Ayurveda for Spinocerebellar Ataxia Treatment

Ayurvedic treatment for Spinocerebellar Ataxia can help you to walk straight, to speak without fumbles and you can lead a normal life, ahead, the challenge is to stop the progress of this condition. More than a dozen of patients are leading a normal life with SCA with great treatment of Ayurveda for SCA.

All our muscles and joints get the command from the brain. The cerebellum is the part of the brain, which collects the senses from the body and then “gives” orders to the different body parts. These orders travel to the spinal cord from the brain and then reach the muscles, responsible for the particular movement. When this link between- the brain (cerebellum)-the spine doesn’t work properly. These orders from the brain don’t reach properly to the muscles and movements disturb them. And a person cannot walk normally (ataxia). This is a condition we know as Spinocerebellar Ataxia or Cerebrospinal Ataxia.

This is merely a condition of poor coordination. Cerebrospinal Ataxia is a genetic, progressive, and degenerative disease. It is not age-dependent. It can occur at any age person.

Few genes- dominant or recessive are responsible for this condition. It often gives visible symptoms such as poor coordination of speech, hand, and eye movement. It can even cause difficulty in involuntary actions like swallowing food. There is certain ataxia that resembles cerebrospinal ataxia but has different causes like sub-acute ataxias, congenital ataxias & chronic progressive ataxias. 

At Sukhayu we provide the best Ayurvedic Treatment for Spinocerebellar Ataxia and that too with good results. The main aim of the treatment is to ensure the progress of the condition so that we can avoid the disability of the patient and ensure the quality of life. Here we are discussing all aspects of the disease and its treatment through Ayurveda.

Signs and Symptoms of Cerebrospinal Ataxia 

Cerebrospinal ataxia results from improper functioning of the cerebellum, which affects motor control, sensory perception, and coordination. Some neurological symptoms included under it are as follows:

• Muscle tone decreases therefore movements restrict.
• Disability with synchronized rapid alternate movements.
• While trying to move the limbs, they jerk and shake.
• Organs, muscles, limbs, and joints lose their coordination.
• The problem appears in the Movement of the eye, arm, hand, the leg.
• Poor determinations of timing therefore patient feels confused all the time.
• Loss of control in variation in rhythm and volume of speech.
• Difficulty in swallowing food appears therefore patient wants crushed and meshed foods.
• Frequent stumbling and unsteady gait are part of the disease.
• Dizziness with severe headache
• Fatigue is a common symptom as body muscles have to work hard to overcome the misbalance and lack of coordination.

Types of Spinocerebellar Ataxia

Some causes of ataxia are reversible, and others are irreversible. Doctors classify causes of ataxia into three main categories:

• Acquired Ataxia: It includes factors like vitamin deficiencies, trauma, alcohol, and drug abuse, or cancer.
• Genetic Ataxia: It happens because of a damaged gene. When this gene moves in the family, it causes problem for coming generations. Because these genes impact the nerve cells of the cerebellum and spine.
• Idiopathic Ataxia: The cause of this ataxia is unknown by doctors and researchers.

Causes of Spinocerebellar Ataxia

The right side of the brain mainly the cerebellum maintains the right side balance of the body and the left side of the cerebellum maintains the left side balance of the body.

Ataxia can also appear due to damage to the spinal cord and peripheral nerves because it connects to the cerebellum of the brain. Some common causes of cerebrospinal ataxia are as follows:

How does Cerebro Spinal Ataxia occur?

The cerebellum is the region of the brain which is responsible for the movement and coordination of different organs in the body. Signals are sent to peripheral nerves through the spinal cord. These signals are in electrical forms and are commanded by the brain to move a body part. These peripheral nerves stimulate the actions and cause the muscle to contract by initiating a movement. 

The body part also has sensory nerves which receive the information of the senses about position, time, and space. Then, these signals travel back to the spinal cord by a different path. Failure of any one of the components of this path leads to ataxia. Cerebellar ataxia is a result of damage and abnormalities to the cerebellum. It can be a temporary or permanent effect. 

The affected brain/ nerve cells degenerate and function poorly. As the disease progress, the muscle becomes less and less responsive. This ultimately causes a big problem. The Ayurvedic treatment for cerebrospinal ataxia depends on the causes. It is found whether the ataxia is reversible, irreversible, temporary, or permanent. All treatment measure is taken considering the improvement in the quality of life.

Ayurveda About Spinocerebellar Ataxia

Ayurveda recognizes all movement-related conditions as Vata Vyadhi. Vata is responsible for coordination. Because coordination is the key to all smooth and proper movements. When Vata is aggravated, it causes problems with the movements and their coordination.

