AYURPATRA

Your monthly health e-newsletter

Vol: 1-Diseases of - Above Shoulder region 

SERIES URDHWAJATRUGATA    XXVII– JAN 2007


This monthly e-feature “Ayurpatra” is a sincere effort for the welfare of the mankind through Ayurveda. Our web site (www.ayurplanet.com) has helped millions of people. Ayurpatra is loaded with lots of information, events and happenings related to Ayurveda including featured articles, details of very useful herbs, beauty tips and various herbal products and health supplements. The aim of this Newsletter is to serve humanity from health aspect by natural means. 


FEATURE HEALTH ARTICLE: Vata governs certain activities, organs and tissues in the body, irrespective of one’s dosha. In everyone, Vata runs movement—the movement of the breath in and out, the movement of cellular respiration and cellular division. Vata moves and coordinates muscles. It moves food through the digestive tract . Speech, hearing, sensory perception, and the movement of thoughts and feelings are functions of Vata.

Normal speech may seem effortless, but it's actually a complex process that requires precise timing, nerve, and muscle control and this function is governed by Udan Vayu.

Speech is affected mostly because of weakness in the muscles of articulation — the tongue, the palate and the lips — and because of lack of breath support for speech. It's the tongue, which is composed of multiple muscles, that's primarily responsible for forming the sounds that we make into words. So, even if you can make a sound, it becomes very difficult to form it into words that can be understood, because the tongue is no longer moving as effectively as it once did.

The "energy" for speech and for sound is breath support. When you breathe in and prepare to speak, the vocal cords come together and you build up pressure below them. When you begin to speak, they come apart, allowing the air to rush between them and causing them to vibrate quickly, which generates sound.

Some Common Speech Disorders

Ř       Stuttering is a problem that interferes with fluent speech. A person who stutters may repeat the first part of a word (as in wa-wa-wa-water) or hold a single sound for a long time (as in caaaaaaake). Some people who stutter have trouble getting sounds out altogether. Stuttering is complex, and it can affect speech in many different ways.

Ř       Cluttering is another problem that makes a person's speech difficult to understand. Like stuttering, cluttering affects the fluency, or flow, of a person's speech. However, the difference is that cluttering is a language disorder, while stuttering is a speech disorder. A person who stutters has trouble getting out what they want to say, and a person who clutters says what they are thinking, but it becomes disorganized while actually speaking. Because of this disorganization, someone who clutters may speak in bursts or pause in unexpected places. The rhythm of cluttered speech may sound jerky, rather than smooth, and the speaker is often unaware of the problem.

Ř       Articulation disorders encompass a wide range of errors people can make when talking. Substituting a "w" for an "r" ("wabbit" for "rabbit"), omitting sounds ("cool" for "school"), or adding sounds to words ("pinanio" for "piano") are examples of articulation errors. Lisping refers to specific substitution involving the letters "s" and "z." A person who lisps replaces those sounds with "th." sounds into words.

Speech problems from brain or nervous system damage

Speech is an important function of the main area of the brain. Three common speech problems that may be caused by damage to the brain or nervous system are:

  • Dysphonia, which is a speech disorder that gives a hoarse quality to the voice. It can be caused by an injury to the nerve that affects the voice box (larynx) or a tumor in the brain stem. It also has other possible causes that are not related to nervous system problems.
  • Aphasia, which is the loss of the ability to understand process, or express language . Nonfluent or expressive aphasia is the loss of the ability to express thoughts in speech or writing. Fluent or receptive aphasia is the loss of the ability to understand spoken or written speech. The most common causes of aphasia are stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA) or degenerative diseases that affect the language areas of the brain. This term does not apply to children who have never developed communication skills.
  • Dysarthria, is a problem with pronunciation and the rhythm of speech. A person with this problem may seem to stumble over words. This symptom may be caused by a degenerative disease, such as parkinsonism or myasthenia gravis. Alcohol intoxication causes dysarthria. . Any facial weakness, such as Bell's palsy or tongue weakness, can cause dysarthria.

What Causes Speech Problems?

The ability to understand language and produce speech is coordinated by the brain. So a person with brain damage from an accident, stroke, or birth defect may have speech and language problems.

Some people with speech problems, particularly articulation disorders, may have hearing problems. Even mild hearing loss may have an impact on how a person reproduces the sounds they hear. Certain birth defects, such as a cleft palate, can interfere with someone's ability to produce speech. When a person has a cleft palate there is a hole in the roof of the mouth, which affects the movement of air through the oral and nasal passages. There also may be problems with other structures needed for speech, including the lips, teeth, and jaw.

Genetics may also play a role in some speech problems. For example, stuttering seems to run in some families.

MANAGEMENT

Ř       NASYAM:  It is one of the panchakarmas . It is a process by which drug is administered through the nostrils.
 It enhances the activity of sense organs and prevent the diseases of head (urdhwanga).
 Mechanism of Nasyakarma
 The nasya dravya (medicine) acts by reaching 'Sringataka marma'(a main vital point situated on the surface of the brain corresponding to the nerve centres, which consisting of nerve cells and fibres responsible for the function of speech-Broca's Centre, vision, hearing, taste and smell).From where it spreads into various strotasas (vessels and nerves) and brings out vitiated doshas from the head.
Sringataka is a composite structure consisting of four siras (arteries) in connection with four sense organs-viz, nose, ear, eye and tongue. The composite structure formed by the union of these four arteries is called sringatak. As per the ayurveda school of thought for the evolution of a disease the vitiated doshas should be brought to the site from its original seat. This movement will be made through the srotasas (channels) and if there is any disturbance in the integrity of the srotasas it will result in the development of disease.
 With regards to the Urdhwangarogas (diseases of head) there should be some disturbance in the normal functions of urdwanga srotasas (arteries, veins, nerves in the head). Sringataka are the most important group of srotasas in the urdhwanga (head) and drugs acting through these srotasas are certain to bring about srotosuddhi (cleaning) in urdhwanga.
Action of drugs used in Nasyakarma
* By general blood circulation, after absorption through mucous membrane.
* Direct pooling into venous sinuses of brain via, inferior ophthalmic veins.
* Absorption directly into the cerebrospinal fluid.

