Abstract

PHYSIOLOGICAL REVIEW OF BONE HEALTH TO PREVENT OSTEOPOROSIS WITH RESPECT TO ASTHI DHATU AND VATA DOSHA

Swati K. Chobhe and Shantanu J. Pawar*

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Abstract

Healthy bones are very important in the entire lifespan. For children, strong healthy bones help for optimum growth. For adult strong healthy bones means that they can maintain their bone density. Poor bone health is characterized by decrease in bone mass and reduction in bone strength. It may cause fracture. It has been estimated that more than 8.9 million fractures annually worldwide and most of these occur in patients with osteoporosis. This slowly progressing metabolic bone disease is widely prevalent in India, where an approximate figure of 30 million women has been diagnosed to suffer from osteoporosis. The women over the age 50 are most likely to produce osteoporosis. This condition is 4 times more in women than the man. The burden of osteoporosis related fracture is predicted to increase by two to three-fold by 2050. Osteoporosis is under diagnosed and under treated due to its silent clinical features. In Ayurveda, connective tissue “Bone” is described under the terminology “Asthi Dhatu”. In elderly person naturally there is predominance of Vata Dosha. Due to this predominance of Vata Dosha, Asthi Dhatu undergo the state of Asthi Kshaya and increases chances of osteoporosis. The prime location of Vata Dosha is Pakvashaya which regulate biosynthesis of Vata Dosha. The Purishdhara kala is internal lining of Pakvashaya (large intestine) which is also called as Asthidhara kala. Decrease of Asthi Dhatu can be successfully treated with Ayurvedic medicines and Panchakarma procedures. So, in this article efforts are taken to analyse osteoporosis on the basis of Ayurvedic physiology.

Keywords: Asthi Dhatu, Vata Dosha, Ashrayashrayi Sambandha, Bone health, Osteoporosis.