Karthik and Ananya (real names changed) were living their dream life. They had good jobs and a happy marriage and when they had their son, Arun (real name changed), their life achieved perfection. However, slowly things started changing when they noticed certain developmental delays in their son. As Arun grew older, he was finding it difficult to run or play along with his friends. He was losing balance and having accidents more frequently.
Thinking that their son was weak, they took him to Vaidya Healthcare to get some Ayurvedic treatment to improve his health. Dr. Kiran B Nair, the head practitioner of Vaidya Healthcare, suspected that Arun had Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) after examining him. “Arun had the classic symptoms of DMD including enlarged calf muscles, difficulty in getting up after lying down, frequent falls, muscle weakness in the arms and legs, etc. A blood test revealed that Arun lacked the dystrophin gene which is the cause of DMD,” says Dr. Kiran.
Karthik and Ananya's lives were shattered when they received the DMD diagnosis for their son. “When I was told that Arun had DMD I tried reading about it. I was devastated when I realized that my son will slowly lose his muscle strength and will become wheelchair-bound. I worried that he might not be able to have a normal life,” says Ananya.
Dr. Kiran, much to their relief, knew exactly how to treat Arun and halt the progression of DMD so that Arun could live a longer and healthier life. "DMD is a type of muscular dystrophy, a genetic disorder, that most commonly affects young boys. Muscular dystrophy is known as mamsavatakshaya in Ayurveda, which means muscle weakness," explains Dr. Kiran. The Ayurvedic Panchakarma used to treat DMD aims to balance the body's elements. Panchakarma treatment, as the name implies, consists of five treatment modules: Vaman, Virechan, Basti, Nasya, and Rakthamoshana. All these methods, in various ways, remove toxins from the body, rejuvenating it.
Arun initially received treatment at Vaidya Healthcare for three months under the expert care of Dr. Kiran. His treatment included Panchakarma therapies and procedures like udwertana, dhanyamla dhara, nasya karma, karna pooranam, snehapanam, shiro vasti, shiro dhara, sarvanga dhara, shiro pichu, thalam, navarakizhi, vasti, rasayana chikitsa, mud therapy, etc. He was later sent home with medications and instructions to follow a strict diet and practice specific yoga positions like Tadasana, Padahastasana, Trikonasana, Vakrasana, Paschimottanasa, Vakrasana, Shashankasana, Pawanmuktasana, Ardha Shalabhasana, etc, every day.
Arun’s parents are happy to report that Arun is back in school and doing well. Arun is aware that he is different from his peers in that he may be unable to participate in sports or other physical activities. However, this does not deter him from working hard to achieve his goals.
According to Dr. Kiran, DMD is a progressive disease that affects the heart and lung muscles, causing breathing difficulties. "Many patients with DMD will require respirators as their condition worsens with age," says Dr. Kiran. However, he assures that this situation can be avoided for children like Arun who are diagnosed at a young age with continuous monitoring and Ayurvedic treatment.
Every year, Arun returns to Vaidya Healthcare for his yearly checkups and treatment regimen. However, for Ananya and Kiran, this is a small price to pay to ensure that DMD does not affect their son’s longevity or quality of life.
CONTACT US
Vaidya Health Care Hospital
MC Road,Vattakatupady
Perumbavoor,Ernakulam ,Kerala India 683542
0091-9744-55-3000 , 0091 9995922289
info@vaidyahealthcare.in
