Can Ayurveda Treat Epilepsy and How?

Why Ayurveda helps treat Epilepsy

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How Ayurveda works to treat Epilepsy

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Ayurveda for Epilepsy: Treatment Protocol

Ayurvedic treatment for epilepsy is specifically tailored to each individual’s case and looks at the dominant dosha in their constitution as well as their symptoms.

However, Ayurvedic treatment for epilepsy generally involves the following aspects:

A- Purvakarma treatments:

Purvakarma is the Sanskrit word for “foremost action.” It comprises herbal and oil treatments used to loosen the accumulated toxins in the gut and brain. Ayurvedic practitioners believe these toxins cause epilepsy.

Accordingly, purvakarma practices direct the toxins to specific waste and elimination centers in the body. These practices help prepare the body for Panchakarma (detoxification therapies).

Purvakarma includes the following treatments:

1- Pachana (digestion therapy): a practice where herbal treatments are administered to the patient. These herbal formulations help the body digest and eliminate toxins that disrupt brain function.

2- Snehana (oleation therapy): a practice where oils, ghee (purified butter), or oils infused with herbs are consumed internally or applied to the body externally. These oils loosen the toxins that disrupt brain signaling and lead them to a particular center in the body where they can later be expelled via panchakarma therapies. This prevents the occurrence of seizures.

3- Abhyanga (massage therapy): a practice where oils, ghee, or oils infused with herbs are massaged vigorously into the body to loosen the toxins in the body. Abhyanga also helps nourish the affected tissues and restores balance to the imbalanced vata dosha in people with epilepsy. It is also part of dinacharya (daily routine).

3- Swedana (sudation therapy): a practice that involves a thermal treatment to help release toxins through the skin. It typically occurs after oleation therapy as the oils help the body absorb the steam. It can target the whole body (bashpa swedana) or a specific part of the body (nadi swedana).

During swedana, the patient sits in a wooden box or room filled with herbal steam to help the patient eliminate toxins by sweating. Ayurvedic practitioners recommend having a warm shower after swedana therapy.

Swedana helps pacify vata-related disorders like epilepsy and increases blood flow throughout the body, particularly the brain. Increased blood circulation to the brain protects it from damage and provides oxygen and nutrients to the cells that need it.

B- Panchakarma treatments:

Panchakarma, which is Sanskrit for “five treatments,” is a five-step detox program in Ayurveda. These treatments help detoxify the body and restore balance to the vata, pitta, and kapha doshas.

There are different types of epilepsy in Ayurveda, and each one has different symptoms depending on what dosha is out of balance. However, Ayurvedic practitioners believe epilepsy to be a vata disorder.

The five treatments are:

1. Vamana (medicated emesis)

2. Virechana (medicated purgation)

3. Vasti (medicated enema) 

4. Nasya (nasal medication)

5. Raktamokshan (bloodletting)

An Ayurvedic practitioner would manage epilepsy using the following Panchakarma treatments:

1- Vamana (medicated emesis): a practice where patients undergo forced vomiting to eliminate toxins and remove the body’s excess doshas, particularly the kapha dosha. Vamana reduces the occurrence of seizures caused by accumulated toxins in the nervous system due to excess kapha dosha in the body.

2- Virechana (medicated purgation): a practice where patients are given herbal treatments to induce diarrhea. This helps clear out toxins in the gut and restore balance to the pitta and vata doshas. This helps increase blood flow to the brain and rejuvenate affected tissues. It also helps the brain absorb nutrients more efficiently. It treats pitta-type epilepsy.

3- Vasti/Basti (medicated enema): Vasti is a practice where patients are given oils or liquids that help cleanse their colon. Basti is a practice where patients are given an herbal enema to cleanse the colon. They help prevent the buildup of toxins in the gut that might travel to the brain and disrupt cell signaling. Both oil and herbal enemas treat vata-type epilepsy.

4- Nasya (nasal medication): a practice where oils are administered through the nose. It eliminates toxins in the brain that disrupt brain function. Nasya oils are often infused with herbs that have anticonvulsant properties. They help prevent the occurrence of seizures when administered to epilepsy patients.

C- Rasayana (Rejuvenation treatments):

In Ayurveda, rasayana, which is Sanskrit for “path of essence,” consists of practices that help rejuvenate andnourish the mind and body.

Rasayana practices include consuming herbal treatments or decoctions and maintaining a healthy and balanced diet. They also incorporate exercise, yoga, and a regular self-care routine (dinacharya).

These practices help treat or prevent epilepsy because they reduce stress and calm the nervous system.

The rasayana practices that help treat epilepsy are explained in more detail below:

1- Dietary Modifications:

The Ayurvedic diet aims to balance all three life energies or doshas in the mind and body. Patients should maintain a diet that restores balance to the imbalanced doshas and calms the nervous system to reduce the occurrence of seizures.

