Importance of Rookshana Karma (dehydrating therapy) in the management of transverse myelitis

In Charak Samhita, all the treatment modalities have been classified broadly into six types, i.e., Langhana (depleting therapy), Brimhana (nourishing therapy), Rookshana (dehydrating therapy), Snehana (oleation therapy), Swedana (sudation therapy) and Stambhana (astringent therapy). Out of these six types, Rookshana is of the same importance as others but is used less frequently as main line of treatment. Since decades, Ayurveda treatment is considered most promising treatment for neurological disorders. Most of the neurological disorders are generally considered to be Vata Vyadhis in which Snehana Karma is recommended. In case of neurological disorders if symptoms are suggestive of Kapha dominance, then Rookshana must be done initially. Transverse myelitis is a neurological disease, which has an autoimmune process involved in its pathology. It is an acute, subacute, generally monophasic inflammatory disease of the spinal cord. In the present case of transverse myelitis, the patient was found having Kapha dominant symptoms such as coldness of feet, loss of appetite etc., and so the patient was subjected to Rookshana Karma in various forms. Just after 15 days, all these symptoms were subsided and tremendous improvement was found thereafter. The paraplegic patient under study was able to walk independently in just two and half months of treatment. All other typical features related to the disease were also improved. This particular case has proved the importance of Rookshana therapy in neurological disorders.