Ayurvedic therapy as an adjunct in the management of Parkinson’s disease: A case report of symptom improvement and reduction in L-DOPA requirement
Minal Bhalala, Prakash Ashok KumbarAbstract
BACKGROUND:
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder for which levodopa remains the mainstay of symptomatic treatment, although long-term use can result in complications such as dyskinesia. Ayurveda offers therapeutic interventions focused on balancing
PATIENT INFORMATION:
An 80-year-old man with an 8-year history of PD presented with symptoms such as tremors, bradykinesia, urinary incontinence, and constipation.
THERAPEUTIC INTERVENTION:
The patient underwent 2 months of Ayurvedic treatment, including
RESULTS:
After 60 days of Ayurvedic intervention, improvements were observed in both motor and nonmotor symptoms. Tremors, rigidity, bradykinesia, gait disturbance, posture, and facial expression improved, with the Hoehn and Yahr stage improving from 3.0 to 2.0. Activities of daily living, including handwriting, dressing, walking, and handling utensils, also improved. Nonmotor symptoms such as intellectual impairment, depressive symptoms, salivation, urinary incontinence, and constipation showed improvement, along with better sleep and reduced knee pain. The patient’s L-DOPA requirement decreased from 1000 mg/day to 300 mg/day over 2 months, without worsening of symptoms.
CONCLUSIONS:
This case suggests that Ayurvedic therapies may have a potential role as an adjunct to contemporary treatment in PD, with improvements in symptoms and quality of life observed alongside a reduction in medication requirement.