A CASE STUDY ON THE AYURVEDIC MANAGEMENT OF BILATERAL RENAL CALCULI (VRIKKASHMARI)

Ashmari is one of the most common conditions described in Ayurveda as an ailment of the Mutravaha Srotas, or urinary system.[1] Because of its extreme agony, recurrence, and difficulties, Sushruta classifies "Ashmari," which literally translates to "stone-like structure," as one of the "Ashtamahagada."[2] Ashmari is associated in contemporary medicine with urolithiasis, also known as nephrolithiasis, which is the development of calculi in the urinary tract. The increasing prevalence of the disease can be attributed to sedentary lifestyles, inadequate dietary practices, dehydration, and metabolic disorders. Current medical research indicates that between 70 and 80 percent of urinary calculi start in the kidneys, mostly in the renal pelvis and renal calyces, particularly the lower calyx. The ureters account for 15–25% of stones, whereas the bladder accounts for 2–10%.[3] Calyceal stones, especially those in the lower calyx, can last for extended periods of time, cause symptoms, and may eventually result in stone development, infection, or urinary blockage, even if smaller calculi may have the ability to pass spontaneously. As a result, "watchful waiting" is frequently insufficient on its own, necessitating active therapeutic involvement.[4] In the current investigation, Ayurvedic medicine was used to treat a 23-year-old female patient who had bilateral renal calyceal calculi. Calculi measuring 5 mm in the right kidney and 4 mm in the left kidney were discovered by ultrasonography. Pashanbhed Churna was used to treat the patient in addition to the proper dietary and lifestyle changes (Pathya-Apathya). Following treatment, ultrasonography showed a considerable improvement in clinical symptoms along with a marked reduction in stone size and partial to total disintegration. This example suggests that treating renal calyceal calculi with Ayurvedic medicine may be a secure and successful treatment choice.