AYURVEDIC MANAGEMENT OF PAKSHAGHATA W.S.R TO HEMIPLEGIA - A REVIEW

Pakshaghata is a Vata dosha predominant disease. It has been enlisted among the Eighty Vataja Nanatmaja Vikara and considered as a Mahavatavyadhi in Ayurvedic textual literature. Pakshaghata is the condition in which the aggaravated vata dosha, invades the shareera dhamanis and disupts the functions of Sira (Blood vessels), Snayu (Ligaments) and Kandara (Tendon) causing loss of function of one side of the body. It can be compared to Hemiplegia (paralysis) from modern perspective, which is the commonest manifestation of Cerebro Vascular Accident (CVA) or stroke. Stroke or CVA is defined as the rapid onset of focal neurological deficit, resulting from diseases of the cerebral vasculature and its contents 85% is ischemic and 15% are primary hemorrhage, affecting the face, limbs and trunk on one side of the boby. According to the World Health Organization, 15 million people suffer stroke worldwide each year, of these, 5 million die another 5 5 million are permanently disable. According to modern science, once brain tissue is irreversibly damaged, it cannot be regenerated through conventional therapies, often resulting in lasting neurological deficit and a poor prognosis, ultimately rendering the patient dependent and disabled. This article aims to explore the aetiopathogenesis, clinical presentation, and management of the disease based on Ayurvedic classics, thereby offering a foundational reference for emerging practitioners in addressing this challenging condition.