Abstract

AN OPEN LABEL DOUBLE ARM CLINICAL STUDY TO COMPARE THE EFFECT OF AGNIKARMA WITH TAPTHA KSHOUDRA AND PANCHADHATU SHALAKA IN LATERAL EPICONDYLITIS (TENNIS ELBOW) – CASE SERIES

Anji Maria Joseph* and Vasudha A.

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Abstract

Tennis elbow is a painful disorder of the forearm; it may develop due to non-specific inflammation at the origin of extensor muscles of the forearm. It is clinically diagnosed by sensation of pain and tenderness at the lateral epicondyle of humerus which aggravates during the resisted dorsiflexion of wrist and fingers. On the basis of signs and symptoms, tennis elbow can be correlated with the condition of Snayugata vata described in Ayurveda. It is developed when Vatadosha aggravates due to atichesta, ativyayama. etc and gets localized in snayu of Kurpara sandhi. In Ayurveda, Acharya Sushruta has advocated various treatment modalities such as snehana, upanaha, agnikarma and bandhana for snayugata vata. Amongst these, Agnikarma seems to be more effective in providing distinct and instant relief. If it is done perfectly, disease does not reoccur. Agnikarma with kshoudra can be done in snayugata vyadhi according to Acharya Susruta. Kshoudra has ushna, laghu, rooksha, sookshma guna and it pacifies both vata and kapha. It aid the penetration of heat through sookshma sira. The study was conducted on 40 randomly assigned patients at Government Ayurveda and Unani Hospital, Bengaluru (SJGAUH) by dividing them into 2 groups -Group A and Group B. These groups were treated with Agnikarma using Taptha kshoudra and Panchadhathu shalaka respectively. Comparitive analysis of the overall effect of the treatments in both the groups showed that they are equally effective in the management of Lateral epicondylitis.

Keywords: Lateral epicondylitis, Kurpara sandhi asrita snayu gata vata, Agnikarma, Taptha kshoudra, Panchadhathu shalaka, Thermal property.