Role and Mode of Action of Basti Karma for management of Health
Ayurveda medicine includes herbal medicine, dietetics and also specialized bodywork therapies all designed to restore balance and health to the body and mind. One such panchakarma treatment for cleansing and servicing the body is BASTI KARMA.
Our patients have found Basti very effective not only for curing constipation, pain management, and hypertension but also gave them relief from anxiety, stress and other neurological disorders. I was curious to find out what is the mechanism of Basti and the role of Basti for the relief of various discomforts.
Finally, I came across a few systematic research work and studies. I have made it simplified for a clear understanding of the importance of Basti (Vasti karma) in our lives.
Panchakarma Basti play an important in Vata–Pitta Pradhana Rakta Pradoshaja Vikara
Let us try to understand the probable role Basti karma plays in healing and curing various diseases and disorders.
It seems the mode of actions of Basti takes place in the following three ways:
- Absorption Mechanism
- System Biology Concept
- Neural Stimulation Mechanism
Let us understand each mechanism in detail to understand how Basti karma helps in the management of various diseases, soothing and relaxation.
MECHANISM OF BASTI BY ABSORPTION MECHANISM
As you are aware that in the Basti –ayurvedic medicinal solution is administered in the rectum. Those medicines and taila of Basti, after reaching the rectum and colon, causes secretion of bile from the gallbladder and other hormones. The secretions lead to the formation of conjugate micelles. These micelles are absorbed through passive diffusion.
For example, the middle-chain fatty acid present in Dashmoola Taila of Anuvasana Basti gets absorbed from colon and large intestine part gastrointestinal tract (GIT) and breaks the pathology of the disease. I shall come back with blog regarding the pathology of the diseases…keep watching my blogs.
Biology Concept :
Mechanism and Role of Basti in the management of various disordered and diseases can be explained by the System Biology Concept: We know a human is made us of various systems like respiratory, circulatory, etc. All systems have various organs and all the organs are connected at a molecular level.
Let me explain in more detail. Systems are made up of organs and Organs are made up of tissues and tissues are in turn made up of cells. So anything happens at the tissue level transformed at the cellular level then at the tissue level and ultimately at the organ level. Thus effects of Basti not only restricted to the gastrointestinal system but also affect other systems.
Basti helps to maintain the physical and chemical parameters that the human body must maintain to allow proper functioning of its component cells, tissues, organs, and organ systems stable internal environment of the body
Our body has a range of environmental (internal as well as external) parameters within which it works best and body – viz organs and organ systems (like digestive, circulatory, excretory systems etc) have to maintain balance to get stability. The balance is shifted or disrupted viz if the balance is not maintained; the results may not allow normal functioning of the body. Basti at the biological level helps to attain this balance and therefore your body system works together to maintain balance and homeostasis.
Mode of Action of Basti by Neural Stimulation Mechanism
At neural level Basti works on the kinetics of “hit and run” module. For better understanding, let’s take an example of hypertension (High blood pressure). Results have proven that Basti is very effective in the reduction of high blood pressure to the normal level.
Blood pressure is regulated by feedback of the neural tissue of Vasomotor centre. Now activity of VMC is depended upon reflexes from the higher center as well as from neural and chemical periphery. Sympathetic stimulation causes activation of pressure area of VMC, which in turn causes vasoconstriction and leads to rise in BP, while parasympathetic stimulation causes activation of depressor area of VMC, which in turn results in vasodilatation and precipitates decrease in BP.
The long-term regulation of BP occurs through Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone (RAA) axis of endocrine mechanisms. The lower part of GIT is richly supplied with parasympathetic nerves which on stimulation with Basti (either by chemical or mechanical receptor) cause decrease in secretion of RAA complex, and by activating depressor area of VMC which causes vasodilatation and results in the decrease in BP.
Enteric Nervous System (ENS) works in synergism with the CNS on stimulation with Basti (either by chemo or mechano-receptors) and may lead to activation of depressor area of VMC, which finally causes a decrease in BP. It is not mandatory for a drug to remain in contact with the receptor for a long time e.g. in proton pump inhibitor mechanism, the drug interacts with the receptor and gets flushed out from circulation, it is known as “hit and run module” of kinetics. The same module of kinetics can be hypothesized for Niruha Basti.
This way Basti works on entire physiological and neurological levels to get the bodily internal homeostasis i.e. maintain the balance of body to keep you firm and healthy.
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