Spondylosis

WHAT IS THIS DISEASE?
Cervical Spondylosis and Lumber Spondylosis are two types of normally known disorders.  Wear and tear affecting the spinal disks in your neck is called Cervical spondylosis and degeneration of lumbar or low back vertebrae is known as lumbar spondylosis.  Pains in the neck, back, or waist and tingling or numbness in the legs, feet, arms, and hands are the initial indicators of spondylosis.  It worsens over a period of time and gets aggravated.  As a result, the patient suffers from pain.  Patients find problems in their sitting posture.  Some deformity is observed in their gait. They tend to limp and experience numbness or lack of sensation in their feet.  Increasing pains make them restless and sleepless.  These are the symptoms of spondylosis.

WHY ME?
Diseases like spondylosis are largely found in many elderly people and it’s the second most commonly found disease.  Many people believe that this is an upshot of a wrong and hectic lifestyle, gruelling traveling, stress and worries, excessive physical exertion and accident.  However, Ayurveda does not subscribe to this view fully. Therefore, our study goes beyond these visible factors. There are so many people around with the kind of lifestyle that we have.  They also travel extensively but they don’t experience the degeneration of vertebrae.  That’s why the question arises, “Why me?”.  Ayurveda, therefore, has given deep, extensive thought to this problem which involves the ‘panchabhoutik chikitsa’.  When we come across any such patient at Prakruti Ayurvedic Health Resort, we conduct the panchabhoutik chikitsa and design an appropriate course of treatment.

PRAKRUTI’S DIAGNOSTIC SPECIALITY
Generally, when a patient visits the doctor for spondylosis treatment some common questions like, “Did you have some kind of accident?  Did you suffer from any jerk or injury in the past?  How often do you travel?” and so on.  And with a subsequent MRI test, the doctor diagnoses the patient with spondylosis.  All this helps to make a correct diagnosis but the crux remains.  You cannot get to know, “Why me?”  This is where Prakruti’s diagnostic specialty stands out because our endeavor is to go to the root cause through the naad-parkisha, nadi-pariksha, and udar-parkisha.  These chikitsas or investigations are based on the patient’s date of birth.  That’s why they help us arrive at the basic and precise cause of the problem.  If your vertebrae are not getting enough calcium, it means it is malnourished.  And despite having healthy food or a seemingly healthy body, there is no proper calcium supply to your vertebrae.  It is, therefore, important to understand how calcium is provided to our bones through the food that we eat.   Normally in such cases, some household measures are initiated, which involve oil massage or fomentation and so on.  Still, if the problem worsens people go for an x-ray and if required go for MRI on the advice of the doctor.  Some painkillers are prescribed and yogasanas or physiotherapy exercises are advised.  These measures work only to a certain extent. However, the problem is not eliminated fully.   At Prakruti Ayurvedic Health Resort, we uproot the cause completely with the help of scientifically established panchabhoutik chikitsa and panchakarmas.

Among the other measures, the naad-chikitsa is the most important.  Naad means sound.  With gentle thumping on the patient’s stomach in a specific manner, the intensity and nature of the sound are assessed.  This helps us to understand defects and deformities in the Pancha–mahabhutas (five basic elements of the body and nature).

Subsequently, the nadi-pariksha (diagnosis through pulse) helps to know if there is any imbalance in the tridoshas (kapha, vata and pitta).  It also helps understand if there is deformity in the sapta-dhatus (seven essential body constituents, such as (i) rasa – plasma (ii) rakta – blood (iii) mamsa – muscles/flesh (iv) meda – fat (v) asthi – bone (vi) majja – bone marrow (vii) shukra – reproductive fluid/semen). Nadi parkisha helps us in understanding physical and mental attributes of the patient.

Next comes the udar-parkishan (abdominal examination).  This chikitsa is useful to know why the food that is consumed is not extracted into the blood.  Another chikitsa involves a ʺbirth-month related diagnosisʺ.  This is particularly useful to understand the physical and mental constitution of the patient at the time of conception.  Accordingly certain treatment plan is designed.  For example, if a particular patient is hot-tempered, he is considered to be ʹworried-sickʹ.   So there are patients with hot temperaments and cool temperament.  The naad-chikitsa and nadi pariksha help us understand the subtle difference through the sound and nadi-vibrations which takes us to the root cause of spondylosis.

