Muscle Ache, Myalgia: Ayurveda Understanding

Article by Dr Raghuram Y.S. MD (Ay) & Manasa S, B.A.M.S

Myalgia is the identify given for muscle ache. Muscle ache happens as a result of totally different causes, overuse of muscle tissues and harm are the most typical causes. It might additionally happen secondary to many systemic illnesses. The ache could differ in vary, delicate to reasonable to extreme and in addition from individual to individual. Some circumstances of muscle ache are acute, non permanent and reply nicely to easy house treatments or therapies. Alternatively, many occasions muscle ache could run a continual course, be widespread, presenting with extreme and chronic ache and will demand medical consideration, particularly if they’re as a result of some critical and continual underlying medical situations.

Associated Studying – Muscle Ache, Myalgia – causes, signs, prevention and therapy

On this article we will attempt to perceive myalgia or muscle ache from the Ayurveda Perspective and in addition contact upon the potential Ayurveda interventions for a similar.

The ‘Vata’ issue

Vata aggravating causes – Ache in muscle or any construction of the physique can’t be induced with out the involvement of aggravated vata. Myalgia can also be attributable to aggravated vata affecting and damaging the muscle tissues and interfering with its regular features, aside from inflicting ache and different associated signs therein.

Beneath talked about causative components shall be thought of from Ayurveda perspective –

–        causative components for aggravation of vata

–        causes of ‘Vata Vyadhi’

The causes embrace the meals, actions, seasons, habits and therapies which irritate vata.

Therapy contains –

–        Nidana Parivarjana – avoiding the causative components accountable for aggravation of vata

–        Vata calming therapies, medicines, weight-reduction plan and life-style modifications

–        Rules of treating Vata Vyadhi

–        Rules of treating Mamsagata Vata  

–        Exterior therapies – Abhyanga, Swedana, Sarvanga Dhara (widespread muscle involvement), Ekanga Dhara (small teams of muscle tissues concerned), Lepa, Upanaha, Patrapinda Sweda, Shashtika Shali Pinda Sweda,

–        Brimhana – bulk enhancing or strengthening therapies, medicines and meals

–        Snehana – consumption of fat / medicated fat – oils, ghee, bone marrow, muscle fats

–        Mamsarasa – use of meat soup or juice for individuals who are accustomed to eat meat

–        Inside therapies – Vasti – Asthapana and Anuvasana, Matra Vasti, Ksheera Vasti, Virechana

Mamsagata Vata & Medogata Vata

1. Mamsagata Vata

Within the context of Vata Vyadhi, a situation referred to as ‘Mamsagata Vata’ has been defined, the reason of which matches with myalgia or muscle ache.

Mamsagata Vata is marked by presence of –

–        Heaviness of the physique components,

–        Pricking or throbbing ache within the physique components,

–        Ache as if somebody has overwhelmed with sticks or fist

–        Extreme ache in physique components

–        Extreme tiredness / fatigue

This can be a situation attributable to aggravated vata getting localized within the muscle tissues, progressively damaging it and inflicting ache and different signs.

Associated Studying – Mamsagata Vata

2. Medogata Vata

The identical signs of Mamsagata Vata are additionally present in Medogata Vata whereby the aggravated vata is localized within the fats tissue as an alternative of mamsa – muscle tissues as in Mamsagata Vata.

Therapy – Therapy for each Mamsagata and Medogata Vata is similar. Acharya Charaka mentions the beneath talked about therapies for these two situations –

–        Virechana – purgation

–        Niruha Vasti – Decoction enemas

–        Shamana – palliative therapies or administration of vata assuaging medicines and measures

Asthi Majjagata Vata

Mamsa Bala Kshaya i.e. deterioration in power of muscle tissues and Satata Ruk – extreme ache in bones and bone marrow (and in addition in muscle tissues) have been talked about amongst the signs of Asthi Majjagata Vata i.e. aggravated vata localized within the bones and bone marrow.

Usually, we see that the muscle ache and weak spot can be evident in joint associated or bone associated illnesses. Right here, muscle ache and its lack of power can be secondary to the illnesses of bones and joints and bone marrow.

Therapy – of Asthi Majjagata Vata too shall be thought of for treating Myalgia, particularly so, if the ache and weak spot is secondary to bone or marrow problems. Therapy rules embrace –

–        Bahya Abhyantara Sneha – administration of inner and exterior oleation therapies as and when wanted.

Additionally,

In all of the above stated situations – Mamsa, Medo, Asthi and Majjagata Vata situations – the final line of therapy of Vata Problems could be readily administered together with particular line of therapy.

