Spondylosis And Ayurveda

Spondylosis

It is a degenerative condition affecting the vertebral column. When it affects the neck region it is termed as cervical spondylosis and when it affects the lower back it is termed as lumbar spondylosis. The vertebral column is a delicate structure with the vertebrae arranged one over the other, cushioned by the inter vertebral discs which allows flexion of the vertebral column. The spinal cord passes through a hole in the vertebral column and extends from the lower part of the brain till the lower back. At each level of the column, nerves originates fron the spinal cord and passes through gaps in the vertebrae and supplies nerves to the various parts of the body.

In spondylosis, the vertebrae, the intervertebral disc and the joints get degenerated causing disc compression, or structural changes in the vertebrae which in turn exerts pressure on the nerves passing through them and also creats stress on the near by muscles causing the various symptoms of spondylosis. The disc sometimes gets dislocated, gets hardened and results in the formation of osteophytes. A previous injury and some lifestyle issues like bad posture, diet act as predisposing factor for the disease.

Symptoms:

• A stiff, painful neck
• Shoulder, arm or chest pain
• Tingling and pinprick sensations in the arms, hands, legs or feet
• Numbness and weakness in the arms, hands, legs or feet
• Lack of coordination
• Difficulty walking
• Abnormal reflexes
• Loss of bladder or bowel control, or urinary or bowel retention

Treatment in Modern medicine:

Treatment is Allopathy is based just on pain management. No effective measures are present to retard the degenerative changes. When there is severe impact due to nerve compression and formation of osteophytes, surgical measures are resorted to. Osteophytes and sometimes portions of an intervertebral disc are commonly removed in an effort to relieve pressure on adjacent nerve roots and/or the spinal cord.

Spondylosis And Ayurveda:

Spondylosis can be understood as Sandhigata Vata. Vata is one among the three bioregulating principles which, in its normalcy helps in the funtioning of the locomotor system and the nervous regulation. In this condition, it is vitiated by various factors and also age (since it is normally aggravated in old age) and affects the vertebral column and causes the disease.

So the treatment is also based on palliating the aggravated vata. Regulation of the bowels is an important factor in disease management. Internal medicines complimented with external Ayurvedic massages offers excellent relief in pain and retards the degenerative process effectively. Ayurvedic treatments like Vasti, Elakizhi, Pizchil, Nasya, Lavana Sweda etc with oils according to the patient's condition gives very good results with out any side effects.

Diet And Lifestyle:

Diet regulation is an important aspect of disease management- whether it is Ayurvedic or modern treatment. In this case, constipation has to be avoided and care should be taken to avoid any bowel disturbance in this case. The food should be easily digestible with lot of fibre content to facilitate bowel movement. Sour things particularly curd, are strictly prohibited. Fried things, pulses and various preparations of pulses are also contra- indicated in this condition. It is preferable to take warm water rather than cold water. Wheat is preferable to rice.

While reading and writing, one should maintain a comfortable posture. Application of oil should not be done with lot of pressure. Exposure to cold, bath in cold water, or rigorous neck excercises have to be avoided. Taking a hot shower gives good relief from pain. Use of a proper pillow while sleeping should also be taken care of.