AYURVEDIC TREATMENT FOR CERVICAL RADICULOPATHY

OVERVIEW:-

• Cervical radiculopathy is a disease process marked by  nerve compression from herniated disk material or arthritic bone spurs. 
• Neurological illness, such as numbness, altered reflexes, or weakness, may radiate anywhere from the neck into the shoulder, arm,  or fingers.
• Needles tingling and/or pain, it can range from pain to shock-like or burning, may also radiate down into the arm and/or hand.

SYMPTOMS:-

The major symptom of cervical radiculopathy is pain that spreads into the arm, neck,  upper back and shoulders. Neck stiffness that gets worse with the time.

• Tingling, numbness and weakness in your shoulders, arms, hands etc.
• Pain during neck movements
• Difficulty in writing, holding objects etc.
• Muscle weakness
• Difficulty in walking, lack of co-ordination.

CAUSE:- 

Degenerative changes:- Most  people’s spine discs degenerate over the time.Normal degenerative changes  of the discs can cause pressure on nerve roots. In older people this condition  may get more severe.

Injury: –In younger people, cervical radiculopathy tends to be the result of a ruptured disc,and a result of trauma. Disks often herniate with physical activity, such as during bending, lifting, twisting, or pulling. 

Other causes:-

Cervical radiculopathy is caused by:-

• Infections in the spine
• Tumors in the spine 
• Benign, or noncancerous, growths in the spine
• Sarcoidosis, the growth of inflammatory cells

RISK FACTORS:-

Some factors can raise your risk for cervical radiculopathy. 

• Smoke cigarettes
• Had a prior radiculopathy
• Lift heavy items
• Drive equipment that vibrates
• Play golf

DIAGNOSIS:-

They may also do these tests:

• Physical examination
• X-ray, it shows narrowing of vertebral opening or disk injury
• CT scans:- It shows more detailed pictures of  cervical spine
• MRI:- It shows to check for damage to nerve roots or soft tissues
• Electromyography:-It shows  how muscles work when they are at rest and contracted

DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS:- 

• Spinal Tumor
• Systemic diseases known to cause peripheral neuropathies
• Cervical myelopathy
• Ligamentous Instability
• Vertebrobasilar Insufficiency (VBI)
• Shoulder Pathology
• Peripheral nerve disorders
• Thoracic outlet syndrome
• Brachial plexus pathology
• Systemic disease
• Parsonage-Turner syndrome
• Superior pulmonary sulcus tumor

AYURVEDIC VIEW IN CERVICAL REDICULOPATHY:- 

• In ayurvedic this condition called as Greeva stambh.
• Greeva means neck and stambh refers stiffness.It is caused by aggravated vata condition.Increase vata leads depletion of body tissue.
• The dryness and degeneration caused by vata leads to decrease kapha dosha.Shleshak kapha is responcible for cushioning in between bone joints.
• In this condition doctors give advice to avoid  intake of enhancing food. Ayurveda considers that the loss of equllibrium among these three doshas vata, pitta, kapha causes medical illness.

AYURVEDIC TREATMENT FOR CERVICAL REDICULOPATHY:-

Ayurvedic treatment is a combination of ayurvedic formulations, a diet that is vata pacifying, diet and lifestyle changes. Line of treatment  for  cervical radiculopathy is following:-

• SNEHNA:- Both external  or internal oleation beneficial. It is a very good therapy for this condition.
• SWEDANA:-It is called as sudation therapy. This process involves inducing sweat in the patient.It is very beneficial in cervical radiculopathy. 
• MRIDU SHODHANA:-With castor oil mixed with milk or Aragvadha phala Majja.

These procedure help to normalize movement of vata in proper function.

• GREEVA BASTI:- In this procedure a compound created around the neck with black gram flour paste. Medicated oil like ksheerbala tail, Mahanarayan tail etc. is heated and is retained  for a few minutes.
• The warmed oil helps to improve the space between to neck bones leading to relief for herniation disc. Oral medicine helps to improve nourishment of disc cartilage.

HOME REMEDIES FOR CERVICAL RADICULOPATHY:-

Because of the strong anti-inflammatory properties, the below mentioned herbs and superfoods can act as the best medicines to manage the Cervical Radiculopathy condition:-

• Castor Oil:-Massage with castor oil  twice a day.It can also take orally. This helps cleansing ama (toxins) and balancing vata.
• Garlic:-Eat a couple of raw garlic buds on an empty stomach each morning with water or you can heat two to three crushed garlic cloves in a pan with some vegetable oil. leave it to cool, then use it to massage the painful area for 5 to 10 minutes. Follow this with a warm bath. Do this 2 times daily.
• Turmeric:-Mix 1 teaspoon of turmeric powder in a glass of milk. Heat it on low heat for . Add a little honey. Drink it 2 times daily.
• Sesame Seeds:-Apply  warm sesame oil on the affected area and massage for 10 minutes. After that apply a hot compress on the area. 
• Ginger:-Drink ginger tea 3 times a day. To make the tea, boil  thinly sliced ginger in 2 cups of water for 10 minutes. Add honey and drink it.
• Cayenne Pepper:-Mix  1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper powder and 2 tablespoons of lukewarm olive oil. Apply it on the affected area. Do it two times daily for a week.
• Exercise:-One of the major causes of cervical radiculopathy is lack of regular exercise. Therefore.Do regular physical exercise into your lifestyle.It help to reduce pain and stiffness.
• Rotate  head in both clockwise and anti clockwise directions, and nod the neck side to side from one shoulder to the other.  This will help to reduce pain and stiffness.

YOGA AND ASANAS FOR CERVICAL RADICULOPATHY:-

Physcial therapy, stretching, and yoga can help to cure cerviacal radiculopathy:-

• BALASANA
• SHAVASANA
• PADAHASTASANA
• BHUJANGASANA
• KARNAPIDASANA

AYURVEDIC HERBS USED IN CERVICAL RADICULOPATHY:-

• ASHWAGANDHA
• BALA
• SHATAWARI
• RASNA
• SONTH
• PRISHNPARNI
• SHALLAKI
• CASTOR ROOT

CAC SPECIAL MEDICATION FOR CERVICAL RADICULOPATHY:-

• NERVE UP TABLET
• RASAYAN VATI
• PAIN-O-KILL OIL
• PAIN-O-KILL SYRUP
• PANCHSKAR CHURNA
• DETOX PREMIUM POWDER