An Ayurvedic diet also prescribes eating specific foods as part of Purvakarma (preparatory treatments) before Panchakarma (detoxification therapies). It helps loosen the accumulated toxins in the brain that disrupt cell signaling and cause seizures. The diet treats or prevents epilepsy by restoring balance to the nervous system and calming the brain.

Patients should maintain the Ayurvedic diet even after they complete Purvakarma and Panchakarma therapies.

2- Herbal Treatments:

Ayurveda prescribes herbs or herbal treatments to treat epilepsy. The treatments are specifically tailored to the person’s symptoms. Practitioners prescribe different herbs depending on the person’s symptoms.
Some of these herbs include:

- Tulsi (Holy Basil): it helps the body react better to stress and calms the nervous system. It also has anticonvulsant effects and prevents seizures.

- Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera): It reduces the occurrence of seizures and has antioxidant properties that help protect the brain against nerve damage.

- Brahmi (Bacopa monnieri): it calms the nervous system and reduces seizures and inflammation in the brain.

- Jatamansi (Spikenard): it has anti-stress properties and helps the body eliminate toxins. It helps get rid of the mind’s prana (energy) blockages and restores balance to the vata dosha. It also has anticonvulsant effects and manages seizures.

- Tagara (Valeriana wallichii): it helps reduce anxiety and manages seizures by calming the nervous system.

- Vacha (Acorus calamus): it helps calm the nervous system and helps treat seizures.

3- Dinacharya (Routine):

Dinacharya or establishing a routine is one aspect of rasayana that helps treat disorders like epilepsy and restores balance to the body and the mind. Having a routine helps reduce stress and protects patients from unexpected accidents that may occur if they have a seizure.

Dinacharya includes:

1- Adjusting dietary habits: Patients should eat foods at regular times. They should also eat healthy foods that restore balance to the vata dosha, which is often imbalanced in patients with epilepsy.

2- Regulating sleeping habits: Patients need to adjust their sleeping habits and begin sleeping at regular times every night. Routine helps stabilize vata energy, which is imbalanced in people who have epilepsy.

3- Exercising regularly: Patients should engage in physical activity every day to stabilize all the doshas. Exercise also helps reduce stress, one trigger for epileptic seizures.

4- Practicing yoga: Patients should practice at least 10 minutes of yoga every day to relieve stress and calm the nervous system, reducing seizures.

5- Practicing breathing techniques: Patients should practice breathing techniques or pranayama, every day. Pranayama helps decrease stress levels and calms the nervous system to manage epilepsy.

6- Massaging yourself: Patients should massage themselves every day to help the excess vata dosha move throughout the body and calm the nervous system.

Ayurvedic Medicine for Epilepsy: recommendations

- Eat food at regular times: Eating foods at consistent times every day improves digestion and prevents toxins from accumulating in the body.

- Exercise regularly: Engage in physical activity for 30 minutes every day to restore balance to all the doshas. Exercise also relieves stress, one trigger of epileptic seizures.

- Sleep well: Maintain a regular sleep schedule and get at least 7 hours of sleep. Sleeping well helps relieve stress, which reduces the occurrence of seizures.

- Practice yoga: Practice at least 10 minutes of yoga, including breathing techniques or pranayama, every day to relieve stress and calm the nervous system.

- Practice meditation and mindfulness: Practice meditation for at least 20 minutes every day. Meditation helps relieve stress and prevents the occurrence of seizures.

- Give yourself an oil massage: Give yourself a massage using oil to soothe the nervous system. Use a warm oil like sesame oil to help excess vata (the energy of movement) move throughout the body.

Foods to eat:

According to Ayurveda, people with epilepsy should eat light and easy-to-digest foods that help restore balance to the vata dosha (energy of movement) and prevent the accumulation of toxins in the body.

These foods include:

• Fruits: apples (cooked), oranges, grapes, grapefruits, peaches, strawberries, pears, pineapples, blueberries, raspberries, and melons

• Vegetables: carrots, beetroots, broccoli, spinach, kale, asparagus, and sweet potatoes

• Legumes: all beans and legumes

• Dairy products: ghee

• Seafood: shrimp

• Grains: oats, sorghum, amaranth

• Spices: nutmeg, chamomile, mustard seed

• Seeds: drumsticks, hemp seeds, and ash gourd seeds

Herbs to use:

The following herbs and herbal preparations are beneficial for epilepsy because they help the body eliminate toxins and restore balance to the imbalanced vata dosha (energy of movement), which is often imbalanced in people with epilepsy.

They include: 

- Tulsi (Holy Basil): it helps the body react better to stress and calms the nervous system. It also has anticonvulsant effects and prevents seizures.

- Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera): It reduces the occurrence of seizures and has antioxidant properties that help protect the brain against nerve damage.

