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Shamana (palliative) Nasya
In Shamana Nasya the same substances as in Virechana and Brumhana Nasya are used but in combination with certain drugs that bring immediate relief.
As a preparatory procedure (Purvakanna), the patient's shoulders, neck and face are to be massaged with herbal oils like Ksheerabala or Dhanwantaram. This is followed by sweating. Fomentation with a towel dipped in hot herbal juice is used to work up a sweat. It is important that the patient's bowels and bladder be emptied before undergoing Nasya. The patient must be made to lie on his / her back on the droni with head lowered a bit by placing a pillow under the neck. The drug can then be safely administered in drops into the nostrils and should be drawn in by the patient. Soon after this, the attendants should massage the patient's nose, cheeks, neck, shoulders, palms and feet gently. After some time, the patient feels the mucus oozing down from the nasal region to the throat. This can be spat out. A warm water gargle after this is good for the throat. |
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Nasya
The nostrils are the entrance to the head and the effect of the drugs administered through the nostrils spreads and alleviates the illness thereby protecting the upper as well as the lower regions of the human body," says Vagbhata, the great scholar. The administration of herbal oils, decoctions and powders through the nostrils is called 'Nasya'. The therapy is used not merely as a nasal decongestant but also to cure many serious ailments like loss of consciousness, stupor, insomnia, hysteria, hemiplegia and facial paralysis.
Virechana (purgative) nasya
Virechana nasya cleanses the nasal zone using medicated oil or ghee, decoctions, herbal juices and so on. This type of Nasya is good for chronic headaches, throat diseases, catarrh, epilepsy, and certain types of skin diseases. "Marsha Nasya' and 'Pratimarsha Nasya' are names that denote the two doses in Virechana Nasya, when medicated oil is used. Marska varies according to the severity of the disease butPratitnarsha is always two drops. When a decoction or paste is used, Virechana Nasya is also known as "Avapeeda Nasya' and when medicinal powder is used, it is known as 'Dhmana Nasya.' |
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Brumhana Nasya
The drugs used in Brumhana Nasya are the same as those used in Virechana Nasya. However, in Brumhana Nasya, nourishing ingredients are also added. |
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Vamana (Emesis)
Vamana is a process of drug-induced vomiting to expel mainly the vitiated Kapha dosha from the body. Purvakanna procedures like oleation and sweating are essential for this therapy.
Oleation, internal as well as external, liquefies the amam trapped deep in the dhatus. After three to seven days of oleation, the skin of the patient becomes shiny and oil appears even in the urine and faeces. These and some others are considered good indications or samyagyoga. Excessive oleation is known as atiyoga, and insufficient oleation is known as ayoga. If either of these occurs. the patient is not allowed to proceed to the next stage, sudation. The atiyoga has to be mitigated. To remedy ayoga the oleation is continued till Samyagyoga is achieved.
Sudation dilates the body's subtle channels and allows the liquefied amtim to move to the koshtci (Gastro-Intestinal tract). When the body is thus prepared properly, emesis becomes painless and effortless.
The night before the vamana, the patient is given foods like black gram soup. yogurt and warm licorice tea to stimulate the Kapha. The next morning, gruel with rock salt and milk or porridge of wheat and milk are given to promote a watery secretion. An emetic consisting of extracts of Vac ha (Acorus calamus) or Mariana (Randia dumetorum) is then administered.
After half an hour, the patient starts vomiting. Drinking moderate quantities of diluted milk at intervals can stimulate further vomiting. In an uttama shuildhi or successful emesis, the vomitus is more in quantity than the quantity of fluids taken in. The patient may be soothed by gently massaging with upward strokes around the navel and downward strokes on the back. Soon after emesis, the patient is asked to clear his throat and mouth by gargling. Then complete rest is recommended for a specific period. Vamana is an effective treatment for chronic colds, bronchial asthma, arthritis and certain skin diseases. However, the therapy is not recommended for pregnant women, the elderly and the weak, and those suffering from certain diseases of the heart and liver. |
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Virechana
Vireclutna or purgation therapy facilitates the elimination of vitiated Pitta from the body. As it is essential that the vitiated Kapha be expelled, the patient should have undergone Vamana before this is carried out.
Oleation - internal and external - and sweating are to be done even if the patient has undergone those before Vamana. An interval of at least 15 days is necessary between the two therapies.
Virechana acts on the main domain of Pitta dlosha - the stomach, especially the small intestine. On the morning of the day of the Pradhanakarma - Virechana, the physician should examine the patient to ensure that all the food previously eaten has been properly digested and that the patient has slept well. He / she should then be given the purgative and asked to rest. Hot water may be given, if necessary, to promote bowel movement. The sequence of discharge will he faeces first, then Pitta and lastly Kapha. Excessive bowel movement may be controlled with the same medication used for diarrhoea. The diet regimen followed after this treatment, Peyadikrama is the most important aspect of the post-treatment care. |
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Vasti
Vasti is the most important of the therapies in Panchakarma. It involves the introduction of herbal oi Is and decoctions into the colon through the rectum. Of the three humours, only Vata, the prime abode of which is the large intestine (colon), has the power of mobility. When its movement is affected, the functions of the other two humours are also adversely affected.
In Sanskrit, ' Vasti* means bladder. A special device consisting of a small tube and bladder is used to administer the medicine. Traditionally, urinary bladders of cows and buffaloes were used and that is how the therapy got its name.
In Nirooha orAsthapana vaxti, herbal decoctions are used and in Anuvasana or Snehavasti, medicated oils. Oil and sweat therapies precede Vaxti. The appropriate time for performing Vasti is one or two hours before noon. Vasti is never performed immediately after meals. The herbal fluid is allowed to remain in the colon for a specific period for proper absorption. When it is let out, toxins from the dhatus are eliminated along with the faecal matter.
Vasti is not recommended for patients suffering from diarrhea, asthma, piles or diabetes. As in the case of Vamana, after Vasti, Peyadikrama or a diet regimen has to be adhered to strictly. |
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Raktamokshana (Bloodletting)
According to Sushruta, certain diseases are caused by vitiation of the blood. He recommended bloodletting to get rid of the vitiated blood. Bloodletting was usually carried out with the help of precise surgical instruments or by leeching |
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