           Even if you take a casual search on google about “How do bones get calcium?” the search will show two stages of the process.  The first stage involves metabolism, in which the calcium is absorbed in the blood from the intestine.  While it is circulated through the body, it is filtered in the kidneys and gets reabsorbed.  If this doesn’t take place smoothly, the patient may suffer from a kidney stone.  In order to provide the calcium, so reabsorbed, to the bones, different types of growth hormones play an important role.  These hormones are controlled by the pituitary glands in the brain.   That’s why people who are involved in extensive physical activity or laborious jobs, despite not having a good, healthy diet do not suffer from spondylosis because of these two reasons.  Whereas people with a sedentary lifestyle are more likely to have this trouble.

How can you overcome it?
Our treatment plan involves thorough measures to eliminate this trouble totally.  We do not focus only on pain relief or relief from tingling, numbness, or muscle contraction.  Going beyond this, we design a proper treatment plan, panchakarmas, and medication that will help the proper supply of calcium to the bones from the food.  Our treatment works on the root cause, e.g., reducing the gap between the vertebrae, improving the power of vertebrae, and restoring of slip-disk.  Thus, spondylosis can be completely cured with the help of our treatment and medication, without any surgery.

            Certain patients who are not able to visit our center avail consultancy by phone and those who visit us physically are examined for naad-pariksha, nadi-chikitsa, udar-pariksha, and examination/assessment on the basis of birth-month.  Accordingly, the treatment plan is organized.  This involves certain ayurvedic tablets, capsules, some ayurvedic liniments, specially medicated oils, kadhaas (extracts), and syrups.  This medication is easy to handle.  It improves the supply of calcium to the bones and reflects on the patient’s overall health.  Similarly, a specific diet plan is given based on the patient’s birth month, specific yogasanas are taught and advised for regular performance.  Moreso, if required, we guide the patient to perform meditation every day.

            Generally, after 8 days of medication patient can book the residential panchakarma treatment.  After this, he is advised to take medication at home for about 6 to 9 months.  Similarly, he is advised about the lifestyle to be followed, certain DOs and DONʹTs, etc.  The span of Residential Panchakarma ranges from 2 days to 21 days, as the case may be.

            Ayurveda says, ʺYe to sanshodhane shuddhah na doshat punarudbhavahʺ  (The treatment that is established and proved after thorough research does allow the recurrence of diseaseʺ).  If there is a small disorder it can be cured with the help of light medication but if it is some serious disorder, we strongly recommend at least 15 – 30 residential panchakarma regimen at Prakruti Ayurvedic Health Resort.   This improves the absorption of calcium and its proper supply to the bones.  This treatment is designed taking into consideration your body constitution as per your birth month and study of the proportion of tridoshas (kafa, vaata, pitta), a study of sapta-dhatus, stool, and the balance of panchamahabhootas in the body.

Our treatment involves two methods.  For the obese and overweight patients, we administer certain panchakarmas and also suggest panchakarmas be done at home.  This helps in stimulating of metabolism process and the patient starts losing weight.  Panchakarma does not mean only oil massage, fomentation, or basti treatment.  It is a part of the Vedic daily regimen.  It starts at 6 am. with niruhabasti.  Subsequently panchakarmas like nasya, gandusha, anjan, dhoompaan, mukhlepanam, and the specific yogasanas.  Apart from this, a healthy drink is given and a specific breakfast is given that would help the patient reduce his weight.  Further treatment involves full body massage, steam bath, and if required treatments like patrapotali, shashthi–kashali pinda swedan are given.  Afternoon meals involve healthy, but light food that does not allow weight gain.   Post lunch, we suggest the vaamakukshi (siesta).  This is followed by special type of fomentation to the cervical or lumbar vertebrae, with the help of cotton.  This is the unique and most stand-out treatment given at Prakruti Ayurvedic Health Resort because we concentrate on certain subtle and specific points of the body that are decisive to stimulate the nerves.

PANCHAKARMA ROUTINE AT PRAKRUTI AYURVEDIC HEALTH RESORT 
This involves the daily panchakarma routine or dinacharya as prescribed in the ancient ayurveda book known as Ashtanga Hriday Vagbhat Samhita.  It is given for cleansing of body from within.
 
