A Case Report on the Effectiveness of Marma Chikitsa in Alleviating Snayugata Vikara with special reference to Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Abstract

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) is a common condition caused by the compression of the median nerve as it passes through the carpal tunnel, leading to symptoms such as numbness, tingling, and pain in the hand. It affects 1-5% of the general population, with a higher prevalence in females. Conventional treatments include wrist splinting, corticosteroid injections, and surgery in severe cases. CTS shares similarities with Snayugata Vata Vikara, that involves compression of tendons, ligaments, or nerves. Marma Chikitsa stimulates specific Marma Sthanas, has been proposed as a potential alternative treatment for musculoskeletal conditions like CTS. This case report aims to assess the effectiveness of Marma Chikitsa for CTS, exploring its potential as a non-invasive alternative to conventional treatments. A 45-year-old female patient presented with complaints of numbness in the thumb and index finger of her right hand, accompanied by pain, tingling, paraesthesia, and difficulty holding objects with positive Tinel's percussion test and Phalen's manoeuvre test. Despite allopathy conservative treatments she didn’t get complete relief. The patient was stopped previous treatment and was only given Marma Chikitsa at Kshipra, Manibandh, Indrabasti, Kurpar, Ani, and Urvi Marma were stimulated for 0.8 seconds, 15–18 times per session for 15-day regimen of Marma Chikitsa. The 15-day Marma Chikitsa regimen resulted in significant improvement in the patient’s symptoms. The VAS score decreased from 8 to 2, and the BCTSQ score reduced from 40 to 10, indicating significant improvement in Pain, numbness, tingling sensation and hand functionality. Marma Chikitsa appears to be effective in managing CTS by pacifying Vata Dosha thus contribute to pain relief and functional improvement. Marma Chikitsa shows potential as an effective, non-invasive treatment for CTS but to verify its effectiveness and wider applicability more research is required. This non-invasive approach could serve as a valuable alternate to treatments like wrist splinting, corticosteroid injections, and surgery.