Amavata: Causes, Pathology, Treatment,

Panchakarma, Medicines
Amavata is a painful condition which has been explained in Ayurvedic texts. The disease
initially manifests as a gut disorder with symptoms of indigestion and anorexia. Later the disease
is seen to encroach all the tissues, mainly bones, muscles and joints and multiple organs to cause
a symptom complex. This condition is often compared to Rheumatoid arthritis of modern day.
Some authors have also compared it to stages of gouty arthritis.

The disease is formed due to vicious amalgamation of morbid Vata and ama.

Ama is the immature nutritional essence formed in the stomach due to sluggish digestion
(agnimandhya and ajeerna). This essence goes into circulation in immature and unprocessed
form. It is made available to all the tissues and organs of the body. Since it is immature, the
tissues can take it but cannot metabolize it due to lack of identification. They are therefore stored
in the cells and are neither digested nor flushed out. Owing to their sticky nature ama blocks and
clogs all the channels of nutrition in the body. This depletes the nutrition and essential materials
to the tissues and organs. As a result there is multiple tissue damage and wide array of diseases
are manifested.

Causes:

Viruddha ahara mutually incompatible foods

Viruddha chesta unwholesome lifestyle practices
Mandagni having low metabolism and sluggish digestion for a longer period
Nischala sedentary life activities
Snigdha bhojana, vyayama consuming unctuous, oily and high caloric food and
immediately getting indulged in exercises

How is amavata formed?

Due to the above said causes plenty of ama is formed in the body. The vata also gets vitiated and
pushes the ama into different parts of the body through circulation. Mainly Vayu pushes the ama
into the shleshma sthana (sites of kapha), mainly the bony joints and muscles. The ama on
further vitiation by vata and kapha enters the circulation and later gets associated with morbid
pitta. This gives the combination a corrosive nature and they tend to destroy any tissue or organ
with which they come into contact. The vitiated ama and vata get lodged in various joints,
mainly in the low back, pelvis and hips and causes stiffness of the body along with severe pain.

Symptoms
Initially the symptoms appear like those of indigestion. In this condition, the disease process has
just begun and the morbidity has not reached the joints. These symptoms are:

Angamarda pain in body parts, general body ache

 Aruchi anorexia, tastelessness
Trishna thirst
Alasya lethargy, weakness
Gaurava heaviness of the body
Jwara fever
Apaka indigestion
Shunata swelling of body parts

In the later stages when the disease spreads to the joints, tissues and organs the symptoms of
multiple tissue and organ damage occur. They are:

Saruja shopha painful swelling in the joints of hasta (hand), pada (foot), shira (head and
neck), gulpha (ankle), trika (sacrum and coccygeal), janu (knee), uru (thigh, i.e. hip)
Vrishika damshavat peeda pain mimicking that of a scorpion sting
Agni dourbalya sluggish digestion
Praseka excessive salivation, nausea
Aruchi tastelessness, anorexia
Gouravam heaviness of the body
Utsaha hani lack of enthusiasm
Vairasyam feeling of perverted and abnormal tastes in the mouth
Daaha burning sensation
Bahumutrata excessive urination
Grahani dosha contamination of intestines
Apakwa mala stools comprise of indigested food
Kukshi kathinata hardness of abdomen
Shulam colic
Nidra viparyaya sleep disturbances
Trishna thirst
Chardi vomiting
Bhrama giddiness
Murcha fainting
Hrid graham feeling of tightness of chest
Antra kujana gurgling sounds in the abdomen
Anaha flatulence

Basic principles of treatment of Amavata

Langhana fasting
Swedana fomentation, sweating treatment, steaming, sudation
Tikta, katu deepana digestion promoting medicines having bitter and pungent tastes
Virechana purgation
Vasti enemas

External treatments

Abyanga massage
 Swedana steaming treatments
Pinda sweda bolus fomentation especially churna pinda sweda (medicated powder
bolus), Patra pinda sweda (leaf bolus) and Valuka sweda (sand bolus)
Dhara stream pouring of medicated liquids, mainly dhanyamla dhara (fermented herbal
liquids)
Upanaha poultices

Classic formulations from the treatises:

Shuntyadi Kwatha decoction of shunti (ginger) and gokshura (Tribulus terrestris)

Shatyadi kwatha decoction of shati (Hedychium spicatium), shunti (ginger), haritaki

(Terminalia chebula), vacha (Acorus calamus), devadaru (Cedrus deodara), Ativisha (Aconitum
heterophyllum), Guduchi (Tinospora cordifolia)

Pippalyadi Kwatha decoction of Pippali (long pepper), pippalimula (root of long pepper),
chavya (Piper retrofractum), chitraka (Plumbago zeylanica) and Shunti (ginger)

Dashamula Kashayam decoction of 10 roots mixed with eranda taila (castor oil)

Shunti-guduchi kwatha decoction of shunti (ginger) and guduchi (Tinospora cordifolia)

Shunti-guda Powder of shunti (ginger) taken with powder of guda (jaggery)

Bhallatakadi churna powder of bhallataka (Semecarpus anacardium), tila (sesame) and haritaki
(Terminalia chebula) with guda (jaggery)

Panchasama churna powder of shunti (ginger), haritaki (Terminalia chebula), Pippali (long
pepper), trivrit (Operculina turpethum) and Saindhava lavana (rock salt)

Phalatrikadi churna powder of amalaki (Emblica officinalis), Haritaki (Terminalia chebula),

bibhitaki (Terminalia bellirica) and shunti (ginger)

Hingwadi churna powder of hingu (asafoetida), chavya (Piper retrofractum), vida lavana (bida
salt), shunti (ginger), pippali (long pepper), jeeraka (cumin) and pushkara mula (Inula racemosa)

Nagara churna powder of nagara or ginger taken with kanji (fermented herbal drink)

Panchakola churna powder of Pippali (long pepper), pippalimula (root of long pepper), chavya
(Piper retrofractum), chitraka (Plumbago zeylanica) and Shunti (ginger) taken with hot water

Eranda Beeja the payasa (sweetened milk recipe) prepared from purified eranda beeja (seeds
of castor plant)

Erandabeejadi yoga the pulp of seeds of eranda beeja (castor seeds) mixed with shunti churna
(powder of dry ginger) and sharkara (sugar) mixed together should be taken early in the morning.
External applications:
Shatapushpadi lepa paste of shatapushpa (dill seeds), vacha (Acorus calamus), shunti
(ginger), gokshura (Tribulus terrestris), varuna (Crataeva nurvula), devadaru (Cedrus deodara),
punarnava (Boerhavia diffusa), kachura (Curcuma zedoaria), mundi (Sphaeranthus indicus),
prasarini (Paederia foetida) and madana phala (Randia dumetorum)