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Chronic stomach pain, pancreatitis, PCOS -
12-06-2004, 08:49 PM
Chronic stomach pain
The stomach pain is a very common complaint which an ayurvedic healer
encounters. While modern science has an array of complex tests
available for easy dignosis of an ailment, the native system
practitioner has only his hands and senses as his tools. Darshan
(visual checks), Sparshan (touch checks) and Prashnottari (questions
to patient, mostly on symptoms, their frequiency/acuity, lifestyle,
food habits etc) is a natural sequence a practitioner uses to sharpen
the diagnosis. Though ancient texts mension tests on urine, stool,
sweat etc, the tests are seldom followed in the same way in todays
ayurvedic practice. In old days, vaidya was pathologist also. This
preamble is given here to describe one case from practitioners diary.
Though stomach pain is very simple to describe, the pain can lead to
at least sixty different disease conditions. Indian vaidyas resort
to "Prashnottari" as a last resort to diagnosis. Their mastery is
assessed by their patients by the ability of a vaidya to find out the
patient's complaint without a single word about it from the patient.
One day a patient walked in. Pulse indicated Vata vitiation and a
little kapha unbalance. During abdominal examination, he felt pain
when the pancrea region was pressed. A hardness in the region was
felt together with local coldness. No other areas on stomach or
pelvic region had any pain. Author told him that the reason for his
pain is some enlargement/swelling/growth on pancreas. They are not
functioning properly. The pulse also indicates hypoglycemic
condition. The patient was surprised with acccuracy of the diagnosis
and told the history, in his own words:
" I am suffering from this pain for last six months. Whenever pain
started and continued for few days, I could not even do my
professional work satisfactorily. When I went to nearby hospital as
out-patient, I was subjected to various tests to diagnose the
disease. The urine and stool tests revealed the presence of pin
worms. One month medication for worms relieved the pain somewhat, but
it continued, almost five days a week. Further tests revealed stomach
acidity, but no ulceration. I was prescribed anti-acidity medications
for a month, but pain continued without any reduction. I was tested
for gall bladder stones but nothing was detected. Full colonoscopy
was also carried out but indicated that colon does not have any
problem. Finally, a senior aged doctor suggested taking a CT/MRI
scan of pancreas. This revealed a cyst/benign tumor. One group of
doctors believed that pain will not reduce unless the cyst is
removed, while another group felt surgical removal is difficult, and
if something goes wrong, I may have to live with insulin shots for
rest of my life. Being from a economic middle class, I can not afford
expensive surgey and especially when it is not known whether it will
succeede. Now I have come to find if ayurvedic system has something
to offer me. If my pain is relieved, I do not want to undergo any
surgery even if some charity institution funds the expenditure."
Ayurvedic term for pancreas is `Agnashaya'. It means the place
of `Agni'. Since it is a ductless gland, it releases digestive agni,
meaning insulin. Though ayurveda did not have chemical laboratory,
nor knew the word insulin, it has termed it as the fountain of
digestive juice, `Agnashaya'. If this Agni increases, blood sugar
decreases causing hypoglycemia, while if the agni reduces, a
situation termed `agnimandya' in ayurveda, blood sugar increases,
causing diabetis mellitus. When this Agnashaya is affected by
tumors/cysts, several symptoms are indicated. Lack of hunger,
constant fatigue, reduction of Ojas/Tejas, vomitting, pains etc.
There are not many cases involving pancreatic cysts/tumors. Which
makes, as suggested by most senior doctor of allopathic hospital, the
diagnosis very difficult even in ayurveda. When Agnashaya is excited
by food habits, excess insulin, coupled with insulin intolerance by
body can cause Polycystic Ovaries, a leading cause of infertility.
This serious disease (POCS) is now spreading from western countries
to oriental countries, a curse of adopted lifestyle.
>From ayurvedic angle, there are eight different types of pains
originating from vitiation of Vata, Pitta, Kapha, Aama accumulation
etc. Most ailments causing pains arise from Vatic disorders. Hence
vata treatment helps. When tumors are involved, Kapha vitiation
dominates. Even if a vaidya does not know the name of a disease, the
percentages of Vata, Pitta, Kapha vitiation can be assessed by pulse
diagnosis, symptoms, prakruti etc. Darshan and Sparshan (Visual
examination, pulse, touch) help in assessing this. This may also
reveal why diagnosis in ayurveda is difficult online.
