ABSTRACT
Psoriasis is a chronic, multisystem inflammatory disease with predominantly skin and joint involvement. In Ayurveda all skin diseases are described under the umbrella of Kushtha. Ayurvedic system of medicine is giving good results in management of Psoriasis. Repeated Samshodhana (purificatory therapies) along with Samshamana (palliative therapies) is the main line of treatment if skin diseases in Ayurveda. Three assessments were taken before and after treatment on scoring of Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI), Psoriasis Disability Index (PDI) and PASI score. Score of the patient was 63.3% before treatment and 13.3% after treatment and 3.3% after follow up on Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI), 44.4% before treatment and 15.5% after treatment and 5.3% after follow up on Psoriasis Disability Index (PDI) and 24.5% before treatment, 5.1% after treatment and 1.2% after follow up in PASI (Psoriasis Area and Severity Index). This case study wants to substantiate the effectiveness of Ayurvedic treatment in the management of Plaque psoriasis.
ABSTRACT
An Ayurvedic physician usually depends on classical compound medicinal formulations for treating patients. Sometimes, patients themselves demand us that they will prepare the medicines themselves, especially Kwatha (decoctions). One reason is the superior efficacy of the self prepared medicines than the bottled decoctions due to the presence of chemical preservatives. While preparing formulations, we may need to add or delete drug/drugs depending on the clinical condition of the patient. Scarcity of herbal drugs is also another reason which compels us for substitution. In Bhavaprakasha, there is a reference stating that any drug which is inappropriate and unsuitable to a disease, even though found included in the drug group or medicinal formulae may be rejected and any drug which is found suitable or appropriate may be included though not mentioned in it. There are so many references in Ayurvedic classics where we can see deletion or inclusion of drugs in a formulation according to the condition of the patient or disease. This is an attempt to analyse the logic (the application of Yukti pramana) behind it. This article also want to depict the relevance of logically changing the contents of a medicinal formulation by analyzing its Rasapanchaka (five Ayurvedic principles of drug action), depending on the condition of disease or patient.