Abstract

A COMPARATIVE REVIEW STUDY OF UDVARTANA VIS-À-VIS LYMPHATIC DRAINAGE MASSAGE

Swathi Bhat*, Shaila Borannavar and Ananta S Desai

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Abstract

Udvartana is an effective and popular Ayurvedic procedure in which herbal powders or pastes are applied to the whole body or the affected part of the body in a direction that is opposite to the direction of growth of hair follicles. It is used in the treatment of obesity, skin disorders, diabetes mellitus, insect bites, stretch marks, psychological disorders and in undernourished individuals. Udvartana has multifold benefits like facilitating proper blood circulation of the body and relaxation of the mind, reabsorption of inflammatory products, relief from pain, spasms and stiffness of the muscles and joints. Manual lymph drainage is defined as a light massage therapy technique that involves moving the skin in particular directions based on the structure of the lymphatic system. This helps encourage drainage of the fluid and waste through the appropriate channels. A brief survey of literature about both the procedures is done here to explore possibilities of further investigation for applying wisdom of both fields together. In fact, this is a review paper based on certain hypothesis which may be established or rejected factually by further researches.

Keywords: Udvartana, Herbal Body Scrub, Lymphatic Drainage Massage.