Pain anywhere in the body is distressing and back pain in particular is sort of crippling because it affects one’s posture and gait.

It is important for people to be aware that ‘Pain’ anywhere in the body is a symptom. It is the result of some specific physiological imbalance. Its proper treatment lies in correction of the imbalance. Pain killers are useful for acute unbearable pains but they do not constitute treatment.

Despite excellent diagnostic imaging tools that can precisely identify the location of damage or displacements in muscular or skeletal tissues in the spinal column, there are hardly any solutions in Biomedicine other than pain killers or surgery with uncertain outcomes.

There are in fact several spinal conditions like Spondylolyshesis, Disc Herniation, Fractures, Cauda Equina Syndrome, Osteoarthritis where allopathy advises surgery.  In many cases, it has often been avoided through non-surgical Ayurvedic therapies like Pichu, Kati-basti, Lepa, Pariseka, Agnikarma and Basti. The spinal disorders that are generally possible to treat by Ayurveda are Spondylitis, Spondylosis, Spondylolisthesis, Muscular spasms, Strained muscles and Ligaments, Disc herniation, Arthritis and Osteoporosis.

I-AIM Healthcare Hospital deals competently, annually with hundreds of cases of back pain. We can quote here a case of a pilot who almost lost his job because of spinal dysfunction. After treatment at I-AIM, he could actually skip and thankfully resume his duties.

The mystery about back problems is the frequent disconnect between anatomical defects and pain. Lower back pain has no objective measure. Many times, the precise cause of pain also remains unknown. Medically, back pain is termed as lumbago. It is the disease which afflicts any region of the vertebral column and its associated muscles. Each of the 32 vertebrae can develop sudden pains which could become a chronic condition. Though we use the term back ache in general, actually it is a cumulative effect of various types of dysfunctions of the vertebral column. There are no gender specifics; lumbago affects both men and women.

Ayurveda has a unique physiological understanding of back pain. It is called Katigraha and Prishtasula. At the physiological level, back pain is viewed as a result of vitiation of one of the three principal physiological functions viz., Vata. Back pain arises when Vata in the back gets aggravated due to inappropriate physical activities that may damage the skeletal or muscular tissues. This may include activities like sharp bending, lifting (mithya yoga), excess physical exertion (ati- yoga) or less physical activities (hina yoga). It is also associated with diseases like osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, gynecological problems in women, pregnancy, sciatica, trauma etc. It may surprise readers to learn that according to the systemic understanding of Ayurveda, back pain can be prevented by a balanced diet and healthy metabolism. Of course, it is also important to do appropriate exercises, preferably yoga exercises taught by a competent yoga teacher. It is important to correct clumsy body postures, maintain suitable body weight and avoid sleeping on soft, spongy surfaces.

Irrespective of the origin of the back pain, be it anatomical or muscular, in most conditions, Ayurveda has a unique therapy administered through the anal route called basti for managing back pains.  Basti consists of liquid medication administered through the rectum. This route is necessary because the medicine administered gets absorbed in the intestines without being metabolised in the stomach. At the frontiers of medicine, particularly for neurological, liver and intestinal disorders, it is today being realized that the mouth is not the best route for administration of drugs. The nose and rectum are better routes. The liquid administered through the rectum in basti therapy, may be medicated oils or aqueous extracts of herbs. The medication is absorbed in the gut and it regulates the neurological, motor-sensory dysfunction (vitiation of vata). Alongside basti other therapies may also be advised including acupressure. These treatments are not home remedies and therefore they need to be planned and administered by competent Ayurvedic physicians.

Needless to say, at I-AIM Healthcare Center, our experienced doctors strive to relieve your pain effectively. For appointment bookings, call 080-28567000/ +91-8050347000