How to Reduce and Treat Back Pain, Low Back Pain

 Back pain is a very common ailment which can seriously affect work performance and quality of life. Usually, eight out of every ten individuals will get back pain at some point of time in their lives. The back is a complex structure made up of vertebral bones, supporting discs, spinal cord and nerves, cartilages and muscles. This combination makes the backbone a remarkably strong but mobile structure.

Back pain can be acute, chronic or recurrent; it is labeled as chronic when it has lasted for more than three months. Back pain can be again divided into cervical or neck pain (upper back pain), thoracic or middle back pain, and lumbar or lower back pain. Lower back pain is the most common, and usually accounts for nearly 80 percent of back pains.

Over-the-counter pain management medicines can help to reduce acute back pain along with rest and cold or hot applications. If required, prescription drugs can be used after seeking medical advice. This usually includes the use of non-steroid ant-inflammatory drugs, muscle relaxants, and neuromodulators. For chronic or intractable pains, physicians may consider local injections, or rarely, surgery.

Acupuncture, massage, biofeedback therapy, laser therapy, electrical nerve stimulation and other nonsurgical spine treatments can make a difference for chronic back pain.

Ayurvedic medicines can be utilized for a few months to treat swelling, pain and stiffness, help rebuild cartilage and heal damaged bones. Depending upon the diagnosis and severity of back pain, Ayurvedic treatment may be required for about 4 to 8 months. Self-medication should be avoided at all costs.

It is absolutely necessary to take medical help if pain does not reduce, or there are additional symptoms like impaired sensation, severe or increasing pain, bowel incontinence, limb weakness or paralysis, fever and unexplained weight loss.

Having said this, we will now discuss some simple steps, precautions, lifestyle changes and home remedies which can both prevent as well as treat most back pains. These include the following:

1) Improve your posture: When sitting, make sure it is in a supportive chair, where your hips are higher than your knees. Avoid chairs that are too low or soft, such as sofas. Keep your neck in an upright position and don’t let it poke forward. When working at a desk, avoid twisting movements by keeping your keyboard, mouse and telephone within easy reach. Your elbows should be at desk height with your chair pulled right in underneath. Use a pillow or rolled up towel in the small of your back if it needs extra support. When driving, take frequent breaks and get out of the car and wander around. If time permits, you may even do a bit of stretching! Avoid remaining in the same position for long. When you lift something heavy, it's very easy to twist the wrong way. This can lead to muscle spasm and pain. Use proper body mechanics by engaging your leg muscles, not your back, when you pick up heavier items. Get help if the item is too much for you to lift alone

2) Foam rollers: Foam rollers are a popular choice for relieving pain in back muscles. The rollers effectively act like self-massage, with the user’s bodyweight providing the pressure.

3) Ice and heat treatment: Cold application like ice is usually used within the first 48-72 hours of a back sprain, after which heat can be used. Treatment time for both is usually 15-20 minutes 2 or 3 times a day, taking care not to harm the skin.

4) Think about your diet: Eating a balanced diet ensures that your body gets all the nutrients it needs to strengthen and repair itself. Anti-inflammatory foods may help reduce pain. These include wholegrain foods, fruit and vegetables including leafy green vegetables, fiber foods, yogurt, some spices, including turmeric, ginger, green tea and black pepper. Foods that may make inflammation worse include highly refined flour or gluten, refined sugars, trans-fats and saturated fats, and red meat. Turmeric milk, tart cherry juice, and ginger green tea can reduce inflammation. Vitamin D can strengthen bone and reduce back pain and other body pains.

5) Quit smoking: Smoking restricts blood flow to the discs that cushion your vertebrae. This could lead to quicker disc degeneration. Smoking also reduces calcium absorption and new bone growth. This increases the risk of a fracture due to osteoporosis.

6) Lose weight: It is also worth noting that if you are carrying excess weight, it can put added strain on your back. Losing those extra pounds is a great way to give your back a break and rediscover the joy of movement.

7) Get enough sleep: Try to get about 6-7 hours of sleep at night. Sleep relaxes mind and muscle, reduces muscle strain and spasm as well as reduces pain perception. Vitamin C, vitamin B6, melatonin, L-theamine, and valerian can help bring about sleep easily. Mindful meditation can also help.

8) Adjust your sleep position: Getting the right support from your mattress is crucial in helping with back pain at night. Finding the appropriate firmness to provide relief while keeping your body supported is important, no matter what position you like to sleep in. You should then try and keep your spine in a straight position, so avoid using too many pillows, which can push your head out of line, and consider putting a pillow between your knees if sleeping on your side, or under them if you sleep on your back.

