Abstract

EFFECTIVENESS OF LEECH THERAPY (JALAUKAVACHARANA) IN POST-TRAUMATIC CHRONIC SYNOVITIS OF KNEE: A CASE STUDY

Dr. Gunjan Jain*, Dr. Neha Mishra, Dr. H.P. Sharma

Abstract

The knee joint, recognized as a complex anatomical structure, is the most frequently injured articulation in the human body. Traumatic events can lead to damage in the soft tissues, such as ligaments, or the osseous components within the joint, often culminating in the condition of inflammatory synovitis. This article presents a detailed account of an identified case of posttraumatic chronic inflammatory synovitis of a 52 years old male patient who was treated with allopathy medications including Ibuprofen at a dosage of 400 mg twice daily, Naproxen at 250 mg twice daily, and Diclofenac gel 1% for local application for a duration of two months but not got any relieve in symptoms. Later patient came with presenting complaints of significant swelling localized to the left knee joint ,pain during ambulation, restricted range of motion in the affected joint to OPD Dept of Shalya Tantra, PTKLS Bhopal for further treatment . Leech therapy was provided to the patient and signs and symptoms were assessed before and after the treatment. The leech therapy was found to be the ultimate choice of treatment for relieving symptoms and pain reduction, thus effective in trigeminal neuralgia. The therapeutic strategy was meticulously designed by integrating the principles of Janu Sandhi Marmaghata pathophysiology, specifically addressing the afflicted Sandhi Marma (vital joint point). Symptomatic relief was also a significant consideration in the planning phase. Objective improvements across critical metrics—including range of motion, knee joint circumference, ambulation capacity (walking distance), and the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) score—were registered within a seven-day period. Furthermore, the absence of disease recurrence was confirmed one year post-cessation of the medication regimen. This leech therapy Ayurvedic therapeutic protocol is thus demonstrated to be a safe and efficacious intervention, offering accelerated healing and superior long-term clinical outcomes.

Keywords: Leech therapy, Synovitis of knee, Janu sandhi marmaghata.