Do you know which disease will have the longest chronicity (a lifelong disease)?
Do you know the disease that takes maximum number of young adults to the wheel chair? And the disease that needs the longest years of healthcare and the highest health care expense. It is a condition in which women are affected three times more than men.
The answer is Multiple sclerosis (MS). An unknown name until ten years ago in Asia but in the West, MS is immediately understood.
MS starts mostly with mild sensitivity problems like numbness or at times with milder vision disturbances or even temporary total loss of vision. Once the pathology sets in, it starts to progress with time.
The annoying symptoms of MS that hinders the quality of life are balancing problem, walking difficulties (requires walking stick, wheel chair, etc.), vision loss or cloudiness of vision, bladder difficulties (frequency, incontinence and urgency), cognitive disturbances, coordination problems, spasticity, sexual dysfunction, tremor, ataxia, stiffness of limbs, pain that is non responsive to analgesics. At times, antiepileptic medicines are used for the same psychological problems like mood swings and depression.
Even though the average age of onset of the disease is around 28 years, there are also paediatric cases of MS. In Germany alone, about 300 children are diagnosed every year. And annoyingly, the number of cases of MS worldwide is escalating. The incidence in India shows the same record.
The diagnosis of MS is done by MRI and CSF studies (as confirmatory test). Multiple Lesions are present in the brain and spinal chord, especially in the white matter of the brain and in the cervical region of the spine. MS is interpreted on the basis of activity and size and number of lesions but a more detailed study considering the whole brain will give more information about the disease in the future.
The etiology of MS is unknown. It is prevalent more in Europe, especially Scandinavian countries, Canada and US where there is less availability of sunlight. In my clinical experience, multiple reasons are to be coined as the cause of MS. Toxic, physical stressors – ingested toxins like heavy metal toxicity and other types of toxins, multiple vaccinations in a short duration of time, too much time on computer, familial tendencies, injury to head and spine and mental stressors.
Immunological disturbances could also be a leading factor for MS. The ailment could be broadly considered as a Neuro – psycho- immuno – endocrinological disorder. So a wide spectrum of causes have to be eventually considered here.
Even though MS is considered as an auto-immune disease by the allopathic system, ayurvedic concepts cannot connclude that this as the cause. Auto-immune process might be an effect or an intermediate effect of an ongoing pathology. Most of the allopathic medicines used in the treatment of MS are based on this assumption and I doubt, for the same reason, that they are unable to bring much results and also with multiple side effects.
In conventional medicine, there is no known cure or to curb the disease. There are only the so called disease-modifying medicines. Most of the MS medicines are “accidentally proven” for the treatment of MS, which are otherwise used for entirely different diseases. The main medicines that are used in the treatment of MS are Interferon (originally used in Hepatitis, in tumour and antiviral), Methoxanthron and alemtuzumab (both used in chemo therapy in leukemia with serious side effects), Amantadine (antiviral and in Parkinsons disease) cortisone during relapses, copaxone, tsyabri, Fampyra.
Unfortunately, they are unable to provide any long term benefits to the patients. In fact, those medicines have no known benefits that help the patient even for few years, but have definite side effects that are equally troublesome like the disease itself. The most important and largely sold medicine 'interferon' was studied by the British Government and did not give an insurance coverage for this expensive medicine since it does not give any lasting benefit to the patient. In India, an injection of interferon costs about Rs5,000 (US$73). A single company makes US$2,000mn for three different MS drugs. Interestingly, this is higher than the whole ayurveda medicine manufactured in India.
The incidence of MS is found one in 150,000 people. There are different types of MS. The relapse and remission form of MS (RRMS), secondary progressive MS (SPMS), primary progressive MS, Primary Relapsing type of MS (PRMS). Among the different types of MS, RRMS has the best prognosis before it changes to SPMS. PPMS needs to be treated as a different disorder even though the symptoms are similar.
MS patients are largely turning to alternative therapy owing to the reasons mentioned above. Ayurveda had proven effect for this disease. There is no mention of MS in ayurveda as a particular disease because it is a lifestyle disease what was recently noticed in the last one century.