9) Stretching: Regularly stretching the muscles, tendons, and ligaments that support the spine is an important element of all back exercise programs. Benefits of stretching include (i) reducing tension in muscles supporting the spine - tension in these muscles can worsen pain from any number of back pain conditions (ii) improving range of motion and overall mobility and (iii) reducing risk of disability caused by back pain.

Back pain can be easily reduced or prevented using the following exercises: knee to chest stretch, modified cobra, standing hip stretch, seated spinal twist, pelvic tilt and glute bridges. Hot tub bath, and swimming or water exercises can also help with back pain.

10) Manage stress: Stress can cause or aggravate back pain, so it is necessary to manage or reduce stress using relaxation techniques like meditation, deep breathing, stretching exercises, and yoga.

11) Yogic Asanas: Yogasanas which can help with the reduction and prevention of back pain include Bhujangasana, Paschimottanasana, Ushtrasana, Dhanurasana, and Setubandhasana. Details and images of these are available online, or one can enroll for yoga classes.  

12) Back pain associated with pregnancy: During pregnancy, the ligaments in your body naturally become softer and stretch to prepare you for labour. This can put a strain on the joints of your lower back and pelvis, which can cause back pain. The same methods as described so far can help relieve back pain with this condition too.

In this way, people affected with back pain pain can use a combination of rest, medicines, diet, and exercises to treat their pain on a long term basis. An accurate diagnosis by a qualified and experienced medical practitioner is a must. Likewise, it is best to take professional help for handling acute back pain and for planning long term treatment, and management with exercises. What works best for one person may not work for someone else; also different stages of back pain causing diseases may require different management in the same individual.  However, it is an established fact that regular adherence to an effective exercise programme can definitely preserve structure and function of the back on a long term basis.

Dr A A Mundewadi is available as an Ayurvedic Consultant at https://www.mundewadiayurvedicclinic.com and http://www.ayurvedaphysician.com

How to Reduce Knee Joint Pain

The knee is the largest and probably the most complex joint in the human body. Diseases of this joint can seriously hamper movement as well as quality of life. The joint is made up of the thigh bone, the shin bones, knee cap, and muscles and cartilages. Common diseases of the joints include osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and traumatic arthritis. Any disease of this joint will normally cause the following symptoms: pain, redness, inflammation, heat, swelling, stiffness, immobility or limited mobility.

Most of these symptoms are normally treated with rest, ice or heat applications, compression, elevation, over-the-counter medications, non-steroid-anti-inflammatory drugs, physiotherapy, intra-articular injections, and surgery. Most diseases of the knee joint last for long periods, and cause symptoms, of which pain is probably the one symptom which requires immediate attention. Measures and ways to prevent or treat this pain of the knee joint will be discussed at length here.

1) Walking or running on a soft ground or mud-filled ground is safer than on hard surfaces like concrete, which can damage knee and ankle joints in the long run.

2) Gait alignment and correction is important to treat or prevent knee joint pain; professional advice may be required for this.

3) Weight reduction is another important method to reduce pressure on painful knee joints. The stress on knee joints on level ground is about 1.5 times the body weight, while on stair-cases, it may increase from 2 to 3 times the body weight.

4) Regular exercise is important in maintaining strength of the joint muscles. Some good choices include walking, swimming, water aerobics, stationary cycling, and elliptical machines. Tai chi may also help ease stiffness and improve balance.

5) Painful or unstable joints may induce falls, which can further damage an already diseased joint. Falls can be prevented by using good lighting, fitting handles on staircases and in bathrooms, using a cane for support, and using a sturdy ladder or stool when climbing up. Knee splints and braces can also stabilize joints.

6) Cold application like ice is usually used within the first 48-72 hours of a joint injury, after which heat can be used. Treatment time for both is usually 15-20 minutes 2 or 3 times a day, taking care not to harm the skin.

7) High impact activities and exercises like running, jumping, kickboxing, lunges and deep squats, that put a lot of stress on the knees, should be avoided.

8) A diet which has anti-inflammatory properties should be adopted since it helps in reducing joint inflammation, swelling, and long term damage. These include fruits and vegetables that are high in phytonutrients like vitamins C, D, and E, and selenium, as well as cold water fish which contain omega-3-fatty acids.

9) Acupuncture, or acupressure, sometimes combined with moxibustion, can help relieve the pain of osteoarthritis.

