An ayurvedic Case Study for Eczema

According to the principles of Ayurveda, skin diseases are never a condition of the skin alone.

Skin, the body’s largest organ provides many functions and is a multi-layered reflection of the health of internal organs and systems.

Ayurveda classifies eighteen types of skin diseases (kustha roga), and Dr Ram Tamang, and the team at The Healing Gardens of Ayurveda recently assessed and treated a chronic condition of eczema (charmadala). The Ayurvedic assessment was made with the help of diagnostic tools including; the pulse, as well as tongue, skin, and eyes analysis among others to find out the client’s physical and mental constitution or mind/body type. The diagnosis also helped determine the specific body tissues and organs involved in causing the eczema. Dr Ram took into consideration the physical, emotional and psychological attributes that contributed to the patient’s eczema.

According to the severity of the imbalances, there are usually other tissues, organs and systems involved, and in this case of severe eczema it was particularly the digestive, circulatory and nervous systems.

The patient was asked to make dietary changes to help all the physical systems and was also given various homework projects to focus on the care of their five senses while dealing with the minor stresses and anxiety of everyday life. Herbal supplements were prescribed for internal use and external application. Psychological and spiritual counseling was introduced in the initial meeting do deal with emotional issues. The results were immediate! Within a couple of days the patient’s burning sensation, itching and the intensity of the rashes and blisters on the skin improved significantly.

The patient was able to once again take a bath and expose the skin to gentle wind and the sun without aggravating the symptoms. In subsequent appointments, the patient received Panchakarma (natural detoxification therapies) treatment. This process included a pre-Panchakarma preparation with internal intake of medicated ghee and herbal teas as well as self-massage and application of herbal oils.

During Panchakarma week, the patient received various Ayurvedic therapies, such as nasal therapies, external body wraps with custom herbs, oil application over the entire body, and mild enemas and purgatives to cleanse the body. After that, the patient continued with psychological and spiritual counseling to help manage emotional issues. One-on-one Yoga therapy and breathing exercises customized for eczema were also introduced.

The result: 90% improved skin condition – mentally and physically.

Dr. Ram Tamang is an Ayurvedic Physician at The Healing Gardens of Ayurveda, located in Tustin, California. c