Published Paper Details:

Introduction: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune demyelinating disease of central nervous system which can lead to various physical or cognitive disability as well as neurological defects. The global prevalence of MS was 35.9 per 100,000 people in 2020. In India it was regarded as a rare disease in past but marked surge in cases of the disease are observed in recent years. Like other autoimmune diseases exact aetiology and pathogenesis is not clear yet. However available data shows that causes of MS are multifactorial and include genetic predisposition together with environmental factors. Clinical features vary with the site of lesions. Most common symptoms are visual impairments, fatigue (Angamarda), tingling and numbness (Supti), muscle spasm (Udveshtana), stiffness (Angagraha) and weakness (Daurbalya), pain (various kinds of Vedana), depression and anxiety (Chittodvega / Chittavasada), cognitive impairment (Prana involvement), bladder control & bowel problems (Apana dysfunction), speech and swallowing problems (Prana - Udana dysfunction). Aim - To understand the different dimensions of MS in Ayurvedic parlance. Materials and methods - Modern standard textbooks of medicine, Ayurvedic classical texts and research articles related to present study were viewed to understand the disease MS. Result- MS should be studied under the label of Anukta Vyadhi since no direct description of the disease is available in Ayurvedic classics. On the basis of clinical presentation role of Vata vitiation is evident in development of MS. It can be correlated with different domains of Vatavyadhi depending on the presentation and pathology. As there is no cure of the disease in modern medicine, Ayurveda can provide much needed insights in improving quality of life of patients and providing better management.