MANAGEMENT OF UTERINE FIBROID WITH AYURVEDIC PROTOCOL – A CASE REVIEW

Abstract

Uterine fibroids are the commonest benign tumours that arise from the myometrium of uterus during reproductive period. It has been estimated that at least 20% of women at the age of 30 have fibroids in their wombs. Its prevalence rate ranges from 20% to50%. The etiology is unknown but several factors such as hormones, hereditary factors etc influence their development and growth. They grow from the muscle layer of the uterus and may protrude into the uterine cavity or towards the peritoneal layer or they grow with in the muscular wall. The growth of the fibroid depends upon ovarian hormone oestrogen. These are more common in nulliparous women. Majority of fibroids are small and do not cause any symptoms. The symptoms are related to number, size and location of the fibroid. One of the major complications of uterine fibroid is infertility and abortion. It causes infertility in a number of ways. In Ayurved classics there is no direct correlation for uterine fibroids. Descriptions of two diseases , grandhi and arbuda are similar to that of tumour but specific descriptions of these diseases related to reproductive organ is not available. When going through the etiopathogenesis and symptomatology as per modern sciences, uterine fibroids can be considered as mamsavriddhijanya vikara and is correlated as mamsa grandhi. This is a case of a lady aged 39years having uterine fibroids and complaining of inability to conceive after 15 years of married life, who came to the OPD Vaidyaratnam Ayurveda College, Ollur, Thrissur for treatment. She was admitted in IP, Prasutitantra and Striroga and all the shodhana karmas were done along with Utharavasti. Utharavasti was done for three consecutive months after menstruation for 7 days. There is great reduction to the size of the fibroid and on follicular study, the cycle is ovulatory.