We have all grown up hearing about ayurvedic medicine, but to many, it doesn’t seem like a realistic or effective option. That is why, this month we are telling you about a situation where modern medicine has failed and a person has turned to ayurvedic medicine to help him. Read our second article to find out more!
When Modern Medicine Fails You- A Case Study
Ayurveda is an ancient Indian medical system that relies on a natural and holistic approach to one's physical and mental health. Having originated in India over 3000 years ago, ayurvedic medicine is one of the world’s oldest forms of treatment and remains to this day one of India's traditional healthcare systems. Ayurvedic treatment predominantly includes a combination of plant-derived products, diet, exercise, and lifestyle. However, despite its centuries of experimental backing and the Ayurvedic promise of naturalness, it has reduced in appeal in comparison with modern medicine to newer generations.
But, what happens when modern medicine fails you? Given below is an interesting case study highlighting the treatment of ulcerated wounds using Ayurvedic practices such as leech therapy.
sourced from: https://familypodiatrycentre.com/2021/08/foot-ulcer-wounds/27/13/
[The following case study was first published in the ‘Journal of Ayurveda Case Reports’ of the All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA), New Delhi]
Case report:
A 45-year-old male found himself experiencing burning pain at the dorsal region (the area facing upwards while standing) of his right foot. It was assumed to be caused by a bite by an unknown insect while sleeping the previous night. The next day the patient noticed symptoms of cellulitis, which is a common bacterial skin infection that causes redness, swelling and pain in the infected area. At this point, he decided to go to a nearby private hospital for treatment. However, after 10 days of taking antibiotics, pain relief medications, and anti-allergic drugs to no avail, he experienced pain of heightened severity and saw no reduction of the size of the ulcer. Therefore, finding no answers to his problems with allopathic medicine, he turned to an alternative- Ayurveda.
Unlike allopathy which treats symptoms, ayurvedic medicine targets the root cause of the disease to improve the overall well-being of the patient. Here, the patient’s symptoms did not reduce despite allopathic interventions possibly because the poison from the insect bite remained at the site of the wound and was not mitigated by the allopathic medicine. Hence, in this case, the ayurvedic approach was more effective.
sourced from: https://trustayur.com/blog/allopathy-vs-ayurveda-5-reasons-to-switch-to-ayurveda/
When the patient arrived at the Shalya tantra of the Institute of Teaching and Research in Ayurveda, Gujarat Ayurved University, Jamnagar after 10 days of futile allopathic treatment, he had severe pain, swelling and ulceration of his foot and intermittent fever. On local examination, his ulcer was diagnosed to be a progressive one, about 5x7 cm in size, with irregular, inflamed margins and exuding necrotic tissue (dead tissue) and purulent discharge (sign of infection). The neurovascular and radiological examinations were normal.
Based on the signs and symptoms; the disease was diagnosed as Dushta vrana (similar to an ulcerated wound) due to an insect bite and the treatment planned was Jalaukaavacharana and herbal medication.
What is Jalaukaavacharana? Jalaukaavacharana is an unusual yet fascinating method of therapeutic bloodletting. Nowadays known as hirudotherapy, it is a centuries old practice in which leeches are used to suck out impure blood and secrete a complex mixture of different biologically and pharmacologically active substances, including hirudin, into the wound.
Interestingly, in the case of the patient, all the leeches used in hirudotherapy - which were used 3 times on alternating days - died within an hour of bloodletting. This confirmed the diagnosis of the cause of disease as a poisonous insect bite. Moreover, before application of the leeches, the necrotic tissue was removed surgically, and the surrounding skin of the ulcer was cleaned with Panchavalkala kwatha (a type of ayurvedic cream). After the bloodletting, the area was cleaned again with Panchavalkala kwatha and dressed with paste of Katupila (Securinega leucopyrus) and Tila taila (sesame oil) regularly till complete healing.
On the 5th day of leech application, the swelling and pain had reduced remarkably. After that there was a quick recuperation period over the next 2 months, ending with a complete recovery and minimal scarring without the intake of any medication.
Most people are under the impression that all alternative medicines are ineffective, and that they are pseudoscience. Ayurveda, however, is a genuine medicinal discipline which is recognized by the World Health Organisation. WHO also states that it is the medical discipline with the least number of risks. So, does that mean that Ayurveda is the best choice of medicine for every condition? No. But, what we can learn from this case study is that both modern medicine and alternative treatments have their pros and cons and medical situations in which they are the best choice of treatments. Hence, keeping an open mind is the best way to get the best of both worlds.
Written by Angela Theresa Allen
References
All blogs. Ayurvedic Products: Buy Ayurvedic Medicine Online. (n.d.). Retrieved June 17, 2022, from https://www.keralaayurveda.biz/blog/10-effective-ayurvedic-alternatives-to-allopathic-medicines-you-should-know
Miller, K. (n.d.). What is ayurveda? treatments, massage, diet, and more. WebMD. Retrieved June 17, 2022, from https://www.webmd.com/balance/guide/ayurvedic-treatments
Mahanta VD, Foram J, Dudhamal TS, Gupta SK. Jalaukavacharana (Leech application) and adjuvant therapy in the management of infected wounds. J AyuCaRe 2017;1(1):13-17.
AP;, S. (n.d.). Medicinal leech therapy (Hirudotherapy): A brief overview. Complementary therapies in clinical practice. Retrieved June 17, 2022, from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20920805/
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (n.d.). Ayurvedic medicine: In depth. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. Retrieved June 17, 2022, from https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/ayurvedic-medicine-in-depth
World Health Organization. (n.d.). WHO benchmarks for the practice of ayurveda . World Health Organization. Retrieved June 17, 2022, from https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240042674
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