Dr. Vikram Chauhan, Author at Dr. Vikram Chauhan's Blog

Ayurvedic Management Of Whiplash Injury With Herbal Remedies

ABSTRACT

Whiplash injury is neck injury caused due to movement of neck like the cracking of whip. In this whiplash the intervertebral joints, discs muscles, and nerve roots may get damaged. Commonly known as neck strains, neck sprains. It is mainly caused by accidents, from falls and sudden distortion of neck and injury caused due to vehicle accidents, including bungee jumping and falls. So care must be taken properly during fun activities as it can lead to whiplash injury, so further we will discuss its causes, signs, symptoms, and treatment according to ayurveda in detail.

Whiplash Injury

INTRODUCTION

Whiplash injury is commonly caused by accidents, falls, or doing some fun activities which causes this disease. This is rapid backward movement of the neck which further leads to neck injury. It leads to neck damage completely. It can be due to poor posture due to continuous use of computers which leads to serious health problems, which is further followed by numbness or loss of strength in arms and legs. Osteoarthritis is the main cause of neck pain. Whiplash injury has risen sharply due to collisions of vehicles.

CAUSES OF WHIPLASH INJURY

Jerking movement of head due to car accidents
Football tackles, sports collisions causes whiplash
Injury to bones in spine, nerves, ligaments, intervertebral disc
Trauma
Impulsive retraction of spine which is tears as head moves forward and then move back causes injury
Whiplash injury can include injury to cerebrum known as coup contrecoup injury when the head part is hyperextended
Worn joints – As the age increases neck joints are torn out, as vertebrae deteriorate bone forms spur affect the joint and cause pain.
Meningitis, Rheumatoid arthritis causes neck pain

SYMPTOMS OF WHIPLASH INJURY

Headache
Muscle spasms
Pain gets worse if a patient holds on to one place for a period of time.
Referring to pain in the shoulder, there is disturbance in senses as it feels like pins and needles, to legs and arms.
Fatigue
Loss of movement in neck
Pain in neck, stiffness
Dizziness
Depression
Irritability
Tinnitus (ringing in ears)
Sleep is disturbed
Not able to concentrate
Low back ache
Numbness in arm and hand

DIAGNOSIS OF WHIPLASH INJURY

CT SCAN
MRI (magnetic resonance imaging)
The doctor may palpate the hand, movement, intensity, motion in neck and shoulders to see the cause which worsens the pain.
Quebec task force –

Grade 0 – no neck pain, or any physical signs are noticed.
Grade 1- neck complaints of pain, tenderness, no physical signs
Grade 2- decreased range of movement and some tenderness in neck
Grade 3- weakness, decreased tendon reflexes
Grade 4- dislocations and injury to spinal cord

PREVENTION OF WHIPLASH INJURY

Use good posture – while sitting and standing shoulder should be in a straight line.
Smoking should be stopped
Avoid carrying heavy bag as weight can strain neck
Sleep in good posture – head and neck should be the same as body aligns. Use a small pillow under your neck.
Safety belts should be worn while driving and must sit in an upright position.

TREATMENT FOR WHIPLASH INJURY

The main goal should be to control the pain in whiplash injury, to restore the movement of the neck and maintain the normal range to perform normal activities. This will be achieved by medications, exercises, muscle relaxants.

Exercise such as rotation of neck in both directions, bending of neck towards chest, rolling of shoulder.
Exercise helps in stretching and in pain relief.
Physical therapy improves the posture and TENS (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation) is mild current applied to skin which eases neck pain and improves strength to muscles.
Foam collars (cervical collars eases the injuries as it limits the movement and reduces pain after injury, this tends people to sleep well at night.
Medications like ibuprofen, tractions, massage, naproxen (aleve).
According to the Quebec task force if a person suffers from grade1 and grade3 then medication included in treatment is non narcotic analgesics. Botulinum toxin A is used to treat involuntary muscle contractions and spasms.

