Ayurvedic Treatment of Infertility

by Sheela Rani Chunkath

There is a raging epidemic of infertility in today's India. Ayurveda offers many successful strategies to combat infertility. Tubal blocks often result in infertility. While allopathy offers the invasive laparoscopic surgery to remove the blockages, often with limited success, ayurveda offers the healthier panchakarma treatment to help remove the tubal blocks. In the words of Dr. M. Anuradha, a senior ayurvedic vaidya in Chennai with an MD in Prasuti Tantra and Stree Roga (obstetrics and gynaecology) "Three cycles of yoga vasti with uttara vasti is extremely effective in clearing tubal blocks". With more than 10 years of experience, specifically in obstetrics and gynaecology, she has performed thousands of these procedures with wonderful results. Extremely efficient and capable, Dr Anuradha has a soft demeanour which puts the patients at ease. The procedures are easy to perform for those who have the experience and knowledge. It requires no anaesthesia, not even local, and is performed as a routine outpatient procedure.

Vasti an important panchakarma procedure is a kind of medicated enema. Usually a medicated tailam or kashayam is introduced through the anus into the colon. Uttara vasti is another procedure in which tailam or medicated oil is sent through the cervix into the uterus. When mechanical parts of a machine do not function, we almost always apply a little oil. In simplistic terms, vastis are like that. But in reality one has to wonder at the genius of our acharyas who devised this procedure to address issues relating to musculo-skeletal problems and of the reproductive organs using various medicated oils and kashayams.

Dr. Anuradha performs the yoga vasti or a series of 8 vastis consisting of two matra vastis in the beginning followed by alternate kashaya vastis and matra vastis thereafter. Dr. Anuradha starts from the 15th day of the menstrual cycle and administers a total of 5 matra vastis and 3 kashaya vastis. She is an expert and performs these procedures with the ease which comes with long years of practice.

The matra vasti is a relatively simple procedure as the quantity of medicated oil used is only 60 ml. Normally Dhanavantaram tailam is used. The kashaya vasti is a little more intense because the quantity of kashayam used is around 600 ml. Usually eranda mula (castor roots) kashayam is used.

Uttara vasti, the introduction of oil into the uterus through the cervix is done on the 5th day from the start of the menstrual cycle when there is no bleeding. The uttara vasti is done on 5 continuous days. Dr. Anuradha normally uses 2 ml of Mahanarayana tailam. Three cycles of yoga vasti and uttara vasti are performed for each patient.

While in the days of yore, animal bladders, metal tubes and plant reeds were used to carry out the procedures, today vaidyars routinely use syringes.

Dr. S. Bharat Narendra, MD (Ayu) a young and dynamic vaidyar is passionate about ayurveda's answers to infertility. Having himself performed thousands of uttara vastis and seen its amazing results he wonders why our people have no faith in our traditions and still insist on spending lakhs of rupees in allopathic fertility centres, often with mixed results.

Dr. Bharat who runs a clinic called Bharat Clinic and Vibha Ayurvedic Centre in Chennai, has his own module for clearing tubal blocks which are all however derived from the classical texts. His is a three-step procedure; first is the virechanam or therapeutic purging which is given during the last phase of a menstrual cycle. He uses four different medications (Abhayadi Modak, Mishraka Sneha, Gandharvahastadi tailam and Nimbamrita Erandadi tailam) depending on the patient's prakriti. The virechanam is done to improve the deepana pachana status of the individual, that is to stabilize the functioning of the digestive fire. "Sometimes the tubal blocks get cleared up at this stage itself" says Dr. Bharat. If it doesn't,  he also performs the yoga vasti with some modifications depending on the prakriti of the person. If a person is of kapha prakriti, 3 kashaya vastis are given, if of pitta prakriti 2 kashaya vastis are given. Again for uttara vasti (performed soon after the yoga vasti), depending on the nature of the patient, Varanadi gritham, Kshara tailam, Dhanavantarm tailam or Mahanarayana tailam is used. Thus the procedure is often adapted to the health status and prakriti of the patient, which makes it extremely effective. Anyone who has problems conceiving should approach ayurveda first and explore its simpler, healthier and more effective solutions.

--- The writer is retired Additional Chief Secretary, Government of Tamil Nadu. She can be reached at Sheelarani.arogyamantra@gmail. com. Earlier articles can be accessed at http://arogyamantra.blogspot.com/