Particularly on this context, talking about Mamsagata Vata, – in my scientific expertise – Abhyanga, Patrapinda Sweda and Shashtika Shali Pinda Sweda / Navarakizhi are extremely efficient in relieving ache and different signs of Mamsagata vata vis-à-vis myalgia or painful muscular situations.

Mamsavruta Vata

Mamsavruta Vata is a situation whereby the muscle tissue envelopes and blocks the vata and interferes in its features. Although ache isn’t talked about amongst the signs of this situation, the therapy rules of the identical could be thought of in treating muscle pains.

Therapy rules of Mamsavruta Vata contains

–        Swedana – sudation

–        Abhyanga – natural oil therapeutic massage,

–        Mamsarasa – consumption of meat soup and

–        Sneha – consumption of medicated fat

Sandhigata Vata

This can be a situation during which aggravated vata will get localized within the joints of the physique and causes ache and swelling. The particular person finds it troublesome to make actions, particularly to flex and prolong the limbs. Muscular tissues are accountable for all actions together with joints, so muscle ache is part and parcel of signs of sandhigata vata additionally.

Therapy rules embrace – vata vyadhi therapy on the whole and sandhigata vata therapy in particular.

Muscle Ache attributable to Pitta

Muscle pains attributable to pitta can be inflammatory in nature and can have indicators of irritation like rise in temperature, burning sensation, redness, tenderness, fever and so on. When there may be extreme ache and delicate indicators of irritation, it may be a case of Vata-Pitta kind of muscle ache. Most of these ache could be attributable to harm, an infection or irritation.

Therapy in these situations embrace –

–        Pitta mitigating measures

–        Coolant therapies – like lepa – anointment or utility of pastes fabricated from coolant substances like Chandana (sandal wooden), Ushira (vetiver) and so on, Dhara with cooling oils or ghee or mixture of each or milk processed with Dashamula or coolant herbs

–        Virechana

Muscle Ache with Kapha involvement

Aggravation of solely Kapha is not going to trigger ache within the muscle tissues. It would trigger heaviness or swelling within the concerned muscle tissues. Often, Kapha could become involved as an related dosha together with aggravated vata or pitta.

Therapy includes kapha assuaging measures together with weight-reduction plan and medicines. 

When kapha builds up within the physique and in addition in kapha associated problems, whereby there can be swelling or oedema as a result of assortment of fluids, the ache and different signs are as a result of strain. In these situations, shotha chikitsa also needs to be thought of.

Rakta involvement in muscle ache

Muscle pains could also be induced as a result of situations like Vatarakta attributable to aggravated Rakta. Therapy rules of Vatarakta shall be thought of on this context. Uttana Vatarakta is a sort of Vatarakta whereby pores and skin and muscle tissues are concerned. Ache has been talked about as a part of signs on this context. That is relevant for muscle tissues too.

Ama involvement in myalgia

Ama is one causative issue for causation of ache, wherever within the physique. Ache is a particular and predominant function in situations like Samavata and Amavata. If muscle ache is secondary to such situations, therapy must be focussed in the direction of ‘ama’.

Line of therapy of amavata or samavata shall be adopted.

Vital formulations in Myalgia

For inner use –

–        Maharasnadi Kashayam

–        Sahacharadi Kashayam

–        Guggulutiktakam Kashayam / Ghrtam

–        Gandharvahastadi Kashayam

–        Rasnaerandadi Kashayam

–        Balarishtam

–        Ashwagandharishtam

–        Ashwagandha Churna

–        Ashwagandha Ksheerapaka

–        Mahasneha

For exterior use –

–        Ksheerabala Taila

–        Bala Taila

–        Balashwagandha Lakshadi Taila

–        Sahacharadi Taila

–        Prasarini Taila

Myalgia vs Mamsagata Vata / Vata Vyadhi

Bodily stress, overuse of muscle tissues, repetitive pressure, blunt accidents, continual ache and painful syndromes, neuromuscular problems and ischemia have been counted amongst the essential causes for muscle aches / myalgia. All these causes result in aggravation of vata trying from Ayurveda perspective. Most of them have been talked about within the nidana – etiological components for vata aggravation or causation of vata vyadhis.

Pitta affiliation with vata could be thought of whereby inflammatory situations are inflicting myalgia.

Localized myalgia could be mamsagata vata restricted to restricted space of muscle teams. It may be thought of and handled on the strains of ekanga vata – vata aggravation in a small portion of physique. Diffuse Myalgia could be counted as mamsagata vata occurring in the whole physique, involving many muscle teams. It may be thought of as variant of Sarvanga Vata – vata aggravation happening within the full physique.