Successful Management of Ankylosing Spondylitis with Panchakarma: A Case Report

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease that mainly affects the spine joints, causing severe, chronic pain; additionally, in more advanced cases, it can cause spine fusion. The primary aims of treating AS are to improve and maintain spinal flexibility and normal posture, alleviate symptoms, reduce functional limitations, and prevent complications. The mainstays of pharmacological treatment involve nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs) and TNF-α inhibitors, but fail to give complete relief. There is no direct reference to this disease in Ayurveda, but based on the clinical presentation, we can manage the disease. Case report: A case of a 22-year-old male diagnosed with AS (positive HLA-B27) with complaints of low back pain for 2 years, right knee joint and left ankle joint pain along with swelling since the past 2 months which was treated by Sarvanga Ruksha Choorna Pinda Swedana (dry fomentation) Kottamchukkadi choorna Upanaha, Dasamooladhara, Patrapinda Swedana, Snehapana (internal oleation), Virechana (therapeutic purgation) and Balaguduchyadi Basti in Yogabasti krama (course of 8 therapeutic enemas) along with Shamana chikitsa (palliative management). After completion of the treatment, considerable improvement was recorded in subjective and objective parameters. This paper ignites thoughts related to the scope of Panchakarma in the treatment aspect of AS.