Ayurveda management of an acute intervertebral disc prolapse (IVDP): A case report

Intervertebral disc prolapse (IVDP) or disc herniation is a moderately common disorder in males during their third to fifth decade of life. Conservative treatments are limited and surgery is an effective treatment option, but without much benefits in the long-term follow-up. Many claims of effects of Ayurveda interventions for IVDP are made, but evidence of effects of Ayurveda interventions in acute cases is meagre. This case report highlights the effects of Ayurveda management (following a multimodal approach with lepa, upanaha, pinda sweda, and vasti) within a short period of time of 26 days, in an acute case of IVDP. The Oswestry Disability Index reduced from 45 to zero and Functional Rating Index from 40 to 2. There was a linear reduction in pain and numbness in weekly follow up using the visual analogue scale. This case report highlights the role of Ayurveda treatments in the management of acute cases of intervertebral disc prolapse to achieve result within a short span of time.