Parkinson’s Disease

Our day to day life depends on how we move around and do our daily stuff. What if our hands start tremor and legs become tight and rigid, makes difficult to move or effects the normal activity of day to day? Assume how the sufferer feels? So helpless. Parkinsonism is a neurological disorder affecting 1% population after the age of 65 years. But do you know, Ayurveda identify this disease before so many years ago i.e. 5000 B.C.

According to Ayurveda, Parkinsonism or Parkinson disease is known as “kampavata”. Kampa means tremor and Vata is one of the humor which regulate air and all the movements in the body. The principle of the Ayurveda is to achieve balance of all three humors in the body. This disorder is caused by the aggravated Vata Dosha, which is the presence of aggravated air in the brain. The aggravated air is formed as a result of pure digestion, increased vata dosha in the stomach and then it moves to the brain. Over the time, the aggravated air effects the area of the brain that control involuntary movements hence it leads to Parkinsonism. Ayurveda provides its treatment so many years ago, before switching on the treatment.

Let’s have a look for Rupa and lakshana (Sign and symptoms) of the disorder according to Ayurveda:

• Akinesia: Loss or impairment of the voluntary movement.
• Drooling: Drop saliva uncontrollably from the mouth.
• Tremor: An involuntary quivering movement.
• Constant somnolence: Sleepiness or drowsiness.
• Dementia: a chronic or mental disorder of the mental processes caused by brain disease or injury marked by memory disorders, personality disorders and impaired reasoning.
• The voice becomes monotone and expressionless and mask face, sometime mistakenly taken as a depression.
• Festinating Gait.
• Rigidity: Stiffness or inflexibility
• Reduced blinking

According to Modern science, Parkinsonism is a disorder which is named after the Doctor James Parkinson who wrote an article on this disorder first time. It is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system mainly affecting the motor system and then behavioral system.

Parkinsonism divides into the four subtypes:

1. Idiopathic or Primary: Primary Parkinsonism disorder in which there is no external identifiable cause. The primary symptoms of the Parkinson disease are related to the voluntary and involuntary motor function and start on the one side of the body. The symptoms are mainly in Primary Parkinsonism are as follows:

• Tremors
• Rigidity
• Postural instability
• Bradykinesia

2. Acquired or Secondary: There is a progressive loss of muscle control and damage to the brain. Some of the symptoms are follows:

• Stress and Anxiety
• Depression
• Confusion and dementia
• Insomnia
• Constipation
• Excessive sweating
• Urinary incontinence

3. Hereditary Parkinsonism: Hereditary Parkinsonism is the disorder in the family that increase the possibility.

4. Parkinson plus Syndrome: Parkinson plus syndrome, also known as disorder of multiple system degeneration, is a group of neurodegenerative disease features of Parkinson disease.