MS differs from other Vata vydhis in the following aspects-
Immune system is directly involved in the disease process. For example, the infection can worsen MS symptoms.
Environmental temperature can alter the disease fast. A mild rise in temperature can sometimes influence the disease adversely. The extreme case of worsening of condition due to temperature variation is called as Utoffs phenomenon in MS.
The typical form of relapse and remission in a neurological disease is not mentioned in this form.
Young adults are affected, which is also a difference from most degenerative neurological diseases.
Vata and vata pitta dosha combination are involved in the pathogenesis of MS and three in five patients belong to this constitution. The compensatory effect of Kapha to vata is much reduced in MS. The immune system will get involved in toxic MS and in the predominence of Pitta . The involvement of GI system, endocrine system and immune system needs to be treated parallelly.
Panchakarma needs to be carefully administered, if at all required. Erratic use of these procedures may aggravate the condition and at times unfavourably affect the already existing bladder and bowel disturbances. Warm therapies like svedana and pizhil are mostly avoided. Theekshnadravyas need to be avoided. Theeksna nasya and vyreechaneeka nasyas could even lead to a relapse. In such cases, the recipe normally used in classical preparations needs to be restructured altogether.
MS is a curable disease in the initial stage if there is no considerable motor deficit or bladder involvement. In the later stages, the treatment can stop the pathology process and can improve the various symptoms of MS.
The Aims of MS therapy :
Control on the progression of MS: To control the pathological process of MS, so that further deterioration of the disease could be stopped.
Stabilisation of MS and improvement of symptoms: Stabilisation is attained when there is no further progression of the disease. Specific symptoms are considered, like gait disturbance, vision disturbances, bladder problems, etc., which improve during the treatment and are sustained thereafter.
Cure from MS could happen without leaving any residual symptoms in the initial stages of the disease. A periodic follow up at least for three years is an essential component for the success of the therapy. The minimum duration of treatment is 50-60 days a year, which has to be repeated for three years.
The line of treatment that we follow generally are:
Adhi-Stana Chikitsa (treating the source of illness): Treating the central nervous system
Agni Sara Chikitsa (reorganising or fine tuning the metabolism): Correcting the digestive fire in a person which improves the cellular metabolism.
Kaya Sattwa (mind-body balancing)
Dathu Shuddhi (cellular rejuvenation)
Palliation of accompanying illness or pathology
Treatment Methods:
The therapy for MS is a system that uses a group of therapies aimed at treating the source of the disease, where palliation of symptoms happens on its own accord. During the treatment period, a patient undergoes various types of therapies involving numerous herbal preparations depending on the constitution, metabolic status, mental state, severity of the disease and symptoms of the patient. The duration of the treatment for a single day is approximately five hours.
The main treatments followed at our centre are Shirovasthi, Thaila dhara, Kashaya dhara, Oushadha–Njavara, Nasya, Basthi or other Pancha karma (whenever required). Sometimes certain variations in therapy within the framework of ayurvedic principles are adopted, such as in case of severe balancing deficit, where a shirovasthi-shirdhara combination therapy is carried out.
Therapeutic yoga postures are taught to patients along with therapy. Patients are prescribed individual yoga postures depending upon the body constitution and symptoms, which helps in improving the coordination, balance, strength in the lower limbs and flexibility. MS specialised physiotherapy is given for individual needs by experts.
The fundamental criteria for success in treating complex disorders in ayurveda depend on the quality of herbal preparations. Treatment-oriented herbal recipes are made, which are not available for sales elsewhere. These herbal preparations are created in limited quantities to ensure the quality.
We make custom made oils depending upon the constitution and symptomatology. Most of the herbal oils which are used for MS are custom made and are potentiated several times. Numerous ingredients are used for preparing the herbal oil for Shirovasthi . Fresh herbal extracts are abundantly used in preparing these oils.
