Management of Ankylosing Spondylitis (Aamavata) through Ayurveda Principle

ABSTRACT Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory spondyloarthropathy, which involves the sacroiliac joints primarily, along with the axial skeleton and their adjacent soft tissues including tendons and ligaments. The prevalence of AS in India is approximately 6% as per the surveys conducted from 2004 to 2010 by the Bone and Joint Decade – India. In Ayurveda, due to its similarities in its clinical presentation, it can be correlated with Aamavata . Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are the only choice for management in modern medicine. Due to the nonavailability of satisfactory treatment, there is a need for alternative options in other medical systems. This is a single case study of a 29-year-old male patient presenting with complaints of pain and stiffness in the neck and back region for 6 years, associated with the pain in the hip region for 3 years. He was diagnosed with AS ( Aamavata ), for which he underwent Panchakarma and Ayurvedic treatment. The “Bath AS Disease Activity Index” (BASDAI), “Bath AS Disease Metrology Index” (BASMI), “Bath AS Disease Functional Index” (BASFI), Bath AS Global Score (BAS-G), and AS Quality of Life Scale (ASQoL) scales were reduced to 2, 4, 4.8, 3.5, and 1, respectively, after the follow-up. The collected data from this study indicates that, Ayurvedic treatment, including Shamana medication along with Panchakarma procedures, increased the range of motion, maintained postural functionality without any adverse effects and markedly improved the quality of life.