Ř        Many nerve endings which are arranged in the peripheral surface of mucous membrance, olfactory, trigeminal etc will be stimulated by Nasyadravya (the medicine used to give nasya) and impulses are transmitted to the central nervous system. This results in better circulation and nourishment of the organs and the diseases will subside. Most of the drugs described for nasya therapy have got katu (bitter), ushna (hot) and theekshna (sharpness) properties. These drugs produce draveekaranam (liquifaction) and chhedanam (expulsion) of vitiated doshas. The kashaya rasa (astringent taste) drugs produce astringent effect while madhura rasa (sweat) drugs produce cooling and nourishing effect.

In conclusion it may be stated that The nose is the doorway to the brain and it is also the doorway to consciousness.Prana or life energy enters the body through breath taken in through the nose. Nasal administration of medication helps to correct the disorders of prana affecting the higher cerebral, sensory and motor functions.the brief study of the mechanism of nasya can be summed up in a single statement made in the ayurvedic classics, "Nasahi Shirasodwaram" ie., nose is a pharmacological passage into the head.

Ř       Shirovasti , Shirodhara, Shiroabhyanga

Ř       Herbs & Herbal formulations—Vacha,Brahmi,dugdhika, saraswatarisht, Brahmi ghrit, Brahmirasayan,Medha Capsule formulated by Ayurveda India proves to be a great help in such illness.

  You may consult our Ayurveda experts through on line consultation or personally.


HERB OF THE MONTH: VACHA-

Acorus calamus powder is used in India since Vedic ages. Vacha is a 'sattvic' herb which feeds and transmutes the 'kundalini' energy.

Pharmacological Action: nervine, antispasmatic, sedative, stomachic, expectorant, emetic, laxative, diuretic

Clinical Research: The essential oil free alcoholic extract of the rhizome was found to possess sedtive and analgesic properties; it has moderate hypotensive and respiratory depressant effects. When administered to experimental animals the oil reduces muscle tone and response to tactile and auditory stimuli. Asarone and beta-asarone are the constituents credited with the sedative and nervine effects. The alcoholic extract has also shown antifungal effects.

Traditional Uses: It has been used for centuries, Ayurvedic medicine as a renowned rejuvenator of the nervous system for conditions of anxiety, hysteria, insomnia, neurasthenia, and other nervous complaints. As a rejuvenative for the brain and nervous system, Acorus calamus powder is used to promote cerebral circulation, to stimulate self-expression, and to help manage a wide range of symptoms in the head, including neuralgia, epilepsy, and shock.  It is useful in all conditions of excess vata and is known to enhance awareness and improve memory. A decoction of the root acts as a carminative removing discomfort caused by excess intestinal gas. According to Duke, Orientals use the root decoction in bronchitis and as an aphrodisiac. A small piece of the root is chewed to overcome mental fatigue. The skin of the root is hemostatic. It has been used in dyspepsia, dysentery, headache, gout, and rheumatism. The juice of the root is applied to boils, carbuncles, and painful joints. In large doses it is emetic. The powdered root is used as a snuff to relieve nasal congestion and mental weariness.


 

BEAUTY TIPS: FOR CHAPPED LIPS

 

** Mix 2 drops of glycerine with 1 tsp of cream on the top of milk and   apply to lips to cure the chapped lips and keep overnight to get smooth   and shiny lips.
** Mix equal quantities of nutmeg, turmeric, and fresh butter and apply to   lips.
** Hot water fomentation, followed by a mixture of Vaseline and honey   applied on the lips at least thrice a week will prevent lips from   chapping.

For personalized beauty related queries mail to: beauty@ayurplanet.com


 FORTHCOMING EVENTS:   

EVENT   : WELLNESS ASIA

 Venue: Mayfair,adjacent Qutab Minar,New Delhi

 Date(s):24th –26th March

For details visit:www.wellnessasiaexpo.com

 


 NEWS: Ayurveda India clinic in UK

 In the Light of spreading Ayurveda throughout the world we have started with another Ayurveda clinic project in Europe this month . This centre provides the consultation, Ayurveda treatments and Ayurveda education. Dr.Raghunandan Sharma is in UK for the developments of this endeovour. He can be reached at ayurplanet@gmail.com

 


 

AYURVEDA INDIA
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H-38 ;South Extension -I,
New Delhi -110049
Phone: 00 91 11 24648034 / 24641132 
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Email: ayur@ayurplanet.com

Our European Centre:AGN ; Dr.A.K.Mehta ;2521 ZL ;Thijsse straat 16;Denhaag;The Netherlands. www.agn-ayurveda.com ; E mail: info@agn-ayurveda.com

AYURVEDA UK LTD;Dr.R.N.Sharma110,Rutland road; Southall; Middlesex,

                                              UB1 2XS.UK.PH-02085783780/07737074821

 

 


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:: Disclaimer: All details, thoughts and opinions shared by the writers in this monthly, are their own and does not necessarily reflect the views of the editor or management of this monthly. This monthly is meant only for information purpose and it is not intended to replace the services of a health practitioner licensed in the diagnosis or treatment of illness or disease. Any application of the material in this text is at the reader's discretion and sole responsibility. For all health concerns you are advised to consult with a duly licensed health practitioner We do not claim for any authenticity of the matter.     Thank you for taking the time for reading this newsletter.We hope you have found it informative.