Kampavata with special reference to parkinson's disease-a case study

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a chronic progressive movement disorder, meaning that symptoms continue and worsen over time. Where the malfunction and death of vital nerve cells in the brain, called neurons occurs. PD primarily affects the neurons in an area of the brain called the substantia nigra. These neurons produce dopamine, a chemical that sends messages to the part of brain that controls movement and coordination. The Initial manifestations may be tremor, slowness or, clumsiness of an arm or, less commonly, of a leg. Tremors, rigidity, akinesia, and postural disturbances are the major clinical abnormalities. The tremors present mainly at rest (resting tremor) and is suppressed on voluntary movements. Clinical features of Parkinsonism is mask face, slurred and indistinct speech, festinant gait, stooped posture, tremors (resting or postural), rigidity(lead pipe or cog wheel). Parkinson's disease has been previously identified many thousands of years ago in ancient Ayurvedic texts as Kampavata (Kampa: tremor; Vata: the bodily humor governing movements). The aggravated Vata disturbs the “Rasa” Dhatu (Tissue) and then later relocated to other Dhatus, affecting Mamsa (Muscular) and Majja (Brain tissue) causing the muscle stiffness, rigidity, altered behaviour and tremors.