COMPARATIVE EFFICACY OF MARMA CHIKITSA AND AGNIKARMA IN VATAKANTAKA (PLANTAR FASCIITIS): A PILOT CLINICAL STUDY

Plantar fasciitis is a common cause of heel pain, particularly during the first few steps after a period of rest, and may interfere with walking and routine activities. The clinical presentation of Vatakantaka, described in Ayurveda as a painful condition involving the Gulpha Sandhi and associated with aggravation of Vata, shows clinical similarity with plantar fasciitis. The present comparative clinical pilot study was undertaken to evaluate the effects of Marma Chikitsa and Agnikarma in the management of Vatakantaka (plantar fasciitis). A total of 20 patients diagnosed with Vatakantaka were enrolled and randomly allocated into two groups of 10 patients each. Group A received Marma Chikitsa at five selected Marma points, namely Kshipra, Talahridaya, Kurchshir, Gulpha, and Indrabasti, once daily for 14 days. Group B received Agnikarma at the site of maximum tenderness on the 0th, 7th, and 14th days. The effect of treatment was assessed on the basis of pain, stiffness, and tenderness before and after treatment. Intragroup analysis was performed using the Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed-rank test. Both groups showed improvement in pain, stiffness, and tenderness following treatment. In Group A, pain showed 79% relief, stiffness 53% relief, and tenderness 58% relief. In Group B, pain showed 83.75% relief, stiffness 64.60% relief, and tenderness 67.74% relief. The findings indicate that both Marma Chikitsa and Agnikarma were associated with improvement in the assessed clinical parameters of Vatakantaka. Larger controlled studies with standardized outcome measures and longer follow-up are required to further evaluate these preliminary findings.