10) Stress should be avoided or reduced since it can increase muscular pain and also increase pain perception. Stress can be reduced effectively by deep breathing, relaxation techniques, meditation and yoga. Massage can also relieve stress and bring about a feeling of well being.

11) Supplements and herbs like ginger, curcumin (from turmeric), glucosamine and chondroitin sulphate, may reduce pain, inflammation, and help rebuild cartilage tissue. Likewise, Ayurvedic medicines can be utilized for a few months to treat swelling, pain and stiffness, help rebuild cartilage and heal damaged bones. Depending upon the diagnosis and severity of joint disease, Ayurvedic treatment may be required for about 4 to 8 months. Self-medication should be avoided at all costs.

12) As mentioned earlier, exercises are best for reducing and preventing knee joint pain on a long term basis, and keeping the joints and associated muscles in good physical condition. These include warm up, heel cord stretch, quadriceps stretch (standing and supine), hamstring stretch, half squats, hamstring curls, calf raises, leg extensions, straight leg raises (prone and supine), hip abduction and adduction, and leg presses. Details and images of these exercises are all available online. These exercises can be adopted as a joint conditioning programme lasting from 4 to 6 weeks, after which these can be continued with lesser frequency life-long, on a maintenance basis.

13) Yoga exercises are also very useful in preventing and relieving knee joint pain. These can be performed everyday for about 5-20 minutes, depending upon the severity of the condition. Included here is a list of asanas which are quite simple and can be done by almost anyone. These include Santulasana, Natrajasana, Vrikshasana, Trikonasana and Veerabhadrasana. These asanas involve movement of all the components of the knee joint and lower limbs, and help in improving blood flow, strengthening muscles, bones and cartilage, and reducing long term pain and inflammation.

In this way, people affected with knee joint pain can use a combination of medicines, diet, and exercises to treat their pain on a long term basis. An accurate diagnosis by a qualified and experienced medical practitioner is a must. Likewise, it is best to take professional help for handling acute joint conditions and for planning long term treatment, and management with exercises. What works best for one person may not work for someone else; also different stages of knee joint diseases may require different management in the same individual.  However, it is an established fact that regular adherence to an effective exercise programme can definitely preserve joint structure and function on a long term basis.

Dr A A Mundewadi is available as an Ayurvedic Consultant at  https://www.mundewadiayurvedicclinic.com and http://www.ayurvedaphysician.com

 

How to Reduce Your Potbelly

 A potbelly is the ugly protuberance often seen in the mid-section of most middle aged men and even women. Unfortunately, many young people have also started sporting a potbelly nowadays, due to various reasons which will be explained in detail in the following paragraphs.

Definition of Potbelly: Normally a person is said to be having a potbelly if the abdominal circumference is 40 inches or more in men and 35 inches or more in women. Please note however, that these figures apply mostly to people in the US. For the Asian population, the figures would be approximately in the range of 35.5 inches or more in men, and 30.5 inches or more in women.

Significance: In addition to the socially embarrassing dimension, a potbelly can have dangerous health implications. Abdominal fat is of two types: subcutaneous fat which can be felt just below the skin by pinching with two fingers, and visceral fat, which cannot be felt, but is present in and around the internal organs of the abdomen. This visceral fat does serve some important functions like protecting the internal organs, and providing warmth and energy in extreme cold and starvation situations.

However, excess amounts of this fat can increase the risk of medical conditions such as heart disease, type II diabetes, high blood pressure, increased risk for stroke, asthma, dementia, and certain types of cancer, sleep apnea, heartburn, migraine, osteoarthritis, fatty liver disease, and kidney disease.

Reducing pot belly: A pot belly may result from a faulty diet, faulty lifestyle, increasing age or just plain genetics. Pot belly reduction is only possible with a combination of diet modifications, lifestyle modifications, and exercise. What works best for one person may not work at all for someone else, so a lot of experimentation and trials are required before one can settle down to a tailor-made regimen for reducing the waist line. A detailed description follows:

1) Diet modifications:

a) Stop overeating. Develop the habit of portion control and making food choices.

b) Reduce carbohydrate intake and increase protein intake. Eat healthy foods like whole grains, fruits and vegetables, lean proteins such as fish, poultry, beans, soy and low-fat dairy and healthy fats such as oil and nuts, instead of refined carbohydrates and foods high in trans and saturated fat. Eating foods rich in soluble fiber might help too; these include fruits, vegetables, legumes, oats, quinoa and barley. Healthy high fat foods which may help reduce body fat include avocados, chia seeds, eggs, fatty fish, nuts and nut butters, and olives.

