Role of Ayurveda in the Management of Ekkushtha (Palmar Psoriasis)- A Case Report

Abstract

Psoriasis is a disease with reddish plaques and silvery scales. It is one of the most intriguing and perplexing disorders of the skin. It is a papulosquamous skin disease and is chronic, non-contagious, multi-systemic, and inflammatory in nature. The worldwide prevalence of psoriasis is 2-3 %. In India, its prevalence is 0.4%-2.8%. Eka-Kushtha resembles as Psoriasis because of its distribution pattern and characteristic features like Aswedanam (anhydrous), the lesions are dry and rough. A case 37 years old, the male patient visited OPD of hospital CBPACS with complaints of scaly plaque on bilateral palms with mild itching for 2 months. The patient had taken allopathy medicine for 1 month earlier. Patient was treated with Ayurvedic oral drugs for 2 months after the administration of Virechana Karma (therapeutic purgation) and got satisfactory results with no side effects. Virechana Karma (therapeutic purgation) was done with Karvellaka Swarasa (juice of Momordica charantia Linn. fruit), Draksha Kwath (decoction of dry Vitis vinifera Linn. Fruit) and Triphala powder along with oral medication as Sanshamani Vati, four tablets (250 mg each tablet) twice a day with lukewarm water and Nimba Jala Prakshalana (decoction of Azadirachta indica leaf) for the local wash. The effect of the therapy was assessed by the signs and symptoms before and after the treatment. The treatment modalities relieved the patient’s signs and symptoms over 6 weeks of follow-up. This case report reveals that the Patient of Ekkushtha (Palmar Psoriasis) has been successfully treated by Ayurvedic treatment modalities.