How effective is Ayurvedic treatment for back pain?

Back pain is a common health concern that has been experienced by many of you over the different phases of your life. It becomes a serious health concern when the pain starts aggravating, becomes unbearable, and starts interrupting your routine life. Back pain cases have increased slightly as a result of the pandemic, prompting the adoption of a work-from-home lifestyle in almost all fields. This indescribable pain in the back mostly happens when the spine's health is compromised. It can also come across because of bad postures, bad sleeping positions, injuries, infections, etc. If not treated at the right time, it will have a way to make you miserable in the most obvious way. 

Let us look further into how back pain can be caused:

Causes for Back Pain

The following are some of the most common causes of back pain:

• Muscle spasm
• Sprain
• Strain
• Slipped disc
• Lumbar spondylosis
• Facet Arthropathy
• Sacro-illitis
• Ankylosing spondylitis
• Osteo-porosis
• Trauma

Much more trivial causes can cause back pain, which can be a symptom of much more severe conditions like malignant or benign tumors, pelvic inflammatory diseases, kidney stones, TB of the spine, congenital spinal canal stenosis, etc. 

The pain can start as a severe, sudden pain and start radiating to one leg or both legs. Immense pain is experienced by the patient while coughing or sneezing. It can also result in a foot drop and a positive straight leg rise (SLR) test. These are the regular symptoms of acute lower back pain. 

When it comes to chronic back pain, it is common in adults who are over 50. The reason for this commonality is the degeneration of the spine. It can also be caused by prolonged sitting and bending and will cause a dull, nagging pain. 

Ayurveda Treatment for Back Pain

When it comes to back pain, Ayurveda is one of the most commonly approached medical practices. It has long been known that Ayurveda tends to help patients find relief, and the chances of back pain relapsing are comparatively low. 

In Ayurveda, back pain has always been associated with vatavyadhi. The most common therapeutic procedure recommended for back pain is panchakarma treatment and other internal Ayurvedic medicines. Going ahead with Ayurvedic treatment has the major benefit of not having any side effects. Instead, after the treatment, one feels more rejuvenated and refreshed. The results will last longer if some effective lifestyle changes are also implemented along with them, which will help in getting back to your old self. 

You may also like to know, Panchakarma Treatment for Back pain

Therapies in Ayurveda that will help cure back pain

External therapies that involve steam and massage are mostly used to reduce the pain and stiffness of the muscles. The steam and massage are done in a particular format and will help strengthen the tissues, rejuvenate them, increase blood circulation, and so on. 

It can also help with a better sleep routine and reduce daily stress.

1. Abhyanga

Abhyanga massage helps restore the balance of doshas in the body of the patient. Massage therapy helps induce firmness in the limbs and improves the circulation in the body. The medicated oils used in the process also help lubricate the joints, move the lymphatic system, and promote detoxification of the entire body. The oils used for this purpose include Mahanarayan Taila, Dhanwantaram Taila, Karpastayadi Taila, Kottamchukadi Taila, and others. It is performed for 3–7 days and followed with a hot water bath after every massage session.

2. Kati Basti

It is one of the most beneficial therapies used for lower back pain. It means retaining something inside the body, which is usually medicated oil. It is the process of applying heat to the lower back of the body using warm oil and a frame. This frame fixes the perimeter within which the oil has to place itself and leaves it to seep in through the skin to the affected area. It is kept there for 20 - 50 minutes and later washed off with warm water. The process is done over a 7- 14 day period.

3. Choorna/Patra Pinda Sweda

This method is basically a process of inducing sweat in a person’s body, either through steam or other methods. As sweat starts forming on the body, it means that it will eliminate the stiffness and coldness of the body. Herbal powders and leaves are tied up in a cloth and massaged on parts of the body where there is pain, and heat is generated through the process. The cloth is heated at frequent intervals. This is an apt medical treatment for sports and ligament injuries.

4. Navarakizhi

It is a pain-relieving treatment and uses a special type of rice called Shali rice. This rice is boiled in milk with herbs and then tied up in a cloth to form Navarakizhi. It nourishes the body and is yet another sweat-induced treatment. It is known to slow the progression and degeneration of tissues in the back and allow the body better flexibility. It relieves swelling and pressure and is primarily used for treating arthritis, spondylosis, and other joint disorders.

For acute back pain, there won’t be any suggestion from the Ayurvedic practitioner for a prolonged treatment, and the other suggestions will be:

1. Parisheka 

Parisheka is an ayurvedic treatment in which an ayurvedic herbal decoction or processed milk or processed buttermilk is poured over the patient’s body, precisely on the affected areas, from a predetermined height. It is helpful in activating sensory and motor receptors in the body.

2. Kati Pichu

It is a type of cotton padding that is applied to the affected area. The cotton pad will be soaked in medicated oils and kept on the area affected for a specific period of time.

3. Lepana

In the affected area, a thick paste of herbal medicines is applied, followed by a clean cloth and herbal leaves. It aids in the relief of pain as well as the reduction of inflammation. 

These are some of the treatments that are chosen for back pain, and these treatments are bound to bring in a lot of other benefits as well.

 

In addition, Ayurveda recommends lifestyle changes such as regular exercise, yoga, and a balanced diet to help manage back pain. It's always best to consult with a qualified Ayurvedic practitioner to develop an individualized treatment plan. So Ayurvedic treatment for back pain is helpful in relieving back pain and correcting the irregularities and imbalances in the body.

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