Fatty fish include salmon, herring, sardines, mackerel, and anchovies. Healthy fruits include berries (strawberries, blackberries and raspberries), citrus fruits (mango, kiwi, guava, grapefruit and red grapes), and tropical fruits (apple, pear and pomegranate). Healthy vegetables include acorn squash, sweet potato, pumpkin, beet, bell peppers, and broccoli sprouts. Healthy nuts and seeds include macadamia nuts, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, flax seed, sunflower seeds and chia seeds. Beverages which may help reduce belly fat include apple cider vinegar, lemon water, red wine and green tea. Herbs and spices which may reduce inflammation as well as burn belly fat include turmeric. cinnamon, cloves, ginger, garlic, cayenne pepper, rosemary and tulsi (basil) 

c) Drink plenty of water instead of soda, sweet tea, and fruit juice.

d) Avoid or reduce alcohol intake.

e) Stop midnight snacking.

f) Adopt practices like intermittent fasting, where food is taken only within an 8-10 hour window period.

g) For food sensitivity, it may be necessary to cut down on gluten and dairy products.

2) Lifestyle modifications:

a) Reduce stress, since stress can increase cortisol secretion and thereby increase appetite and weight gain. Relaxation exercises, deep breathing, and meditation can help reduce stress.

b) Get sufficient sleep in the range of 6-8 hours.

c) Stop smoking.

d) Get out of the habit of inactivity.

e) Befriend health-conscious people.

3) Exercise:

a) Getting sufficient exercise is key to consistent weight loss and reducing pot belly. A mix of resistance training and aerobic activity gives the most benefits. Usually, about 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity (fast walking and cycling) or 75 minutes of vigorous activity (running and playing basketball) a week, along with at least two days of muscle-strengthening activities would be considered sufficient.

b) It should be kept in mind that strength training exercises may increase lean muscle; this would reduce pot belly fat, but the weight may remain unchanged. So people with a pot belly should concentrate more on the abdominal girth and how their clothes fit them, rather than focusing on the weighing scale.

c) Activities which are good for pot belly reduction include walking, jogging or running, swimming, biking, jumping rope, rowing, and tennis. Climbing and going down the staircase may be a good option for some. It should be kept in mind that some activities and exercises may not be recommended for people with serious heart or lung conditions, advanced joint disease, back problems and pregnant women.

d) High intensity interval training (HIIT) pairs bouts of intense exercise with periods of less intense activity to burn calories. For instance, HIIT might involve a cycle of walking for 3 minutes, then running for 30 seconds. HIIT may reduce body fat more effectively than other types of exercise. Because of the short periods involved, HIIT may also be a good way to reduce belly fat.

 

e) Making a point of increasing activity levels throughout the day helps burn calories and thereby reduces belly fat. Moving more can also strengthen the muscles and elevate the mood. Tips for increasing daily activity levels include taking regular stretching breaks when sitting for long periods; taking the stairs instead of the elevator; walking or cycling instead of driving or taking public transit; parking further from a destination; and using a standing desk.

f) Core exercises which involve the abdominal muscles include i) mountain climbers ii) basic crunches iii) bicycle crunches iv) flutter kicks v) squats vi) high knee and vii) plank. There are many variations to these exercises and these need to be increased gradually as per individual tolerance. It is best to take the help of qualified and experienced fitness trainers for getting the best out of these exercises.

g) Yogasanas can also be utilized to reduce weight as well as belly fat. There are many such yogasanas which may be effective; however, only some few which specifically involve the abdominal muscles and reduce abdominal fat are mentioned here. These are also comparatively easy to do on a regular basis. These include i) Paschimottanasan ii) Bhujangasana and iii) Dhanurasan. Kapalbhati (a special type of controlled breathing) may also help reduce belly fat.

h) Walking is probably the only simple and safe exercise to reduce weight and thereby also reduce pot belly, which can be done by almost anyone; however, significant weight reduction may require strict implementation of the 10,000 steps daily regime, at least for about 4 to 5 days a week.

The writer is available as an Ayurvedic Consultant at https://www.mundewadiayurvedicclinic.com and http://www.ayurvedaphysician.com

Joint Diseases – Ayurvedic Herbal Treatment

Diseases of the joints can be classified mainly into two categories: 1) Diseases of joints resulting from inflammation 2) Diseases of joints resulting from degeneration.  In clinical practice, very often, there is a considerable overlap between the two.

