AYURVEDIC MANAGEMENT OF PSORIASIS W.S.R TO THE COMPARISON OF EKKUSHTHA, CHARMAKUSHTHA, KITIBHA AND VAIPADIKA WITH DIFFERENTTYPES OF PSORIASIS

In Ayurveda, psoriasis is compared with Kshudra Kushtha. Kshudra Kushtha is one of the two types of Kushtha, the other one being Mahakushtha. Kushtha suggests skin discolouration, which mainly involves the three Doshas and Twacha, Rakta, Mamsa and Lasika as the pathogenic agents. The treatment for any Kushtha includes both Shodhana and Shamana, which can only be proceeded by assessing the Dosha predominance at the particular stage of Shatkriyakala or pathogenesis. The treatments include Snehapana for Vata, Vamana for Kapha, Rakta Mokshana and Virechana for Pitta. The four types of Kshudra Kushtha, namely, Charmakushtha, Ek Kushtha, Vaipadika and Kitibha, that are being compared to different types of Psoriasis, are all Vata-Kapha Pradhana diseases. The common symptoms of these types of Kushtha are scaling (patches), itching, roughness, pigmentation, etc. And others being the specific symptoms. Since the diseases mentioned above are Vata-Kapha Pradhana, with Vata being dominant, Panchatikta Ghritapana is used as a treatment. Ghritapana is considered the best treatment for treating Vata-dominant diseases. In the case of Psoriasis, it reduces the dryness caused by Vata, which further stops the itching caused by Kapha and, hence, breaks down the pathophysiology of Psoriasis.