Ingredients:
Sesame oil as the base oil
Water: added four to eight times
Herbal paste: ¼ the quantity of oil
Herbal decoction: two times that of oil
Fresh Herbal extracts: two to eight times the quantity of oil
Method:
These ingredients are heated on mild fire in a traditional vessel made up of 5 metal alloy (Varp). The contents are slowly stirred continuouslyduring the entire process to ensure the uniform absorption of heat. When the herbal paste has reached a stage, which is called as 'MruduPaka' (soft consistency - where there is percolated water molecules), the oil is filtered. This stage stays only for a few minutes in the entire process, so oil needs to be filtered carefully within this short span of time. The whole process of preparing the oil takes around 12-15 days, during which the temperature of the oil is always kept at 75-80°C.
The medicated oils are highly seasoned and concentrated herbal oils. The repeated addition of herbal extract and herbal decoctions (11 times) makes the oil 11 times potentiated than the normal oil.
While treating MS or other complex disorders, we as ayurveda physicians face a multitude of difficulties. From propagating a methodology of treatment, making own medicines, having a strict control on making the medicine, and the routine follow up of patients during and after treatment is required. During this time we collect data like the MRI and other lab reports for diagnostic, prognostic and for a future research purpose. Separate interviews in the form of testimonials from the patient at different stages of treatment to evaluate improvement are also carried out. Moreover, we do not have a criteria and standards for any of the above mentioned practical things.
Profile
Dr Prasanth Raghavan is the chief physician of Ayush Prana, the specialty hospital for Multiple Sclerosis started as early as 2002 under the guidance of renowned ayurveda practitioner, his father Dr R Raghavan. He introduced the specialty therapy for MS while he was practicing in Germany.
After eight years of practicing ayurveda, he started MS centres in Ernakulam and Chinnar. Since then, numerous patients have undergone the therapy. He travels extensively in Europe and gives seminars on MS and has published several articles in MS oriented magazines.
He is working on his book on MS, which is likely to be published this year. He is working in cooperation with other neurologists and ayurvedic scholars in modulating a scientific study based on his treatment. Ayush Prana, the specialty centre for MS has treatment centres in Illithode (Kerala) and Chinnar for temperature sensitive patients. Apart from these treatment centres in Kerala.
For more information:
www.msayurveda.com
Resource: http://www.muscatdaily.com/Archive/Features/Multiple-sclerosis-The-scourge-of-a-lifetime-4mjy
Do you know the disease that takes maximum number of young adults to the wheel chair? And the disease that needs the longest years of healthcare and the highest health care expense. It is a condition in which women are affected three times more than men.
The answer is Multiple sclerosis (MS). An unknown name until ten years ago in Asia but in the West, MS is immediately understood.
MS starts mostly with mild sensitivity problems like numbness or at times with milder vision disturbances or even temporary total loss of vision. Once the pathology sets in, it starts to progress with time.
The annoying symptoms of MS that hinders the quality of life are balancing problem, walking difficulties (requires walking stick, wheel chair, etc.), vision loss or cloudiness of vision, bladder difficulties (frequency, incontinence and urgency), cognitive disturbances, coordination problems, spasticity, sexual dysfunction, tremor, ataxia, stiffness of limbs, pain that is non responsive to analgesics. At times, antiepileptic medicines are used for the same psychological problems like mood swings and depression.
Even though the average age of onset of the disease is around 28 years, there are also paediatric cases of MS. In Germany alone, about 300 children are diagnosed every year. And annoyingly, the number of cases of MS worldwide is escalating. The incidence in India shows the same record.
The diagnosis of MS is done by MRI and CSF studies (as confirmatory test). Multiple Lesions are present in the brain and spinal chord, especially in the white matter of the brain and in the cervical region of the spine. MS is interpreted on the basis of activity and size and number of lesions but a more detailed study considering the whole brain will give more information about the disease in the future.
The etiology of MS is unknown. It is prevalent more in Europe, especially Scandinavian countries, Canada and US where there is less availability of sunlight. In my clinical experience, multiple reasons are to be coined as the cause of MS. Toxic, physical stressors – ingested toxins like heavy metal toxicity and other types of toxins, multiple vaccinations in a short duration of time, too much time on computer, familial tendencies, injury to head and spine and mental stressors.
Immunological disturbances could also be a leading factor for MS. The ailment could be broadly considered as a Neuro – psycho- immuno – endocrinological disorder. So a wide spectrum of causes have to be eventually considered here.
