Muscle relaxants in Ayurveda

by **Admin** Sat 06 Nov 2010, 11:59 pm

Muscle relaxants in Ayurveda

Muscle relaxants are that category of drugs, which are used in various conditions of muscle spasm. The pain killers are also supposed to be given with it. There are various reasons for muscle spasm. Drugs that relieve muscle spasm in disorders such as backache. Ant anxiety drugs (minor tranquilizers) that also have a muscle-relaxant action are used most commonly. The massage process of various types as well as parental medicines are described in ayurveda as per the conditions of the patients. As per the modern sciences the muscle relaxant drugs are that category of drugs, which act on the striated muscles that control the skeletal actions. The other category of muscle relaxants is used as anesthetics. The use of muscle relaxants is dependent upon the conditions of the patients. The muscle relaxants are mainly used in the neuromuscular disorders like multiple sclerosis, stroke, spinal cord injury and other traumatic conditions. Generally they are also used as painkillers in case of muscle stiffness, convulsions and strains.

There are two types of muscle relaxants acting centrally and those acting peripherally. Besides these there are certain drugs that act directly on the nerve muscle joint. Some of the muscle relaxants used commonly are Baclofen, Carisoprodol, Chlorphenesin, Chlorzoxazone, Diazepam Metaxalone, and Orphenadrine. These are commonly used for the purpose of muscle relaxant as well as the painkillers also. Muscle relaxants are also used in addition to the physical therapy in rehabilitation of stroke spinal cord injury and other musculoskeletal disorders. The use of muscle relaxants in ayurveda is same as that of the modern symptomatic treatment like use of drugs that act as sedative, tranquilizers and anti spasmodic. There are specific terms in ayurveda Vednasthapak (means that which is pain killer) Shulaghan (high degree pain killer), adyavatahara (medicines for nti
convulsion and related complications) and the oil preparation used for the purpose of massage are the category of muscle relaxants used in ayurveda. Apart from this all the medicines that are used for treatment the stroke, tetanus and other convulsion due to physiological, and pathological causes are also having the effects of muscle relaxants. The drugs that are used in the treatment of all type of the above medicines can be ollectively taken into the muscle relaxants in ayurveda category. The ayurveda related text describes about the variety of medicaments (forms of medicines) used as muscle relaxants. That includes single drug to multiple drugs combinations of herbs as well as the mineral preparations. There are parental as well as local applicators in ayurveda related text used as muscle relaxants. The majority of therapeutic indications involve the use of the Sneham (lubrication) and swedan (fomentation) therapy by different medicinal oils and decoctions.

Besides these there are the diet preparation that are used for the parental therapy for the diseases due to muscular spasm and other neuromuscular disorders. The parental drugs are having combination of the sedatives and other painkillers that are used for the purpose relaxing and releasing the pain sensations. We can classify the muscle relaxants form ayurveda in following classes.The oral /parental drugs.The topical /local application based drugs. These medicines from ayurveda are supposed to contain the combined effect of muscle relaxants, the painkillers and at certain times tranquilizers also. These drugs are mainly found in the section of classical ayurvedic text dealing in the stroke and related treatment details, the Vaatshamak chikitsa and masam (muscle tendons), meda (fat) (one the seven basic entities and up dhatu second to the basic seven entities) related diseases and treatment. The panchakarma therapy describes in the ayurveda is very much useful in some cases of rehabilitation for the neuromuscular disorders, stroke and other spasmodic conditions.

Some of the commonly used medicines and processes used as muscle relaxants drugs and therapy are as follow-

Some of the ayurvedic medicines are having anesthetic effect. They are generally used orally and some times locally. Some of these are Madhya, Teekshna-sura, ahiphena, bhanaga, Vatsanabh, Jatamansi, tagar and lamgali are use of kashaya rasa. Mainly these medicines/drugs are having the following properties Laghu, ruksha, vishad, vyavyai, teekshna and ushna (please see basic principle of ayurveda). The vedna sthapak category in ayurveda is used as complementary to the muscle relaxant medicine. They are excellent painkillers. The commonly used drugs from this category are sahal, katphala, kaadamb, adraka, tunga, mocharasa, shirish, eal, and ashoka.Gaduchyadi gana (the medicines from the specific group Gaduchyadi gana) are used for the treatment of the masam dhatu gat dushti (diseases condition s of the muscle and tendons)-gaduchi, nimba,
padmakha, rakta chandan and dhanyaka are excellent muscle relaxant and antispasmodic. Apart from this there are several mineral based preparations that are used for the treatment of neuromuscular disorders, stroke and other related conditions. Some of the mineral preparations are Chaturmukharasa, vatachintamani, brhita vata chintamani, makardhwaja, rasasindoor, and yogendra rasa, kasturibhairava Rasa. Apart from these the
guggul preparations and the asava and the aristha like balarishta, draksharishta and ashvagandharishta are also useful. Abhyanga (see massage) applies the various medicinal oils used for muscle relaxant purpose, and poultice forms are used for applying the paste
of different herbs. The Pradeha, Pralepa and other therapeutic process used in ayurveda. The anti convulsing drugs are also included in the muscle relaxant category for this purpose the various nasya (inhalations), yavagu (diet) and basti (enema) and the hot and cold sweating methods are used to treatment in above conditions.

The variety of ayurvedic medicines and process are containing drugs like the Amlavetas the various aspects of the physiotherapy that are supposed to be very effective in the treatment of the muscular disorders.