Matra vasti - A cure for back pain

-by Sheela Rani Chunkath

October 20th was celebrated as the World Osteoporosis day. I saw a whole lot of activity being reported in the newspapers, bone densities being measured, calcium and vitamin D supplementations being recommended etc. I have not met many people whose ailments have been cured by taking these supplements. Vitamin D supplementation being recommended in a country, where you will get enough and more of Vitamin D if you just step out into the sun for a little while! Calcium supplementation is again mired in controversy, with some advocating it, while others state that it could cause atherosclerosis.

What is Ayurveda’s take on this issue of osteoporosis and other bone related problems? Of the seven Dhatus i.e. the various types of tissues and matter that the human body is made of, the Ashti dhatu i.e. bones and cartilages are closely linked to the vata dosha. Vata is the dynamic ‘kinetic’ principle that is associated with motion and movement. Among the Panchabhutas, vata is represented as air.

Dhatus are managed by regulating the dosha associated with them. So, for good bone health you manage the vata dosha, that is you keep vata under control. If the vata or vayu in your system increases your bone health is adversely affected.

Many of us have suffered from low back pain. I have seen many people immobilized from a severe back catch. When one of my friends bent to pick up her luggage from an auto-rickshaw, she felt a severe pain in her back and was in bed for a week, trying out all sorts of allopathic medications, the usual topical creams to relieve the pain, painkillers taken orally, heat treatment etc. I advised her to try a matra vasti, a particular ayurvedic treatment which would reduce the vayu and hence reduce the pain. She was a little sceptical because she had been told it was a catch and it would respond only to physiotherapy. After about 10 days of walking around crookedly and in much pain, she agreed to get a matra vasti done.

Vasti is one part of the highly effective panchkarma treatment. One particular form of vasti is matra vasti. A matra vasti treatment consists of abhyangam – an oil massage (my vaidyar hates the word massage) with a vayu decreasing oil – that is suited to your prakriti. Dhanvantaram oil is a popular oil for abhyangam. After abhyangam, steaming or swedana is done with medicated herbs and then the actual matra vasti is done. It is an enema of medicated oil, usually dhanvantaram oil with induppu. What the oil does is to lubricate the intestines where normally vayu accumulates and relieves the gas build up. Long years ago when I heard of this procedure I was terrified. Now it has become a mainstay treatment to keep vayu in check. I love potatoes, colocasia (arbi) and sambhar and you guessed it, all of them are extremely vayu enhancing. If I have been overly self-indulgent, my back will act up. A matra vasti is usually the answer. To get back to my friend – she had her matra vasti done and she is back to normal and is now running around chairing her various committees. My friend recalled that often when she would bend and get up she would feel a twinge in her back. As it would go away immediately she had ignored it. Now an ayurveda savvy person would know that it is a symptom that vayu is increasing and take steps to decrease vayu. One way is to stop or decrease vayu increasing activities like travelling too much, talking too much etc. The other way is not to eat vayu enhancing food items such as dhals, tubers, bitter vegetables, cold foods etc. Also, increase the intake of vayu decreasing foods such as ghee, milk etc. A regular application of oil on the body decreases vayu. If these prescriptions had been followed when the symptoms had first presented itself, the severe catch in the back could have been prevented. Once the matra vasti restores the balance of doshas, it is up to us to maintain them in balance. Keeping an eye on the diet is very essential, as also on your digestion. Avoid potatoes, raw bananas, colocasia and dhals. I love these foods and I can well imagine many readers, especially vegetarians, being quite unhappy about such restrictions but it is better than walking around half bent in pain. If you are a non-vegetarian, mutton soup from which the fat has been skimmed off ( done easily by leaving the soup in the refrigerator and removing the solidified fat which forms a skin at the top) is excellent – it is nourishing and decreases vayu. Won’t make you fat either.

Matra vasti has to be done by a qualified ayurvedic practitioner. Do get one done as a prophylactic the next time you see an increase in vayu in your system.

--- The writer was earlier Health Secretary, Govt. of Tamil Nadu and is currently, Principal Secretary and Chairman & Managing Director, Tamil Nadu Handicrafts Development Corporation. She can be reached at Sheelarani. arogyamantra@gmail. com. Earlier articles can be accessed at http://arogyamantra. blogspot. com/

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