Pain in the body can be the most debilitating and bothersome condition for any person as it greatly interferes with day to day living, quality of life and basic functioning. Cause could be an injury or an illness and could present itself as a neuro-muscular, musculo skeletal pain like an inflammation in a sprain, acute pains like throbbing pain of an ulcer, to a spasmodic stomach pain, a chronic pain of a rheumatoid arthritis, sciatica, lumbar spondylosis, migraines etc. Pain management, therefore, is a comprehensive field of symptoms and corresponding solutions.
Ayurvedic view:
To simplify this vast range of different kinds of pain, Ayurveda explains vata vitiation as the main causative factor and therefore treatment of vata dosha helps in pain management instantly. Following treatment techniques are applied for pain management:
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Agnikarma – epidermal burn by cauterization and can be used in treatment of joint pain, lumbar spondylosis, sciatica, frozen shoulder
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Raktamoshana – bloodletting – taking out of impure blood from the body.
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Jalaukavcharan/ Leech therapy – painful cracked heals, soles, migraine, swelling in joints, pain due to blood accumulation under the capillaries
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Viddha karma – headache, tonsillitis, nasal blockage, colic pain, joint pain etc
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Marma chikitsa – highly effective non-invasive method of pain management, by effectively manipulating the specific marma points, which help in movement of the prana in the channels, thereby releasing the pain. Effectively used in the management of a host of problems and is quite effective in managing
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Muscular, joint pains
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Nerve compressions
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Headaches/ migraines
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Respiratory obstructions
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Mental stress
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Fatigue
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Paralysis
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Spondylitis/ spondyliosis
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Snehana – Consumption of medicated oils and external application of medicated oils is a proven effective way of balancing the vata imbalance in the body. The medicinal oil varies as per the presentation of the pain and vitiated dosha but is effectively used in the management of constipation, paralysis, insomnia, arthritis, tremors, nervous exhaustion etc
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Svedana – steam therapy, usually used as a part of abhyangam, svedana helps in opening up the body’s channels thereby paving way for the toxins, ama, blocking the movement of prana, to enter into circulation and move towards digestive system for proper digestion and subsequent elimination. The heat through the steam greatly helps in improving the blood circulation, thereby increasing the supply of nutrition. Heat in svedana helps in clearing out the skin and blood and restores vata – kapha balance. Svedana is effectively used in the management of earaches, headaches, paralysis induced pain, stiffness, spasms and tremors caused by some mineral deficiency etc.
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Vasthi – One of the most acclaimed and effective treatment for balancing/ subsiding the excessive vata, vasthi is successfully used in the management of chronic constipation, lower back pain, arthritis, sciatica, gout, rheumatism, management of Parkinson’s disease, muscular dystrophy, osteoporosis, muscle nerve atrophy etc
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Sthanik vasthi – a pool of warm medicated oil is placed on different locations of the body like in kati vasthi, where a dough of black gram is used and warm oil is placed on the lower back/ lumbar-sacral area, or greeva vasthi where the same is done on the cervical area or Uro vasthi (heart/ lungs), Janu vasthi (knee) for a longer period. This helps in localized management of pain
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Shirodhara – a straight uninterrupted flow of warm medicated oil on the forehead is extremely helpful in pacifying the vata and this treatment is effectively used in management of headaches/ migraines
The above external treatments are combined with internal medicines for effective pain management. The intensity of the problem, the vitiated dosha combination and the kind of presentation of the pain will alter the recommendation of internal and external remedies.