- Brahmi (Bacopa monnieri): it calms the nervous system and reduces seizures and inflammation in the brain.

- Jatamansi (Spikenard): it has anti-stress properties and helps the body eliminate toxins. It helps get rid of the mind’s prana (energy) blockages and restores balance to the vata dosha. It also has anticonvulsant effects and manages seizures.

- Tagara (Valeriana wallichii): it helps reduce anxiety and manages seizures by calming the nervous system.

- Vacha (Acorus calamus): it helps calm the nervous system and helps treat seizures.

Ayurvedic Medicine for Epilepsy: What to Avoid

- Avoid skipping meals: skipping meals makes it harder to establish a routine. It also weakens agni (digestive fire), which impacts digestion. A weak agni causes toxins to build up in the body, and these toxins may cause epilepsy

- Avoid drinking coffee and tea: these drinks aggravate all three doshas and disrupt their balance. Coffee and tea stimulate the nervous system, which may increase the risk of seizures.

- Avoid or limit alcohol consumption: alcohol consumption disrupts the balance of all the doshas in the body. It may also trigger seizures because it excites the brain and triggers imbalances in the brain’s electrical activity.

- Avoid soft drinks: these drinks contain a lot of sugar and stimulate the nervous system. Soft drinks also aggravate the pitta dosha, which can cause toxins to accumulate in the nervous system, increasing the risk of seizures.

- Stop smoking: smoking aggravates the doshas and causes the accumulation of toxins in the body. Smoking may increase the risk of seizures because nicotine, the addictive substance in cigarettes, stimulates the nervous system.

Foods to avoid:

According to Ayurveda, all foods possess certain gunas (qualities). The gunas in the foods are transferred into energies that influence the balance of the doshas in the body.

People with epilepsy should avoid foods that possess bitter and pungent gunas (qualities) that might aggravate vata dosha (energy of movement), which is imbalanced in epilepsy.

They should also avoid foods that possess sweet and oily gunas (qualities) that aggravate the kapha dosha (energy of structure and lubrication) to prevent the buildup of toxins in the nervous system.

These foods include:

• Fruits: apples (uncooked), pears, and pomegranates

• Vegetables: cabbage, peppers, tomatoes, and eggplants

• Grains: wheat, refined flour, white rice, buckwheat, and corn

• Meat: red meat

• Dairy products: all dairy products

• Seafood: all seafood except for shrimp

• Spicy foods

• Sugary foods

• Processed foods

• Canned fruits and vegetables

Ayurveda for Epilepsy: precautions

Ayurveda uses natural and herbal remedies to treat diseases. However, if you want to use Ayurvedic medicines, herbs, supplements to treat a particular condition, you should consider the following precautions:

- Consult your Ayurvedic practitioner before taking Ayurvedic products on your own. Let them know if you have diabetes or are taking medication that may affect your treatment plan. They should adjust it to avoid any harmful interactions with the medication you are taking.

- Some Ayurvedic products and practices are banned in the United States. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not approve or review Ayurvedic products. Some herbal compounds or preparations may contain lead, mercury, or arsenic in toxic amounts.

They can cause serious illnesses in children and may be life-threatening for pregnant or lactating women and their babies. Other compounds from untrustworthy manufacturers may contain steroids, which may cause further health issues.

- Panchakarma treatments aren’t suitable for all patients who have epilepsy. Eligibility for panchakarma is determined by an Ayurvedic practitioner.

People who are classified as having “weak” or lean and thin bodies aren’t eligible for panchakarma treatments. People who are anemic and pregnant women also aren’t allowed to undergo panchakarma treatments.

WARNING:

- Make sure to disclose to your primary care physician that you are seeing an Ayurvedic practitioner and are taking Ayurvedic formulations. This ensures you stay safe and avoid medication interactions that might cause serious side effects.

- If you are taking medication for diabetes, don’t stop taking them if you begin Ayurvedic treatment unless your doctor approves it.

- Some Ayurvedic practitioners may not be qualified to treat you. Make sure that your Ayurvedic practitioner is well-trained, certified, and has the relevant experience to meet your needs.

- Be careful when buying Ayurvedic herbs or formulas. Don’t buy Ayurvedic products unless they have a GMP (Good Manufacturing Product) stamp on them if you are buying them from India. Be extra careful when purchasing herbs online because online stores may be selling counterfeit products.

Ayurveda for Epilepsy: side effects

Since Ayurvedic treatments are derived from natural herbs and plants, most treatments do not cause adverse events. However, if you take some Ayurvedic preparations or herbs, you may experience the following side effects.

- Heavy metal poisoning: if Ayurvedic products contain toxic amounts of heavy metals like lead, arsenic, or mercury, they might cause heavy metal poisoning.

- Some Ayurvedic herbal formulations might cause headaches, nausea, gastrointestinal problems, diarrhea, rashes, or allergic reactions.