The common joint diseases mainly encountered are as follows:

1) Osteoarthritis: This is known as the ‘wear and tear arthritis’; the commonest presentation being osteoarthritis of the knees. Basically, this condition results from degeneration of the joint cartilage due to trauma, overuse, obesity, or familial tendency. This disease is usually progressive, meaning conservative treatment does not stop it from progressing.

2) Rheumatoid Arthritis: This is an autoimmune disease primarily causing inflammation, pain and swelling in the small joints. Anti-inflammatory drugs, steroids and immune suppressants can bring about a response, but there is no long term cure. Most autoimmune disorders affect the joints in the long run.

3) Spondyloarthropathies: This is a group of joint disorders that usually include ankylosing spondylitis, psoriatic arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease associated arthritis, and reactive arthritis aka Reiter syndrome. Most patients have an involvement of the spine, though in a few patients, large joints may be involved. Treatment is mostly symptomatic and supportive.

4) Gout: This is a metabolic disorder with high uric acid being deposited in excess, mainly in the big toe. This can be treated with drugs and diet control.

5) Bursitis: This is inflammation of bursae, which are fluid filled sacs which provide cushioning and sliding surfaces for tendons close to joints. Trauma and overuse are the most likely cause of inflammation leading to bursitis. Treatment is again symptomatic.

Global Burden of Joint Diseases: As per 2019 estimates, nearly 530 million people were affected globally with osteoarthritis, with nearly 65 million cases in India alone. During this same period, 224 million cases were affected worldwide with rheumatoid arthritis. This is the severity of joint disease and the huge burden it places in terms of economic loss, loss of working hours, severe compromise in quality of life, and not to mention the burden in terms of increased morbidity and mortality.

In most households, several senior citizens and middle aged people; also some unfortunate young individuals, are forced to limit themselves to their houses due to severe restriction in activity resulting from joint diseases. The same story plays out even in the houses of health professionals themselves, since conservative allopathic treatment has limited benefit, especially in rheumatoid arthritis, while the surgical treatment of osteoarthritis calls for huge expenses which are beyond the reach of most individuals who are paying for their treatments.

In such a scenario, it would be worthwhile to consider and review the enormous treatment potential of Ayurvedic herbal medicines for all joint diseases.

Ayurvedic Herbal Treatment of Joint Diseases: Ayurvedic treatment for all joint diseases is with three treatment modalities: 1) Local application: Medicines like Narayan oil, Mahamash oil, Vishgarbha oil, and Gandhapuro oil are used as local application and are followed up with medicated steam fomentation usually using Rasna (Pluchea lanceolata) leaves. This is highly effective in reliving joint pain, swelling and stiffness.  2) Oral medications: These include herbs like Guggulu (Commiphora mukul), Rasnamul (Pluchea lanceolata), Guduchi (Tinospora cordifolia), Punarnava (Boerhaavia diffusa), Shunthi (Zinziber officinale), Shallaki (Boswellia serrata), Amalaki (Emblica officinalis), Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera), Bala (Sida cordifolia), Shatavari (Asparagus racemosus), Arjuna (Terminalia arjuna), and Asthishrunkhla (Cissus quadrangularis). These medicines have excellent anti-inflammatory properties, are good immune modulators, and can be given safely for prolonged periods in high doses without serious adverse effects.3) Panchkarma Procedures: Panchkarma procedures like snehan (oleation), swedan (fomentation), virechan (induced purgation), basti (medicated enema), and rakta-mokshan (blood-letting) have immense additional therapeutic value in bringing about remission in very advanced joint disease too.

A combination of these three treatment modalities can help Ayurvedic treatment to bring about a complete remission in most patients affected with rheumatoid arthritis and other types of inflammatory arthritis. Ayurvedic herbs can repair joint cartilage and help heal advanced osteoarthritis and indeed remove the need for joint replacement. Ayurvedic herbal treatment can thus bring about significant improvement in all types of joint diseases. It is the need of the hour to bring about global awareness about the immense treatment potential of Ayurvedic herbal medicines in joint diseases.

The writer, Dr A A Mundewadi, is available as an Ayurvedic Consultant at 

https://www.mundewadiayurvedicclinic.com and http://www.ayurvedaphysician.com

Recurrent Abortions – Ayurvedic Herbal Treatment

Definition: Recurrent abortion or pregnancy loss is defined as two or more consecutive loss of pregnancy. Infertility in the woman – along with many other reasons - may also be due to recurrent abortion within the first few weeks, and may go unnoticed, since the bleeding occurs at the time of the next expected period.

