WEAKNESS – Ayurvedic Treatment

Weakness is the feeling of tiredness, lack of energy and a feeling of sleepiness that interferes with daily activities. It is a common symptom in many diseases. It also occurs without underlying pathology.

• SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF WEAKNESS
• CAUSES OF WEAKNESS
• PATHOPHYSIOLOGY OF WEAKNESS
• DIAGNOSIS OF WEAKNESS
• TREATMENTS FOR WEAKNESS
• PROGNOSIS OF WEAKNESS
• COMPLICATIONS OF WEAKNESS
• WEAKNESS  AND AYURVEDA
• NIDANA- AYURVEDIC CAUSES OF WEAKNESS
• PURVAROOPAM- AYURVEDIC PREMONITORY SYMPTOMS OF WEAKNESS
• SAMPRAPTI – AYURVEDIC PATHOGENESIS OF WEAKNESS
• LAKSHANA- AYURVEDIC SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF WEAKNESS
• AYURVEDIC PROGNOSIS OF WEAKNESS
• CHIKITSA- AYURVEDIC TREATMENT FOR WEAKNESS
• AYURVEDIC LOCAL TREATMENT FOR WEAKNESS
• AYURVEDIC SAMANA TREATMENT FOR WEAKNESS
• AYURVEDIC SHODHANA TREATMENT FOR WEAKNESS
• COMMONLY USED AYURVEDIC MEDICINES FOR WEAKNESS
• HOME REMEDIES FOR WEAKNESS
• DIET AND BEHAVIOUR FOR WEAKNESS
• YOGA FOR WEAKNESS

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF WEAKNESS

• Tiredness
• Loss of energy
• Fatigue
• Drowsiness

• Headache
• Body ache
• Sleeping
• dizziness
• mental confusions
• irritability
• loss of appetite
• inability to concentrate

CAUSES OF WEAKNESS

• Strenuous physical activities
• Degenerative diseases
• Fever
• Thyroid dysfunctions
• Hormonal imbalances
• Infections
• Side effects of certain medications
• Autoimmune diseases
• Stress
• Anaemia

PATHOPHYSIOLOGY OF WEAKNESS

• Weakness is triggered by many factors. In the case of infections, the immune system sends white blood cells to fight off the infection, which leads to weakness.
• Psychosocial factors like stress are also contributing to the weakness.
• Deficiency of nutrients along with other disease conditions like anaemia becomes a part of the pathogenesis of weakness.

DIAGNOSIS OF WEAKNESS

• Proper history taking
• Physical examinations
• Laboratory tests
• Musculoskeletal examinations
• Neurological examinations
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
• X – rays

TREATMENTS FOR WEAKNESS

• Medications – Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, Analgesics (for inflammatory reasons of weakness)
• Treatment of underlying pathology

PROGNOSIS OF WEAKNESS

• Prognosis is based on the cause of the disease, duration  and condition of the patient

COMPLICATIONS OF WEAKNESS            

• Derangement in the daily activities 
• Depression

WEAKNESS AND AYURVEDA

• In Ayurveda,weakness falls under ‘dhatukshaya’, ‘ojokshaya’.
•  The causes and pathogenesis of diseases caused by the vitiation of dosha, in general, are the exclusive cause and pathogenesis ofweakness.

NIDANA- AYURVEDIC CAUSES OF WEAKNESS

• Excess consumption of ununctuous, unwholesome food
• Excessive physical exercise.
• Suppression of natural urges.
• Trauma
• Injuries
• Agantu factors(infections)
• Fasting

PURVAROOPAM- AYURVEDIC PREMONITORY SYMPTOMS OF WEAKNESS

• The feeling of tiredness (ksheena)

SAMPRAPTI – AYURVEDIC PATHOGENESIS OF WEAKNESS

• Vata, pitta and kapha dosha move through all channels of circulation. Due to the subtle nature of vata it impels the remaining two doshas.
• The aggravated vata having provoked these two doshas, exacerbated and fills up the empty channels and moves greatly inside them or by getting enveloped by the other doshas.
• The aggravated doshas reside in the body and combine with dhatus leads to weakness.

LAKSHANA- AYURVEDIC SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF WEAKNESS

• Toda – aching body pain
• Sada – weakness
• Atinidra – sleepiness
• Moha – confusions
• Tantra – dizziness
• Aruchi – loss of appetite

AYURVEDIC PROGNOSIS OF WEAKNESS

• Weakness associated with traumatic injuries, chronic diseases is difficult to cure – krichra sadhya

CHIKITSA- AYURVEDIC TREATMENT FOR WEAKNESS

Ayurvedic local treatment for weakness

• Abhyanga – oil massaging
• Shirodhara

AYURVEDIC SAMANA TREATMENT FOR WEAKNESS

• Treatment of dosha vitiation
• Treatment for dhatu kshaya
• Treatment for agni
• Ashtachurna
• Draksharishtam
• Chyvanaprasam
• Dhanwantharam ghritam
• Aswagandha tablet
• Brahmi ghritam

 AYURVEDIC SHODHANA TREATMENT FOR WEAKNESS

• Sneha vasthi, yapana vasthi  – Medicated enema

COMMONLY USED AYURVEDIC MEDICINES FOR WEAKNESS

Internal administration

• Ashtachurna
• Draksharishtam
• Chyvanaprasam
• Dhanwantharam ghritam
• Aswagandha tablet
• Brahmi ghritam

External application

• Snehadhara – with balaswagandha tailam and ksheerabala tailam
• Shashtika Sali panda sweda

HOME REMEDIES FOR WEAKNESS

• proper rest
• drinking plenty of fluids
• bathing in warm water
• Body massaging

DIET AND BEHAVIOUR FOR WEAKNESS

• Avoid food items that produce dosha imbalance like cold and dry food, hard to digest. Because dosha imbalance aggravates the symptoms.
• Consume easily digestible food items, cow’s milk
• Avoid heavy exercises which further aggravate the conditions.
• Oil massage on the whole body advised.
• Consume a balanced diet

YOGA FOR WEAKNESS

• Nadi Shuddi Pranayam    – calms the mind and gets relief from weakness

The patient needs to be seated in a meditative posture with the head and spine erect, with the body relaxed. The patient has to close his one nostril (e.g. left nostril if using the right hand and vice versa) with the thumb and exhale completely through the other nostril. Again, he will have to breathe in deeply through the other nostril while the opposite nostril is still closed with the thumb.

                              Video:  https://youtu.be/d324ZzE-uXc

• Savasana – relaxes body and mind