World Journal of
Pharmaceutical and Life Sciences

AYURVEDIC MANAGEMENT OF SCLERODERMA AND DERMATOMYOSITIS – A CASE STUDY

Kure Varsha Nivruttirao*, Vinay Kumar K. N. and Bharadwaj Turlapati

ABSTRACT

Ayurveda, regarded as an ancient system of medicine in India, has a long-standing legacy, that aims at promoting
health, prevention & management of diseases. Ayurveda adopts a holistic approach in treating various diseases, by
giving due importance to the concept of Susadhya, Krichrasadya, Yapya and Anupakrama nature of the diseases
that may play a crucial role in the curability of a Sadhya Vyadhi and also in the management of Asadhya Vyadhi.
Although there are many Asadhya diseases, wherein, often the cause of the disease remains obscure and the
curability of the disease is either uncertain or not possible, Ayurveda can contribute even in the treatment of such
diseases, especially, in the aspects of improving the quality of life and alleviating the intensity as well as multitude
of signs and symptoms, thereby providing a significant relief, in addition to being safer approach devoid of any
untoward complications when adopted judiciously. Localized Scleroderma and Dermatomyositis are two such rare
and Asadhya diseases with autoimmune pathology, which can occasionally overlap with each other. They often
involve multiple systems of the body, primarily skin and joints. Their estimated prevalence is fewer than 1 million
cases per year in India. It is more common in women than in men and in the age group of 20 to 50 years. There are
many tools available for diagnosis of Scleroderma and dermatomyositis, but the lack of safe and satisfactory
management in the contemporary science of medicine, makes it the need of the hour to develop an ayurvedic
approach for treatment of Scleroderma and Dermatomyositis. The present study, throws light on Ayurvedic
Panchakarma approach in such conditions, where a 20 years old female subject, diagnosed with localized
scleroderma and dermatomyositis presented the complaints of tightness as well as hardness of skin over hands,
legs, around lips, chest region along with blackish discoloration of lips, fingers, toes, multiple joints pain and
swelling, who had got no significant relief inspite of taking various medications for the same, from the
contemporary field of medicine, was successfully managed through ayurvedic Panchakarma therapy. The main
objective of ayurvedic Panchakarma therapy, along with the support of medications of contemporary field of
medicine, in such conditions was to evacuate the excessive accumulation of morbid doshas, as well as restoring the
optimum functioning of Agni, clearing the obstruction developed in Srotas, maintaining the homeostasis of Dhatus
and improving the quality of life by decreasing the multitude and intensity of signs and symptoms.

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