AYURVEDIC MANAGEMENT ON WHIPLASH INJURY

In ayurveda the main cause of injury (abhigata) is aggravation of vata dosha, when vata dosha gets aggravated it causes pain and many other symptoms. Abhigata leads to vata aggravation and causes excessive pain and leads to many other symptoms like loss of range of neck movement, headache, dizziness, pain and tenderness in upper back and shoulder region, vision gets blurry and many more. Many therapies panchkarma treatment is effective in whiplash injury which provides relief to patients.

Snehan and Sweden – In snehan external and internal oleation is provided to patients. In external oleation snehadhara (pouring of medicated oil on neck regions), Abhyanga (oil massage with mahamasha tailam, lakshadi tail, prasarini thailam). In internal oleation snehapana (drinking of certain medicated oils), non nithya snehapana (oral consumption of fats).
Sudation therapy – In this patra pinda sweda is prepared with certain leaves, this is done with external oleation therapy.
Nasya – It is the pouring of medicated oils, and ghee. Nasya is done by masha tailam, Ksheerabala thailam, brmhana nasya (this is given in chronic and recurring symptoms).
The patient suffers from sleep disturbances so murdini tail nasya is indicated.
When a patient suffers from depression, problems related to memory than the patient is indicated with snehan, virechan, vasti, nasya (murdini tailam).

HERBAL FORMULATIONS FOR WHIPLASH INJURY BY PLANET AYURVEDA

Planet Ayurveda is a clinic which provides great treatment with many great results. The formulations provided by planet ayurveda are under great guidance of M.D AYURVEDA doctors, and all these formulations are free from any preservatives, resins, colors, and any synthetic material. For the management of this disease planet, ayurveda provides herbal remedies which provide great benefits to patients for healthy living and get relief from pain.

PRODUCTS LIST

Lakshadi Guggul
Yograj Guggul
Boswellia Curcumin
Neurogenie Capsules
Aamvatantak Churna

PRODUCTS DESCRIPTION

1. Lakshadi Guggul

Lakshadi guggul is the best classical formulation in tablet form used for healing purposes. This formulation is prepared by planet ayurveda under guidance and using various products such as Laksha (Laccifer lacca), Arjuna (Terminalia arjuna), Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera), Shuddha guggulu (purified Commiphora mukul). Lakshadi guggul promotes strength to bones and various joints, is an excellent anti-inflammatory and analgesics medicine. Useful in hypothyroidism, ankylosing spondylitis, avascular necrosis. Diet – Avoid deep fried foods, smoking, aerated drinks, as it increases tridosha.

Dosage: 1-2 tablets twice daily with lukewarm water.

2. Yograj Guggul

Yograj guggul is classical ayurvedic formulations which lower down vata dosha and has great healing property, is prepared in tablet form formulated by planet ayurveda using ingredients such as Guggul (Commiphora mukul), Nagkesar (Cyperus rotundus), Bibhitaki (Terminalia bellirica), Long pepper (Piper longum), Tejpatra (Cinnamomum tamala), Cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum), Vidang (Embelia ribes). Yograj Guggul is useful in neurological disease and when a patient complains of muscle and joint pain. Yograj guggul is very effective in coccyx pain. Balanced tridosha has anti-inflammatory properties.

Dosage: 1-2 tablets twice daily with lukewarm water.

3. Boswellia Curcumin

Boswellia curcumin is a capsule form which is formulated by planet Ayurveda with standardized effects of Shallaki (Boswellia serrata), Curcumin (Curcuma longa). Curcumin has antioxidant properties, which cleanses and detoxifies rasa and enables free circulations of nutrients to the whole body. The injury in whiplash is healed by antioxidant properties of these capsules and shows a very miraculous effect in case of whiplash injury.

Doasge: 1 capsule twice daily after meals with plain water.