The same coordination disturbs in case of cerebrospinal ataxia. When Vata is not working naturally, the coordination of the movements disturbs and this causes problems for the patient.

Here two things that are important to understand about the Vata dosha in the context of cerebrospinal ataxia-

1. Vata itself causes decay, therefore the decay with Vata aggravation is always on the higher side. And it is always challenging to control the further progress of the disease.
2. While pacifying the Vata, we cannot reduce the activity of the Vata. This means the treatment should not be against the character of the Vata in any condition.

While doing the ayurvedic treatment for cerebrospinal ataxia, these two things are important to manage in the right way. Otherwise, the imbalance in the treatment causes further problems.

Approach for Ayurvedic Treatment for Spinocerebellar Ataxia

At Sukhayu Ayurved, under Vaidya Pardeep Sharma Ji’s guidance, we do follow the classical text of Ayurveda for ayurvedic treatment of spinocerebellar ataxia.

The Samtarpana Chikitsa is done for this condition. In simple words, samtarpana means- nourishing treatment. Because in this condition, the body decays (internally) at a high pace. Therefore the nourishment helps in bringing back the normalcy of the body.

While doing this type of treatment, it is important to understand that a patient’s Kapha Dosha should not increase beyond a point. Otherwise, this condition leads to obesity which causes severe problems with walking for the patient and the condition deteriorates.

For the treatment, we follow particular planning of the treatment, which follows this-

Four Sessions of Panchakarma are planned for the treatment. These go in a particular fashion-

1. First Session of Panchakarma – 21 days
2. Second Session – 15 Days
3. Third Session – 15 Days
4. Fourth Session – 8 Days

The interval between these sessions is – 2 to 3 months.

The medicines remain to continue for 24 to 36 months in young patients. But when the patient is in older age, medicines continue for a longer period in Ayurvedic Treatment for Spinocerebellar Ataxia.

Here are some common questions about the treatment of spinocerebellar ataxia which need to be answered, properly. Because there are many myths about this type of chronic and disabling condition.

Can Ayurveda completely REVERSE the condition of Spinocerebellar Ataxia?

Spinocerebellar ataxia is a severe, disabling condition. In such conditions, the main role of the treatment is to stop the progress of the disease. Because there is no such treatment in western medicines which can stop this deterioration.

So, besides making false claims that we can do this or that in a condition like ataxia. The main aim of the treatment of spinocerebellar ataxia is to stop the further deterioration of the disease.

As far as symptoms are concerned, every patient gets benefits from these and this improvement helps a patient to lead a normal life. Still, after the completion of ayurvedic medicines for spinocerebellar ataxia, we always advise patients to continue with the diet and lifestyle recommendations.

How Ayurveda can help in a genetic condition like Cerebrospinal Ataxia?

This is a very much valid discussion. And answer for this lies within the first thought of Ayurveda. As per Ayurveda, we all have the possibility of all diseases. And this is what we all know as – Prakriti in Ayurveda.

Prakriti relates to genes and the internal environment of the body.

Modern medicine talks about one new branch of medicine and this is – Epigenetics. This new understanding about the genetic makeup of the body approves that without triggering the food and lifestyle, gene expression alone cannot cause the problem.

This is the reason, for patients with Cerebrospinal Ataxia always recommend that they should continue with dietary and lifestyle restrictions for the rest of their life.

Can everybody come and admit to Sukhayu for ayurvedic treatment for Cerebrospinal Ataxia?

The answer is a BIG NO!!

As per Ayurveda, we do the assessment of the patients, and only after the assessment of the patient, we can comment on whether we can take the patient or not.

Everybody has limitations, and so do we. There are strong exclusion and inclusion criteria for patients of spinocerebellar ataxia. The selection of patients is done through a complete process.

Please visit the link- Consultation With Vaidyas at Sukhayu

Facts about SCA

• Damage to the cerebellum is the primary cause of cerebrospinal ataxia. Because this part of the brain controls and coordinates the muscles of our body.
• Conditions that affect Cerebrospinal Ataxia include alcohol abuse, medications, tumor, brain degeneration, and stroke.
• There are several treatments depending on the condition of the patient, including physical therapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy, and exercise can help therefore you need not lose hope in this condition.
• There are several forms and types of ataxia. Some most common types of ataxia are hereditary ataxia, Autosomal dominant ataxia, Autosomal recessive ataxia
• Tests including for diagnosis of cerebral ataxia are Complete blood count, spinal tap, CT or MRI scan, ultrasound, etc. are helpful.
• Ayurvedic treatment for Spinocerebellar Ataxia can help you to lead a normal life hence you need not wait for complex conditions.