Ayurvedic Management of Diabetic neuropathy - A Case Study

Abstract

  Diabetic neuropathy refers to various forms of nerve damage caused by chronic diabetes mellitus. The most common type is diabetic peripheral neuropathy, and approximately half of individuals with diabetes experience some form of peripheral neuropathy, which can manifest as either polyneuropathy or mononeuropathy.¹ Symptoms can manifest as motor, sensory, or autonomic changes, depending on the location of the nerve damage. These changes often arise due to microvascular injury, which affects the small blood vessels that supply nerves. The resulting damage can cause a range of complications, including altered muscle function, sensory disturbances, or impaired autonomic processes.¹ Modern medical management primarily focuses on controlling diabetes, with treatments largely limited to symptomatic relief. In ayurveda, diabetic neuropathy is considered as a complication of prameha, with treatment aimed at balancing the doshas and dushyas involved in the pathogenesis.

This case report details a 48-year-old female patient, a known diabetic for over 10 years, who presented to the Roganidana OPD of Government Ayurveda College Hospital, Kannur, Kerala, with complaints of numbness in both lower limbs, particularly over the soles of her feet and mid-calf region. She also reported weakness in her legs while walking, pain in both knee joints, and lower back pain, especially when rising from a bent posture. Initially, oral medications were prescribed at the outpatient level. Considering the role of ama in the pathogenesis of the condition, a one-week course of ama pachana medicines was administered to digest and eliminate ama. Following this, the patient was admitted to the inpatient department (IPD) for further treatment. Internally, a combination of ama hara, medohara, and kaphahara medications were given. For symptomatic relief, lepana was applied externally to alleviate pain in the knee joints and lower back. To address nerve damage and improve blood circulation in the lower limbs, choorṇa pinda sweda therapy and udwarthana were incorporated into the treatment plan. After the treatment course, the patient experienced significant relief from her lower back and knee joint pain, along with an improvement in numbness in both lower limbs and feet. Sensory function in her lower limbs and feet also improved notably.