An Ayurvedic Approach for Management of Ankylosing Spondylitis (Asthimajja Gata Vata) – a Case Study

ABSTRACT Ankylosing spondylitis is a rheumatic disease with various skeletal and extra skeletal manifestations. Our immune system has a very flawless system to keep an individual disease free. In auto immune diseases there is a flawed reaction of our defence system against our own body cells resulting in a wide array of life altering diseases. One such potentially debilitating auto immune disease with insidious onset in Ankylosing Spondylitis. It is the one ailment which shows a strong association with the genetic factor HLA-B27. The disease progresses with symptoms such as loss of spinal mobility, peripheral arthritis and sacroilitis which ultimately results in reduced quality of life of the diseased. The exact signs and symptoms of ankylosing spondylitis does not resemble with any disease mentioned in Ayurvedic texts but based on clinical presentation it can be consistent Asthimajja gata vata . Here, a diagnosed case of Ankylosing spondylitis having HLA-B27 positive presented with inflammatory condition having pelvic pain, stiffness, loss of mobility in spine and lower back, which was managed with Shaman drugs and Panchkarma procedures, the details of which will be mentioned in the full paper. Through this treatment promising results were found in the management of the disease without causing any adverse side effects .Conclusion: Ankylosing spondylitis can be effectively managed by Ayurvedic treatment modalities after proper assessment of the involved Dosha and Dhatus.