Article by Dr Raghuram Y.S. MD (Ay) & Dr Manasa S, B.A.M.S
Snehana – oleation or lubrication therapy is an important treatment procedure in Ayurveda. It is usually administered as a part of Purvakarma – preparatory procedure for conducting Vamana or Virechana. Vamana or Virechana would yield good results only after the patient is prepared with properly administered snehana followed by swedana – sudation.
Snehana is a procedure in which the medicated fats, ghee or oil usually are administered in ‘daily increasing dosage’ until the body is saturated with Sneha. Proper saturation is identified with the help of ‘Samyak Snigdha Lakshanas’ i.e. signs of proper oleation.
Snehana can be mainly for –
– Shodhana – wherein large amount of Sneha should be administered to expel large quantities of doshas – This form of snehana is the point of discussion in this article
– Shamana – to palliate the moderately aggravated doshas, in condition where shodhana – cleansing is not required – used in moderate quantity
– Brimhana – to strengthen the body, wherein a small quantity is used along with food
Vicharana Sneha is a method wherein small quantities of medicated fats are given mixed with edible foods in different ways.
Nitya Sneha is a small quantity of Sneha administered daily, for a stipulated time period in some disease conditions.
The term ‘Snehapana’ though applicable for all forms of consumption of Sneha (pana = to drink), it is generally applied to describe the ‘shodhana snehana’ since large quantities of Sneha are given to drink in this procedure.
Can Snehapana go wrong?
While all kinds of Sneha administration can go easily, Shodhana Sneha should be administered with perfect planning, else it might cause –
– aggravation of existing symptoms of the disease or
– may cause some new symptoms or
– produce symptoms of indigestion
Why can these things happen?
The above said untoward events can happen due to different reasons. The main ones are –
– Improper planning of snehana
– Wrong calculation and administration of dose of Sneha – administered in too large or too less dose
– Administration of Sneha to those unfit or ineligible for the therapy – wrong choice of disease and diseased, administration in contraindicated conditions
– Improper time of administration – Sneha administered during night time would increase vata and kapha and cause vata-kapha disorders. Similarly, Sneha administered at day time would aggravate pitta and lead to manifestation of pitta disorders.
– Use of wrong type of Sneha – example – use of taila i.e. oil in high pitta conditions (it is contraindicated)
– Use of Sneha in wrong Rtus – seasons. Taila – oil is indicated in Pravrt season. Sarpi – ghee is indicated in Varshanta i.e. Sharad Rtu (Autumn). Other Snehas i.e. Vasa – muscle fat and Majja – bone marrow can be administered in Madhava or Vasanta – Spring season. Other than the indicated seasons, if Sneha is used in some other season, it can cause complications.
– Improper follow-up (post snehana procedures – dos and don’ts)
How to manage the untoward happenings?
Symptoms of disease for which Sneha is administered can flare up due to any of the above-mentioned reasons. Inadequate doses would trigger and excite the doshas without causing proper snehana. These doshas would increase the disease symptoms or cause newer symptoms and complications. Excessive dose may cause over-saturation and the Sneha would become satmya – wholesome or habituated to the body. The intention of snehana will not be met with, signs of over-oleation will manifest and sometimes purgation or emesis of medicine too may occur.
Is aggravation / flare up of symptoms always a point of concern?
No. If the symptoms of the disease flare up after consuming Sneha, it might be a natural response or reaction of the body and its tissues to large quantities of Sneha to which we are not accustomed to. The physician should not panic at this point. He should also have intimated the patient that the symptoms may initially flare up.
Why does this happen?
The large quantities of Sneha consumed will produce snigdhata – unctuousness of all the cells, once it enters the body and reaches the tissue levels. This happens due to the gunas – qualities of Sneha i.e. guru – heaviness, shita – coldness, sara – flowing, snigdha – unctuousness, manda – slowing down, sukshma – minuteness or deep penetrating, mrudu – smoothness and drava – liquidity. Due to these qualities, the Sneha will produce Sneha – unctuousness, visyanda – liquification, mardava – smoothness and kleda – dampness or moistness in the body owing to similar qualities of Sneha. These sudden changes will put the body into a state of discomfort and would also cause aggravation of disease symptoms or give rise to new symptoms.
If these symptoms become intolerable with increasing dose on consecutive days, the snehana should be stopped and treatment for increased symptoms or new symptoms should be given. Snehana for these people should be planned in a precise way and right dosage and after analysing the status of the patient and the disease, it shall be restarted after a gap of more than three weeks.
If the symptom flare-ups are not troublesome and are mild in nature, they shall be ignored considering that they are caused due to the reaction of the body to the medicine.
Indigestion of Sneha can occur if Sneha is administered when the patient is having mandagni – insufficient digestive fire / strength or when it is administered in larger doses.
Management
According to the principle, “….Virukshanam Viparitam!” – ‘causing dryness or implementing rukshana – drying therapies is antagonistic to excessive snehana’, Rukshana Chikitsa should be planned. Rukshana comprises of foods, medicines and therapies which have opposite qualities as those of Snehana.
Foods should be of the below mentioned nature –
– Dravam – liquid and easily digestible foods
– Ushnam – hot and freshly prepared
– Anabhishayndi – those which do not produce excessive liquidity in the body
– Naati snigdham – those which are not too unctuous i.e. having very less quantity of unctuous materials like oil and ghee
– Asamkaram – mixture of various foods shall be avoided
Other remedies –
– Kshut – withholding hunger, which is a type of langhana
– Trshna – withholding urge for drinking water
– Ullekhana / vamana – emesis to throw away the undigested Sneha
– Sweda – sudation, which is of opposite nature of Sneha
– Ruksha anna pana – foods and drinks devoid of unctuous material, dry in nature
– Takrarishta – fermented preparation prepared on buttermilk base
– Khala – dish prepared from curds
– Use of Pippali – Piper longum, Kshaudra – honey, Go mutra – urine of cow, Guggulu – Commiphora mukul, Yava – barley, Triphal
– Yathasvam Pratirogam cha Sadhanam Sneha Vyapadi – specific treatments for diseases or complications produced by Sneha as per the recommendations in those specific diseases
