in women
• Kidney stones
• Spinal TB
• Spinal tumor
• Pregnancy-induced
• Post-delivery etc

Low Back Ache Management

At the present low backache is treated mainly with analgesics. The causes of lower backache are rarely addressed. Alternative treatments include physical therapy, rehabilitation, and spinal manipulation. Disc surgery remains the last option when all other strategies have failed.

Ayurvedic Perspective of low back ache

Ayurveda holds that low backache is a result of the vitiation of one of the three principal ‘doshas’. Low backache (prushta soola) is due to Vata dosha aggravation and bone and muscle weakness (asthi dhatu kshaya or mamsa dhatu kshaya).

Treatment in Ayurveda aims to bring the vitiated dosha back to the state of equilibrium and thereby to the state of health. Once thus pacified, the balanced doshas will allow treatment efforts to be directed to the dhatus (tissues) involved.

Low back ache HON way of management

For treating low backache, internal as well as external treatments, yogic practices, diet modification, etc has to be taken as per licensed ayurvedic practitioners’ advice.

The general principles of treatment for Vata dosha are followed for conditions of low backache. Avoid all Vata aggravating factors, including a Vata aggravating diet and lifestyle

Also recommended are snehanam (oil application or abhyanga), swedanam (hot fomentation or steam) and Basti (medicated enema  therapy).

A diet having an amla (sour) and lavana (salty) taste, Snigdha (unctuousness), ushna (hot) properties are used to treat, Vata imbalance in our body.

Treatment done at HON

• Abhyanga (OIL MASSAGE),
• Swedanam /sudation(FOMENTATION )
• Mardan ( GENTLE MASSAGE),
• Raktamokshana (bloodletting) –THROUGH HIJAMA
• Kati Basti is a method of unctuous fomentation that is externally applied to alleviate localized Vata and provide nourishment to the place of pathology, the lumbosacral region.(POOLING OF MEDICATED OIL IN LUMBO SACRAL REGION)
• Other forms of sudation or medicated steaming such as avagaha sweda (TUB BATH) may be recommended.

• Pizhichil, the pouring of warm oil over the body(OIL BATH)

• Nadi swedana (tube fomentation),

•  Pinda sweda (fomentation with medicated boluses),

• Mridu samshodhana (mild purgation),

•  Medicated enema (basti)

Prepared by:

Dr.Vineetha Rohin

Ayurvedic Practitioner

Dept.of Ayurveda

House of Nature Medical Centre

Abudhabi

****Always consult a qualified Ayurvedic practitioner before self-administering any herbs or therapies. Even natural treatments may have side effects or adverse reactions if not properly used.

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