Causes of Recurrent Abortions: 1) Anatomic defects such as unicornuate or bicornuate uterus, and the presence of fibroids 2) Genetic problems, which are usually the commonest cause of recurrent abortions 3) Hormonal abnormalities, which are most common in PCOS 4) Immunological factors 5) Heamatological problems such as intensive angiogenesis, coagulation or fibrinolysis 6) Infectious agents like toxoplasmosis, rubella, cytomegalovirus and herpes and 7) Environmental effects like obesity, low weight, intake of caffeine, alcohol, tobacco and recreational drugs, stress, diseases of kidney, liver and autoimmune disorders, and the use of medications like NSAIDs and aspirin.

Conventional Treatment of Recurrent Abortions: This consists of 1) Reassurance and 2) Treating the known cause. Treatment includes a) medications like Heparin, Metformin, Progesterone, HCG hormone, immunotherapy, and b) surgery for incompetent os and fibroids 3) Avoidance of smoking, alcohol, and recreational drugs and 4) taking a well-balanced, nutritional diet. The overall results and success rate with this approach is however, not very impressive.

In this scenario, it would be worthwhile to consider the Ayurvedic herbal treatment for this condition.

Ayurvedic Herbal Treatment of Recurrent Abortions: In Ayurvedic texts, abortion before the fourth month is mentioned as Garbhastraav, while beyond this period, it is known as Garbhapaat. Ayurveda also mentions habitual abortions with terms like Apraja, Putraghni Yoni, and Jataharini.

In Ayurvedic treatment too, the principle of treatment is to treat the known cause. While surgery can take care of causes amenable to surgery, the medical treatment, for the remaining causes, is divided into two main categories:

1) Ayurvedic Treatment to Achieve Pregnancy/Conception: This includes herbs like Yashtimadhuk (Glycerrhiza glabra), Guduchi (Tinospora cordifolia), Laghu Kantakari (Solanum xanthocarpum), Bruhat Kantakari (Solanum indicum), Pippali (Piper longum), Gokshur (Tribulus terrestris), Bharangmul (Clerodendron serratum), Dadim Patra (Punica granatum), Usheer (Andropagan muricatum), Rasna (Vanda Roxburghi), and Manjishtha (Rubia cordifolia).

These medicines have antiviral and antimicrobial actions, are immune modulators, combat immune complexes, correct oxidative damage at the placental level, and promote pregnancy.

2) Ayurvedic Treatment to Maintain Pregnancy and Avoid Complications: This includes herbs like Shatavari (Asparagus racemosus), Vidari (Ipomea digitata), Shrungatak (Trapa bispinosa), Amalaki (Emblica officinalis), Bala (Sida cordifolia), Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera), Yashtimadhuk (Glycerrhiza glabra), Saariva (Hemidesmus indicus), and Gokshur (Tribulus terrestris).

These medicines provide essential nutrients and immune modulation, have excellent anti oxidant properties, and improve the birth weight of the foetus.

Garbhapal Ras is a traditional Ayurvedic medicine known to similarly provide nutrients and help maintain a healthy foetus to full term.  Likewise, a group of medicines known as Laghu Malini Vasant, Madhu Malini Vasant, and Suvarna Malini Vasant are known to nourish all seven tissues of the body as per Ayurvedic physiology, and are considered useful in nourishing the foetus and stabilizing pregnancy.

Ayurvedic texts also mention Masanumasik Garbhini Paricharya; this includes information pertaining to a) The diet for each month of pregnancy b) The do’s and don’ts for each month of pregnancy and c) specific treatment for each month of pregnancy. This includes a separate group of herbs to be given at each month of pregnancy to provide nutrition as per the month-wise growth of the foetus, and to prevent foetal anomalies and accidents.  These medicines can be taken in the form of powder, paste, decoction or medicated ghee.

A Pertinent Observation: Ayurveda has an established and safe system of treatment for infertility and recurrent abortions; the treatment procedure is safe and tried and tested for decades. It is rather unfortunate that a sizeable population of childless couples all over the world, including health professionals, go through their entire lives without experiencing the joys and wonders of conception and parenthood, simply because they are totally unaware of this System of AYURVEDA, and the immense potential it has in the treatment of infertility and recurrent reproductive/conception loss.

The writer, Dr A A Mundewadi,  is available as an Ayurvedic Consultant at https://www.mundewadiayurvedicclinic.com and http://www.ayurvedaphysician.com