At 6 am. niruha-basti is performed.  This is special type of kaadha (medicated extract).  There are different types of basti, e.g. vaata-shamak basti, pitta-shamak basti, kafa-shamak basti, rasayana basti, asthiposhak basti (for nutrition of bones).  This treatment is decided based on patientʹs birth month.   This is done in order to know in which season the conception took place and which season was going on when the foetus was five months old in the mother’s womb.  Such a deep thought is given before deciding on herbal properties and medication for the niruha-basti treatment and it is customized for every patient, depending on his/her physical and mental attributes.  This proves particularly useful for effective metabolism and the supply of calcium to the bones. It may, however, be noted that the niruha-basti does not mean decoction or enema.
 
The next treatment according to dinacharya is nasya.  This nasal treatment involves light drops of medicated oil in order to provide nutrition to the cervical vertebrae.  It is also useful for the brain in order to have proper secretion of growth hormones from pituitary glands as well as proper blood circulation in the neck, shoulders, and arms.  Nasya also works on tingling and numbness in the hands or legs because it works on blood circulation to these parts.   The medicines involved in this treatment are according to the birth-month vis-à-vis the body constitution of the patient, his profession, and temperamental characteristics.

Gandusha, means cleansing of the throat.  It helps in the loosening of muscle contraction in the neck. It also proves effective in case of vertigo problems or dizziness.  Dhoomapaan means inhaling specially medicated smoke through nostrils.  It stimulates the pituitary glands.  Dhoomapaan is especially given in case the patient has spondylosis due to hormonal changes.   The next treatment is called anjan.  Medicated eye drops.  This treatment is important in order to have healthy and active functioning of the eyes, which are the most important knowledge organ of our body.  Healthy and active eyes help the patient to have greater benefits in the spondylosis treatment.

Next comes the healthy drink.  This involves the use of special medicated herbs.  It works on the appetite of the patient and stimulates metabolism.  Thereafter, depending upon the patient’s nature of illness, x-ray and MRI reports certain yogasanas are taught and made to peform every day.  The yogasana exercise continues for about an hour.  Further, after breakfast, a full body massage is given. The oils used for the massage are chosen according to the patient’s birth-month-related physical attributes, nature, and intensity of spondylosis. Afterwards, the patient is given a steam bath (patra-potali) and shashthikashali pinda swedana.   This works as muscle and nerves relaxant and reduces the pains and contraction of muscles.  This treatment also proves effective to improve the health of degenerated part.    Patrapotali and shashthikashali are performed based on the birth-month of the patient.
 
Siesta (vaamkukshi or yognidra) after lunch helps the patient to relax his body and as a result, the body comes in a receding mood.  It is an indication of the patient’s body responding properly to all the treatments, which ultimately helps in excellent nutrition for the bones.  Subsequent treatment involves heating with the help of a thick cotton piece.  It is dipped in the warm, medicated oil (which is prepared as per patient) birth month.  The fomentation is provided to his neck and lower back.  This is one of the highlights of Parakrutiʹs treatment.
 
In the evening, patrapotali is given again, if needed, followed by an evening walk, different types of yogasanas, light exercises, etc.  After this, the special treatment namely Jentak-swed is given.  This treatment is given only to patients who do not have asthama or ophthalmic diseases.  For diabetic patients, different types of swedan treatment is given. The special herbs and other elements used for this are nirgudi, teel (sesame), rice (uncooked), vekhand (calamus root), etc. This dry-hot bath helps to reduce the vaat-dosha and ultimately it proves beneficial in the treatment of spondylosis.
 
The evening session basically covers the Prarthana, aarti, satsanga discourse, experience sharing, and mixing/socializing with the other patients.  Similarly, adravya chikitsa is part of the daily routine.  This means writing of daily diary, experiences, and thoughts.  Interaction with the doctors and clarification of doubts (if any), guidance from doctors on dietary habits, lifestyle, etc.  Generally, the doctors come for a round twice a day.
 
Post dinner, the patients are required to perform the shata-pavali (gentle, brief walk).  It helps in improving digestion and thereafter in order to provide proper oiling to the intestines, the matra-basti is given.   This stimulates the function of the intestine and as a result, there is better absorption of the calcium which is further provided to the bones. In order to conserve and sustain the effect of different panchakarmas done throughout the day, the padambhyanga, karnapooran, and anjan treatments are given. Such deeply thought-over and scientifically administered panchakarmas are the most highlighting aspects of Prakruti s Residential treatment plan.