Abstract

*Dr. Priyanka Sharma, Dr. Vipin Kumar Pandey and Dr. Nirmala P. Sawarkar

ABSTRACT

About 40% of people have low back pain at some point of time in their lives with estimate as high as 80% among people in the developed world.[1] It can be due to so many reason and one of the major cause is Sciatica. In Sciatica, specific type of pain is there which arises from low back and radiates to buttock, back of the thigh, outside and back of the leg and outer border of the foot. On the basis of sign and symptoms of Sciatica given in modern, it can be correlated with Gridhrasi in Ayurveda.Gridhrasi is one of the vatavyadhi and it is commonest disorder found in clinical practice and has been explained elaborately in Bruhatrayee.[2] This condition is characterized by pain starts from kati and radiates down to Prishtha, Uru, Janu, Jangha and Pada respectively. In modern medicine Sciatica is generally managed symptomatically by using Anti-inflammatory drugs, muscle relaxants, exercises to improve muscle tone and posture along with surgical intervention in severe neurological deficit. But the anti-inflammatory drugs are having many side effects e.g. gastritis. Surgical procedures like laminectomy, discectomy are indicated but these surgical procedures are expensive with their limitations. These therapies have proven inadequate for many patients with sciatic pain, on the other hand there is global increasing demand of natural medicaments. In Ayurveda, various methods used in the treatment.In Sahastrayogam which is the compilation by unknown author or authors containing description of numerous preparations for vatavyadhi like Gridhrasi and many more, Sahacharadi kashayam is one of the yoga described for Gridhrasi.[3] All the drugs included in Sahacharadi kashayam are having Vata-kapha shamaka, Vedanasthapana Shulahara,shothahara and Nadiuttejaka properties which is very much effective in the treatment of Sciatica. There is lack of knowledge on the scientific aspects of the role of this medicine. The present work is one step in understanding the possible mechanism of Anti-inflammatory, Analgesic activity of Sahacharadi Kashyam.