4. Neurogenie Capsules

Neurogenie capsule is herbal formulation in capsule form which consists of standardized extract of Brahmi (Bacopa monnieri), Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera). Both herbs have neuroprotective properties, and is helpful in relieving stress which further prevents deterioration. Brahmi is useful in skin diseases, in panic attacks. Balances tridosha. Ashwangandha improves sexual function in women and boosts fertility and testosterone level in men.

Dosage: 1-2 capsules twice daily with plain water after meals.

5. Aamvatantak Churna

Aamvatantak churna is herbal formulation prepared by planet ayurveda in the form of powder consisting of Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera), Methi (Trigonella foenum), Gorakhmundi (Sphaeranthus indicus), Sonth (Zingiber officinale), Haridra (Curcumin longa) and many more. This churna consists of an adaptogenic property which reduces stress and prevents other diseases. Its neuroprotective property has healing of nerves and it regulates the function of nerves in the injured part.

Dosage: ½ to 1 teaspoon twice daily after meals with plain water.

CONCLUSION

Whiplash injury occurs when the head of a person moves backward and then forward with great force. This forceful movement leads to injury of spine, nerves, ligaments. The person suffering from whiplash injury feels more pain and stiffness in the neck region which worsens up on any movement. As per ayurveda it is correlated with abhigata which is mainly associated with vata dosha. So to maintain and for fast recovery of whiplash planet ayurveda provides 5 herbal remedies which are discussed and it has no side effects as they are free from any preservatives.

Ayurvedic Treatment For Stargardt Disease With Herbal Remedies

Abstract

As we know, eyes are the sensory organ responsible for vision. It is one of the most complicated components of the body. The eye consists of various parts such as the sclera, cornea, iris, lens, upil, retina, etc. Each of these parts is responsible for unique actions and functions resulting in the perception of images. Even a minor abnormality in one of these can hinder the normal vision mechanism. There are various conditions in which the vision is hindered due to a variety of reasons. One such condition is Stargardt disease. This condition of stargardt disease along with its causes, symptoms, ayurvedic management, etc. will be described in detail in the following article.

Stargardt Disease

Introduction

Stargardt disease is an ophthalmic condition that hinders the vision of the affected person. It is considered to be an inherited disorder. The person suffering from stargardt disease experiences the diminishing of vision which eventually leads to total vision loss. Stargardt disease is also known as juvenile macular dystrophy. Usually, vision loss is observed in the early childhood or adolescent years but it may also be noticed in adulthood in a few cases. Stargardt disease, as said earlier is a hereditary disease which is related to abnormalities in the genes. This results in the deposition of a fatty layer up on the macula. This layer will hinder the vision as the macula is a small component of the retina which is responsible for the sharp central vision. The cause underlying the condition of stargardt disease will be discussed as follows.

Causes Of Stargardt Disease

The causative factor behind the condition of stargardt disease is identified to be abnormal changes in the gene ABCA 4 . The gene ABCA4 is considered to be responsible for the utilization of Vitamin A. The normal physiology of the body utilizes the Vitamin- A to produce cells in the retina. The gene ABCA 4 is then supposed to remove the residual fatty material, hence preventing its deposition. But due to the abnormal changes, gene ABCA 4 fails to perform its functions properly hence, resulting in the deposition of a fatty layer upon the macula which starts to destroy the cells and gradually reduces the central vision. This will lead to the presentation of various features which will be discussed as follows.

Symptoms Of Stargardt Disease

The patient starts experiencing various difficulties related to the vision usually in the childhood, teenage years or early adulthood. The difficulties experienced will vary from patient to patient. The most common ones are described as follows. There may be complaints of blurry vision, distorted vision, etc. The side vision is usually not affected. He/ she may see black, gray, or hazy spots in the center of vision. In some cases, color blindness is also observed. The patient experiences difficulty moving from light into dark places and vice versa because eyes begin to take longer to adjust between light and dark places.

