What is Ayurvedic treatment?
Ayurveda is a traditional Hindu medicinal practice. Though it originated in India, today it’s practiced worldwide.
Ayurveda is generally recognized in the West as an alternative or complementary form of therapy. Ayurvedic medicine is holistic in nature, addressing the conditions of the mind, body, and spirit. It’s concerned with bringing the body back into balance to alleviate symptoms of illness.
A central tenet in Ayurvedic medicine is the idea that there are three doshas, or body types: pitta, vata, and kapha. Each dosha relates to a specific element — fire (pitta), air (vata), and water (kapha) — and a person with one dominant dosha will display physical or emotional characteristics consistent with that element.
The ultimate goal in Ayurveda is to balance each dosha. This is done through a combination of diet, lifestyle modifications, and herbal remedies.
Hemorrhoids are swollen veins found in and around the anus and rectum. They can be either internal or external. Some symptoms of hemorrhoids (or piles) include:
- intense itching around the anus
- painful or itchy swelling or lump near your anus
- painful bowel movements
- bleeding from your anus during or after bowel movements
- irritation and pain around the anus
- leakage of stool
It’s important to know for sure you have hemorrhoids, so do seek a diagnosis with your medical doctor to rule out other problems.
Doctors may recommend over-the-counter products for this issue. Serious hemorrhoids will require more treatment.
There are a handful of Ayurvedic approaches to treating hemorrhoids you could try as well. Read on to find out more.
In Ayurvedic belief, your dominant dosha determines the type of hemorrhoids you may be experiencing:
- People who are pitta might tend to experience inflamed, bleeding hemorrhoids that are soft and red. Other symptoms include fever, diarrhea, and a feeling of thirst.
- People who are vata may experience a high level of pain, constipation, and black hemorrhoids with a rough, hard texture.
- People who are kapha may have poor digestion and hemorrhoids that are slippery, light or white in color, soft, and large in size.
Ayurvedic approaches to hemorrhoid treatment are considered holistic. People experiencing hemorrhoids who want to try treating them with Ayurvedic medicine should expect herbal remedies, lifestyle changes, and possibly minimally invasive procedures as part of their treatment plan.
Your Ayurvedic practitioner will evaluate your overall health to determine your dominant dosha before making treatment suggestions. It’s recommended that you speak to your doctor for proper diagnosis and treatment approach.
If you’re experiencing hemorrhoids and want to take an Ayurvedic approach to treatment, your options include:
Medication, or bhaishajya chikitsa
Most minor hemorrhoids can be treated with medication only. No other procedures are needed unless hemorrhoids are more severe. In worse cases, medications may be used in addition to procedures.
Your dosha will factor into the medicinal remedies your Ayurvedic practitioner chooses and any dietary or lifestyle changes they recommend you make in order to prevent recurrence. Some medications may not be suitable for your dosha, so follow your practitioner’s guidance.
Herbal application, or kshara
Kshara is a caustic, alkaline paste used to manage hemorrhoids. The paste is made of an herbal blend and has a cauterizing action. Kshara is applied to the hemorrhoid using a specialized device called a slit proctoscope. The paste then chemically cauterizes the hemorrhoid, which may have been open and bleeding.
In Ayurvedic medicine, this Kshara karma method is considered to be the best approach for treating hemorrhoids.
Depending on your dosha, you’ll be advised to take specific medications to balance your body as you recover. You may also need to make dietary or lifestyle adjustments to support healing.
It’s possible to be allergic to herbal medications. Do test the cream on your arm, and if no reaction occurs in 24 hours, try applying to the rectal area.
Surgical intervention, or sastra chikitsa
Your Ayurvedic practitioner may recommend a therapy called kshara sutra. Kshara sutra uses special medicated thread to tie a hemorrhoid off at the base.
This cuts off the blood supply to the vein, allowing the hemorrhoid to shrink over the next 7 to 10 days. It will shrivel and detach on its own. This more invasive approach will be considered only when other treatments are not effective.
Your Ayurvedic practitioner will consider your dosha when it comes to treatment. You might need specific herbs to support postoperative healing. It’s also possible you may need to make some permanent changes in diet, exercise, and other factors to avoid future hemorrhoids.
While this procedure is considered minimally invasive, it does have risk. Surgical intervention could be dangerous for people who are susceptible to infection, have a bleeding disorder, or are on medications for heart conditions or blood-thinning. Consult a licensed healthcare practitioner for advice.
Cauterization, or agnikarma
External hemorrhoids can be cauterized using infrared heat. Your Ayurvedic practitioner might offer burning off the hemorrhoids. Cauterization will produce some pain.
This kind of therapy might require five to six treatments over the same number of weeks before it makes a difference. Once again, your dosha will be taken into account before treatment. There is potential for increased pain or infection with this procedure. Talk to your doctor about ways to reduce your risks and ensure this is appropriate for you. Safer Western approaches to treatment might be better.
Kshara treatment appears to be safe, but there is potential for risk. More research is needed to understand how well they work and how they work.
One study evaluated 30 people experiencing hemorrhoids. Topical application of kshara paste for seven days resulted in the shrinkage of their piles. There were no side effects or adverse effects shown during this treatment. Researchers concluded this treatment would be most effective for first- and second-degree hemorrhoids.
In another case study of kshara chemical cauterization, the patient was symptom-free within 21 days and had no adverse effects or complications. One case study isn’t enough to say cauterization is safe, however.
Kshara Sutra procedures, the surgical procedures, have been found to be minimally invasive and low-cost, with a small risk of adverse side effects. These procedures have a few benefits:
- They take less time to perform.
- People can…