Abstract

SIDDHA MANAGEMENT OF VARICOSE ULCER (NAALAVIBATHA VIRANAM) – A CASE REPORT

M. Chithra*, M. K. Sangeetha, K. Rajakumar and M. R. Srinivasan

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Abstract

Venous ulcers are open sores in the skin that occur with sustained venous hypertension and malfunctioning of venous valves, usually of the lower limbs. Ulcers develop in areas where blood collects and pools, as swelling there interferes with the movement of oxygen and nutrients through the tissues. Eventually, a visible ulcer develops on the skin. It is one of the most serious chronic venous insufficiency complications, accounting for 80% of lower extremity ulcerations. If it is right untreated, venous ulcers can quickly become infected, leading to cellulitis or gangrene and the risk of foot or leg amputation. Conservative management for varicose ulcers includes compression therapies, foot elevation, oral antibiotics, regular dressing of the wound. Surgery may be performed for chronic venous insufficiency that fails to respond to other therapies, or for nonhealing or infected venous ulcers. surgical management includes ultrasound-guided foam sclerotherapy, ELVA (Endo Venous Laser Ablation), RFA (Radio Frequency Ablation), Saphenofemoral ligation, and long saphenous vein stripping, skin grafting, etc. However, recurrence of venous ulcers is common, ranging from 60 to 70% of patients. As per the Siddha perspective, varicose ulcers can be correlated with “Naalavibatha viranam”. In Agathiyar Rana vaithiyam a well-known Siddha literature, where we get the description of various wounds and its management, so these kinds of the wound can be managed with the specific Siddha adjuvant therapies. A 53-years old male patient with chief complaints of nonhealing ulcer on the right ankle with pain and swelling over the right lower limb, was clinically diagnosed as a case of Varicose ulcer. The patient was treated with Siddha medicine both internally and externally. The parameter observed for prognosis were pain, size of the ulcer, edema, hyperpigmentation, and granulation tissue was assessed during the treatment. Therapeutic evaluation of treatment was done based on improvement in the symptoms. The observations showed remarkable improvement in terms of pain, size of the ulcer, edema, hyperpigmentation, and granulation tissue. This Observational case study revealed that Siddha medicine provided significant relief in symptoms of a varicose ulcer.

Keywords: Agathiyar rana vaithiyam, Naalavibatha viranam, Mathan thailam, Siddha Medicine, Padigara neer, Varicose ulcer management.