Diagnosis Of Stargardt Disease

There can be various eye tests that will be needed to exclude different conditions and confirm the diagnosis of stargardt disease. Your doctor will put eye drops to dilate the pupils and then perform the required eye test. The various tests could be the color vision test, fundus photography, electroretinography, optical coherence tomography and genetic testing, etc. Modern medicine fails to provide any treatment for this condition. But, the ayurvedic literature presents a very unique perspective in favor of this stargardt disease which will be explained as follows.

Ayurvedic Aspect OnStargardt Disease

The condition of stargardt disease is, as explained earlier, caused due to abnormalities in the gene and is hereditary. The ayurveda explains the concept of genes in the categories of beeja, beejabhaga, and beeja bhaga avyava. In this condition, dushti of these above-mentioned components results in the disease. The beeja can be correlated with sperm in males and ovum in females, the beeja bhaga can be correlated with the chromosomes and the beeja bhaga avayava can be correlated with the gene. The dushti or vitiation of these components lead to the development of various hereditary diseases. In turn, this leads to the dushti or vitiation of the tridosha (vata, pitta, kapha). So, to manage these dosha needs to be rebalanced to regain the normal state of the body. This will require various ayurvedic preparations such as amalaki rasayan, saptamrit loh, etc. These formulations will be described in detail as follows.

Herbal Remedies For Stargardt Disease By Planet Ayurveda

Planet Ayurveda is providing various preparations of natural herbs such as saptamrit loha, brahmi ghrita, angel eye vital, amalaki rasayan etc. which are prepared using authentic ways and provide great results in improving the condition of stargardt disease. The ayurvedic products beneficial for improving the condition of stargardt disease is described as follows –

Saptamrit Loha
Brahmi Ghrit
Angel Eye Vitale
Amalaki Rasayan

Products Description

1. Saptamrit Loha

Saptamrit loha is a very beneficial ayurvedic formulation which shows great results in improving the health of the patient suffering from stargardt disease.It is very effective in managing eye diseases, gastritis, fever, burning sensation, etc. It contains loha bhasma (calyx of iron) as the main component. Hence, it helps to improve the various other health conditions such as fatigue, low hemoglobin levels, anemia, etc.also. It helps to balance the pitta dosha in the body.

Dosage: It can be given 2 tablets two times a day.

2. Brahmi Ghrit

Brahmi ghrit is prepared by planet ayurveda using a combination of various beneficial ayurvedic herbs such as brahmi (Bacopa monnieri), vacha (Acorus calamus), etc. These herbs are prepared in ghrit and provide a variety of health benefits. It helps to pacify the aggravated vata dosha and it is known to improve eyesight, intelligence and various other body elements. Brahmi ghrit also acts as a rasayan and helps to rejuvenate the cells of the body, hence boosting the overall body health.

Dosage: 1 tsp twice a day after meals with warm water.

3. Angel Eye Vitale

The Angel eye vitale capsules are prepared by planet ayurveda. It contains a wonderful combination of various beneficial ayurvedic herbs such as amla (Embellica officinalis), gotu kola (Centella asiatica), etc. It helps to improve the eyesight and helps to manage various vision-related difficulties. The components of the angel eye vitale capsules also help to pacify the excessive vata dosha and thus improve the overall body condition.

Dosage: 1-2 Capsules once or twice daily, after meals.

4. Amalaki Rasayan

Amalaki rasayan prepared by planet ayurveda contains natural extract of amalaki (Embellica officinalis). The regular use of amalaki rasayan helps to boost vision and eye health. It is also a very rich source of vitamin – c and hence, promotes the healing power of the body.

Dosage: 1-2 Capsules twice daily, with plain water, after meals.

Conclusion

In a nutshell, it can be concluded that, the stargardt disease being termed incurable in modern medicine, can be managed well with the use of ayurvedic herbal formulations. By balancing the vitiated dosha in the body, one can always stay on the healthier side. Following a healthy lifestyle and diet can help to keep the diseases at bay. As described earlier, the above mentioned ayurvedic formulations can help to manage the condition of stargardt disease effectively.