| Introduction: | | | | control, he was able to lie in supine posture, but with |
| Brother of Mr.V.Natarajan,aged 56 yrs, a resident of | | | | his legs flexed at his knee. Abdominal muscle taunting |
| Teynampet Chennai, approached me in my clinic | | | | was still present. |
| SPKVCC, Requesting for evaluation of the possibility | | | | The 12th sitting pf M/C was pleasant for both me |
| of treating his brother's Paraplegia caused due to | | | | and the patient, for on having completed this sitting, I |
| Tuberculous spondilitis in the month of January 2007. | | | | could see him sporting a smile on his face, for I had |
| On having reached his residence, after thorough | | | | encouraged him to walk, but with a support, which |
| physical examination, I pressed certain Marma points | | | | he was actually been able to do so. The gait was |
| to know the prognosis of the disease and came to | | | | slow stepped; staggering, since he was walking with |
| understand that it is possible to make Mr.Natarajan | | | | a stiff knee. Regardless to say, that it became |
| walk, from his present bed-ridden state after | | | | possible for him because of the relaxation of the |
| conducting MARMA CHIKITSA, to him. A detailed | | | | other wise taunted Para spinal muscle. Still the thigh |
| analysis of his case with the slow and steady | | | | and abdomen were as stiff as before. |
| improvements accrued by him is being elaborated in | | | | On observing these improvements, he was |
| this article. | | | | encouraged to do mild forward bending; mild |
| History: | | | | extension of body by stretching his head backwards |
| The patient presented with severe chronic back ache | | | | on lying down etc., and other such modules of |
| associated with bilateral sciatic pain causing spasticity | | | | exercises were advised. He was too co-operative a |
| in both limbs resulting in paraplegia. On examination | | | | person with a strong will power, hence followed my |
| lower part of the Para-spinal muscles were found to | | | | advice in perfect tone. |
| be taunted on both sides (right more than left) with | | | | After 20th sitting (by this time 2 months have |
| minimal kyphosis.The patient was always lying on his | | | | passed on initiating the Marma Chikitsa sessions), his |
| lateral posture, since he couldn’t lie straight | | | | gait improved a lot; he was able to flex his knee |
| (supine) due to the severe muscular spasm at the | | | | while walking & was able to keep a bit longer |
| lower back, abdominal, thigh and calf muscles. | | | | steps, but still with a support. He was willing to take |
| Whenever he tried to lie in supine posture, his lower | | | | a chance of walking with out a support at this |
| limb got flexed at his hip and knee due to the strong | | | | juncture, but my apprehension regarding the chances |
| contraction of flexor group of muscle fibre. The | | | | of him falling down prevented him to encourage at |
| patient was not able to turn his body due to the | | | | this stage of treatment. So I said nope. |
| stiffness of the abdominal group of muscles especially | | | | At this stage his Para spinal muscles were completely |
| Rectus abdominus, to be in specific. Regarding his gait | | | | relaxed, but still he was stooping a little bit forward. |
| it was a spastic gait. (Spastic gait is a gait in which | | | | More over a mild lordoisis had occurred in the Lumbar |
| the legs are held together and moved in a stiff | | | | level, due to an increase in the taunting of abdominal |
| manner, the toes seeming to drag and catch).He was | | | | muscles. Manipulations to relax those groups of |
| diagnosed to suffer from Tuberculous Spinal | | | | muscles went in vain, but he was able to extend his |
| Arachnoidities, in a multi-specialty hospital at Chennai | | | | knee to a greater extent and was able to touch the |
| on 14/march/2007. It was in 2nd week of October | | | | edge of the cot with the tip of his toes, with pain. |
| 2007 he met me with the above clinical presentations. | | | | On my next visit after 1 week, for his 21st sitting, I |
| Treatment given: | | | | was happy to note that the relief given to him on |
| The conventional Ayurvedic treatments like Pizhichil; | | | | the previous sitting was sustained for a period of 7 |
| navarakizhi; Kati vasthi or Abhyangam is actually | | | | days. |
| contra-indicated in Pott’s disease, in its acute | | | | By this time he complained of severe pain in |
| stage. The exposure of the body surface to the | | | | Lohitaksha Marma & simultaneously at appoint |
| amount of warmth ness will trigger the disease | | | | near the Xiphisternum. On having manipulated for the |
| process, only hence they are not to be done. | | | | pain in those 2 areas to our astonishment, we |
| Considering the above nuance point in mind, it was | | | | noticed the loosening of the erstwhile stiff Rectus |
| hence decided to subject the patient to Marma | | | | abdominis. Soon after, the patient was able to stand |
| Chikitsa, after getting his consent on explaining the | | | | erect for a while with out any difficulty, was able to |
| pros and cons of undergoing it. | | | | walk with out support a few distance and felt some |
| The intensity of pain suffered by the patient due to | | | | strength in his knees on walking ( previously he used |
| severe muscular spasm, was felt a hindrance for | | | | to feel as if his knees are giving out). |
| doing Marma Chikitsa on daily basis .Hence it was | | | | He was at his ecstasy of life and his eyes were filled |
| decided to do once in 3 days for a period of 2 | | | | with the rejoicing tears on having achieved something |
| months & later once in a week for another 2 | | | | which he had been at loss for quite a few months. |
| months as a schedule, amounting to a total of 28 | | | | I encouraged him, to walk with out support from |
| sittings. | | | | then on; to sit over the floor in a squatting position |
| The Marmas Manipulated in this case: | | | | and to rise from the floor immediately. Amazingly he |
| The following Marmas were selected for manipulation | | | | did those entire things with great ease, but with a |
| in this specified case, | | | | calm and composed mind and succeeded. |
| 1. Katikataruna | | | | Now, by the end of 28th sitting (almost 2 months of |
| 2. Nabhi | | | | Treatment session) he was able to walk erect with |
| 3. Basthi | | | | out support for at least 3/4th a kilometer; with a |
| 4. Nitamba | | | | normal gait. He was able to carry on with his daily |
| 5. Kukundara | | | | activities with out anybody’s help. |
| 6. Lohitaksha | | | | He was later advised to continue with his both |
| 7. Janu | | | | internal medications advised by me and the allopathic |
| 8. Indravasti | | | | physician. |
| 9. Kshipra | | | | One month later this gentle man came to my Clinic |
| Other than these classical Marma points, 2 more | | | | along with his wife, confidently and happily, for a |
| extra points not said in the classical texts of | | | | distance of around 8 kilometers from his residence in |
| Ayurveda were manipulated to control the taunting | | | | his T.V.S Scooty bike for his next review. |
| of Rectus abdominis muscle, from our experience. | | | | Conclusion: |
| Observations during the course of Marma Chikitsa: | | | | Marma chikitsa, the wonderful Science, which plays a |
| On having completed the 1st sitting,on 16/jan/2008, | | | | major role in removing the obstructions in the |
| the patient had a quicker relief from the intensity of | | | | pathway of the Pranic Energy, has been of much |
| pain at back. But the muscle taunting in Para spinal, | | | | help to Mr.Natarajan from getting recovered from |
| abdominal and thigh regions were still present and he | | | | the painful grip of the sequale of Tuberculous |
| could not lie in supine posture in his bed. He was still | | | | Spondilitis, with which he had been suffering quite a |
| non-ambulatory. | | | | while in the form of Spastic paraplegia. |
| After 6th sitting of M/C (Marma Chikitsa) low back | | | | "Sarve Janah Sukhinoh Bhavanthuh"(Let the humanity |
| ache; stiffness of Para spinal muscles came under | | | | live in Health & Peace). |