Management of Cerebrovascular Accident (CVA) through Ayurveda

Abstract

Cerebrovascular Accident (CVA), the third most common cause of death in developing countries, is the term used to describe episodes of focal brain dysfunction due to focal ischemia or hemorrhage. Acute stroke is characterized most commonly by hemiplegia with or without signs of focal higher cerebral dysfunction that has posed a great problem as far as its management is concerned. Ayurveda can help in such conditions. A 54 years old male patient diagnosed with non-hemorrhagic infarct presented with right side hemiplegia and difficulty in speech was admitted in IPD. This manifestation was compared with Kaphavrita dakshina pakshaghata. Panchakarma procedures including Rookshana, Snehana and Virechana were adopted along with other internal medicines. Assessments were made using National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIH-SS), Barthel Index (BI) and Modified Rankin Scale (MRS). At the end of the treatment, there was considerable improvement in the subjective and objective clinical features. The observations reveal that, Panchakarma procedures can play a key role in the management of conditions like CVA. The treatment strategies followed in this study can be safely adopted under the supervision of a trained Ayurveda specialist.