Even though MS is considered as an auto-immune disease by the allopathic system, ayurvedic concepts cannot connclude that this as the cause. Auto-immune process might be an effect or an intermediate effect of an ongoing pathology. Most of the allopathic medicines used in the treatment of MS are based on this assumption and I doubt, for the same reason, that they are unable to bring much results and also with multiple side effects.
In conventional medicine, there is no known cure or to curb the disease. There are only the so called disease-modifying medicines. Most of the MS medicines are “accidentally proven” for the treatment of MS, which are otherwise used for entirely different diseases. The main medicines that are used in the treatment of MS are Interferon (originally used in Hepatitis, in tumour and antiviral), Methoxanthron and alemtuzumab (both used in chemo therapy in leukemia with serious side effects), Amantadine (antiviral and in Parkinsons disease) cortisone during relapses, copaxone, tsyabri, Fampyra.
Unfortunately, they are unable to provide any long term benefits to the patients. In fact, those medicines have no known benefits that help the patient even for few years, but have definite side effects that are equally troublesome like the disease itself. The most important and largely sold medicine 'interferon' was studied by the British Government and did not give an insurance coverage for this expensive medicine since it does not give any lasting benefit to the patient. In India, an injection of interferon costs about Rs5,000 (US$73). A single company makes US$2,000mn for three different MS drugs. Interestingly, this is higher than the whole ayurveda medicine manufactured in India.
The incidence of MS is found one in 150,000 people. There are different types of MS. The relapse and remission form of MS (RRMS), secondary progressive MS (SPMS), primary progressive MS, Primary Relapsing type of MS (PRMS). Among the different types of MS, RRMS has the best prognosis before it changes to SPMS. PPMS needs to be treated as a different disorder even though the symptoms are similar.
MS patients are largely turning to alternative therapy owing to the reasons mentioned above. Ayurveda had proven effect for this disease. There is no mention of MS in ayurveda as a particular disease because it is a lifestyle disease what was recently noticed in the last one century.
MS differs from other Vata vydhis in the following aspects-
Immune system is directly involved in the disease process. For example, the infection can worsen MS symptoms.
Environmental temperature can alter the disease fast. A mild rise in temperature can sometimes influence the disease adversely. The extreme case of worsening of condition due to temperature variation is called as Utoffs phenomenon in MS.
The typical form of relapse and remission in a neurological disease is not mentioned in this form.
Young adults are affected, which is also a difference from most degenerative neurological diseases.
Vata and vata pitta dosha combination are involved in the pathogenesis of MS and three in five patients belong to this constitution. The compensatory effect of Kapha to vata is much reduced in MS. The immune system will get involved in toxic MS and in the predominence of Pitta . The involvement of GI system, endocrine system and immune system needs to be treated parallelly.
Panchakarma needs to be carefully administered, if at all required. Erratic use of these procedures may aggravate the condition and at times unfavourably affect the already existing bladder and bowel disturbances. Warm therapies like svedana and pizhil are mostly avoided. Theekshnadravyas need to be avoided. Theeksna nasya and vyreechaneeka nasyas could even lead to a relapse. In such cases, the recipe normally used in classical preparations needs to be restructured altogether.
MS is a curable disease in the initial stage if there is no considerable motor deficit or bladder involvement. In the later stages, the treatment can stop the pathology process and can improve the various symptoms of MS.
The Aims of MS therapy :
Control on the progression of MS: To control the pathological process of MS, so that further deterioration of the disease could be stopped.
Stabilisation of MS and improvement of symptoms: Stabilisation is attained when there is no further progression of the disease. Specific symptoms are considered, like gait disturbance, vision disturbances, bladder problems, etc., which improve during the treatment and are sustained thereafter.
Cure from MS could happen without leaving any residual symptoms in the initial stages of the disease. A periodic follow up at least for three years is an essential component for the success of the therapy. The minimum duration of treatment is 50-60 days a year, which has to be repeated for three years.
The line of treatment that we follow generally are:
Adhi-Stana Chikitsa (treating the source of illness): Treating the central nervous system
Agni Sara Chikitsa (reorganising or fine tuning the metabolism): Correcting the digestive fire in a person which improves the cellular metabolism.