Ayurveda offers herbs which can activate Aganashaya/Agni. Ginger,
black pepper, peeper longum, Chitrakmul, Peeparamul etc increase
digestive juices/hormones. Pearl, Licorice, Praval aid digestion and
metabolism. There are herbs which cause increase of dhatus. Vaidya
should select appropriate combinations depending on percentages of
doshas.
After starting personalized treatment, the patient started feeling
increased hunger and vigor by end of the first week. Within three
weeks, the pain gradually reduced as also local hardness. In next
four months, the pain came only twice, only for a day each time,
which could be linked to slight indigestion due to inappropriate food
served in a celebration party. Now patient was unwilling to go for
Scans to check if cysts/tumors were still existing. That is the
spirit. Due to medical insurance cover, nowadays everyone wants to
have regular checks such as ECG, mamograms, lipid profile, pap smear,
ultra sounds, etc. Since reference ranges are variables themselves,
the tests often confuse.
Though one gets confused when dignosing stomach pain, there are
benefits of getting it treated in ayurveda, homeopathy or
naturopathy, whatever be the cause. When various agnis such as that
of stomach, liver, gall bladder(pittashaya), agnashaya, when they
become unbalanced, they cause disease. In all such ailments, it is
necessary to follow the diet restrictions. Oils, ghee, sour items,
fats should be stopped. Alcohol to be avoided at all costs. Cooling,
shamanic, deepak and pachak (herbs aiding appetite and digestion)
should be combined in treatment. Isabgol, cardamom, grapes, cummin
seeds, crystal sugar, petals of rose and lotus, indian sarsaparila, giloy,
aamalaki, Nagkesar are various herbs which can be combined to improve
intestinal tone or functioning of all organs causing agni. When agni
is properly balanced, it causes removal of aamvisha (accumulated
toxins). Formulations such as Sutshekhar Ras, Shankhavati,
Chitrakvati are very useful to restore complete metabolism. When
disturbed metabolism exists, obessity, hypoglycemia, POCS are the
likely diseases. The Agni together with balanced Apana Vata aids the
fertility, regular and adequate painless menses. Hence most of the
herbs aimed at treating dismenorrhea balance liver function and Apan
Vata.
If the disease is correctly diagnosed, it does not require much time
to heal. Thousands of medicinal herbs exists in India. Even if
disease is not correctly diagnosed, the following of balanced food,
lifestyle and some simple herbs will cause adequate relief, though
disease may not get eliminated. To this end, author now gives few
home preparations, which can be easily followed everywhere, whenever
stomach pain starts on a reglular basis. Related complaints such as
gas, acidity, bloating, low hunger can also be tackled to some extent
by these remedies.
Take mint leaves 10 grams, ajwain, cloves and cardamom each 5 gms.
Soak them in 250 ml water overnight. Make a distillate nexty day
using pressure cooker and a glass tube to cool down the steam coming
out. This distillate can be preserved and taken one teaspoon thrice a
day whenever there is stomach pain. Helps in Gas, indigestion, low
hunger, anorexia. Very useful in cholera epidemic. Prevents one being
a cholera victim. This distillate is very digestive also.
Asfoetida, Ajwain and black salt, take each 5 gms, grind them
together, add in a pearl of garlic and bind into small pea sized
tablets. Two tablets when taken thrice a day is an adult dose to
cure indigestion, stomach pain, bloating. They are digestion aids
also.
A simple remedy known to almost every second grand-ma in India is the
mixture of Haritaki, ginger powder (half by weight of Haritaki) and
jaggery as a binder to make tablets the size of moth balls, These
three to four tablets, when taken at bedtime, cure old constipation.
Abhayabhaskar churna or mixture of Haritaki and Lavan Bhaskar Churna
also serve the same purpose. If suffering from semi loose motions due
to ama, bloating, pain are common symptoms. In such cases these
churnas have prooved useful, harmless. Imagine returning from a
weekend party and getting up with stomach pain in the midnight.
Though round-the-clock treatment is available in cities, the tension
and worries can be imagined. All churnas aimed at restoring stomach
unease should be taken with a little warm water, whereby they become
more and fast active.
In the conclusion, though stomach pain can be treated with simple
ayurvedic herbs/powders, avoiding such a situation by limiting the
type and quantity of food suitable to ones prakruti is the best
remedy. Simple and effective water therapy is known to eliminate half of
digestive system problems. That this therapy overloads the kidney is a myth. On
the other hand, it simplifies kidney's job! Kidney is another wonderful doctor
provided to us by Almighty.
Dr Bhate
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