Dissecting parkinson’s disease and managing it with ayurveda: a concept

Summary of article contents:

Parkinson's Disease (PD) is an akinetic rigid syndrome and about 1% of the people above 60 years are affected by it. Ayurveda scriptures have no firsthand reference to this condition nor its symptoms, comprehended in one place. In the initial stages, slowness in moving the arms and legs is noticed. The daily activities like dressing, feeding, and brushing the teeth are affected and gradually worsen. Having to depend on others for the same, in the later stages of the disease is a major cause of depression in patients with PD. The presence of Lewy bodies as a result of degenerating neurons confirms PD. The exact cause of PD is not known. An unambiguous description of Kampavata is seen in the book Basavarajeeyam and the symptoms are close to those of Parkinson’s Disease. A few symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease also mimic those seen in the conditions of Avrutha vata . For treatment purposes, PD can be classified into premotor phase and motor phase. The motor phase can again be classified into Kevala vataja and kaphavataja . In the condition where bradykinesia and rigidity are predominant, treatment should be aimed at removing kapha avarana and then alleviating Vata, followed by Brihmana and Rasayana. In features like memory impairment, Snehana with Ghrutas are beneficial. Counselling the patient as well as their family becomes a major part of supportive care. There is a need for a holistic approach of medicinal intervention, counselling, and modification of tools and their place of living to help the patient carry out the activities of daily living with minimal discomfort. Keywords: Parkinson