Kaya Sattwa (mind-body balancing)
Dathu Shuddhi (cellular rejuvenation)
Palliation of accompanying illness or pathology
Treatment Methods:
The therapy for MS is a system that uses a group of therapies aimed at treating the source of the disease, where palliation of symptoms happens on its own accord. During the treatment period, a patient undergoes various types of therapies involving numerous herbal preparations depending on the constitution, metabolic status, mental state, severity of the disease and symptoms of the patient. The duration of the treatment for a single day is approximately five hours.
The main treatments followed at our centre are Shirovasthi, Thaila dhara, Kashaya dhara, Oushadha–Njavara, Nasya, Basthi or other Pancha karma (whenever required). Sometimes certain variations in therapy within the framework of ayurvedic principles are adopted, such as in case of severe balancing deficit, where a shirovasthi-shirdhara combination therapy is carried out.
Therapeutic yoga postures are taught to patients along with therapy. Patients are prescribed individual yoga postures depending upon the body constitution and symptoms, which helps in improving the coordination, balance, strength in the lower limbs and flexibility. MS specialised physiotherapy is given for individual needs by experts.
The fundamental criteria for success in treating complex disorders in ayurveda depend on the quality of herbal preparations. Treatment-oriented herbal recipes are made, which are not available for sales elsewhere. These herbal preparations are created in limited quantities to ensure the quality.
We make custom made oils depending upon the constitution and symptomatology. Most of the herbal oils which are used for MS are custom made and are potentiated several times. Numerous ingredients are used for preparing the herbal oil for Shirovasthi . Fresh herbal extracts are abundantly used in preparing these oils.
Ingredients:
Sesame oil as the base oil
Water: added four to eight times
Herbal paste: ¼ the quantity of oil
Herbal decoction: two times that of oil
Fresh Herbal extracts: two to eight times the quantity of oil
Method:
These ingredients are heated on mild fire in a traditional vessel made up of 5 metal alloy (Varp). The contents are slowly stirred continuouslyduring the entire process to ensure the uniform absorption of heat. When the herbal paste has reached a stage, which is called as 'MruduPaka' (soft consistency - where there is percolated water molecules), the oil is filtered. This stage stays only for a few minutes in the entire process, so oil needs to be filtered carefully within this short span of time. The whole process of preparing the oil takes around 12-15 days, during which the temperature of the oil is always kept at 75-80°C.
The medicated oils are highly seasoned and concentrated herbal oils. The repeated addition of herbal extract and herbal decoctions (11 times) makes the oil 11 times potentiated than the normal oil.
While treating MS or other complex disorders, we as ayurveda physicians face a multitude of difficulties. From propagating a methodology of treatment, making own medicines, having a strict control on making the medicine, and the routine follow up of patients during and after treatment is required. During this time we collect data like the MRI and other lab reports for diagnostic, prognostic and for a future research purpose. Separate interviews in the form of testimonials from the patient at different stages of treatment to evaluate improvement are also carried out. Moreover, we do not have a criteria and standards for any of the above mentioned practical things.
Profile
Dr Prasanth Raghavan is the chief physician of Ayush Prana, the specialty hospital for Multiple Sclerosis started as early as 2002 under the guidance of renowned ayurveda practitioner, his father Dr R Raghavan. He introduced the specialty therapy for MS while he was practicing in Germany.
After eight years of practicing ayurveda, he started MS centres in Ernakulam and Chinnar. Since then, numerous patients have undergone the therapy. He travels extensively in Europe and gives seminars on MS and has published several articles in MS oriented magazines.
He is working on his book on MS, which is likely to be published this year. He is working in cooperation with other neurologists and ayurvedic scholars in modulating a scientific study based on his treatment. Ayush Prana, the specialty centre for MS has treatment centres in Illithode (Kerala) and Chinnar for temperature sensitive patients. Apart from these treatment centres in Kerala.
For more information:
www.msayurveda.com
Resource: http://www.muscatdaily.com/Archive/Features/Multiple-sclerosis-The-scourge-of-a-lifetime-4mjy
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