Multimodal Ayurvedic Management of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Clinically Documented Case Report

Abstract

Background

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a long-standing condition that causes an elevation in blood sugar levels due to failure of insulin function and gradual deterioration of pancreatic beta cells. Ayurveda has classified this condition as Prameha which is a group of conditions that have certain abnormalities of urine and metabolism among which Madhumeha is the noteworthy. The present case study describes the treatment journey of this patient with T2DM who underwent integrated Ayurveda-based management that included avoidance of cause, administration of mild treatment, and a few selected Panchakarma procedures, along with dietary changes and exercises.

Case Presentation

A 49-year-old man who has suffered from type 2 diabetes for just over a year presented with general discomfort, the sensation of burning in the palms and soles, excessive thirst and hunger, as well as frequent urinating, excessive fatigue and stress. During his examination, the patient mentioned that he doesn’t always stick to the antidiabetic therapy he was given earlier, and his monitoring of blood sugar levels is also very sporadic. After doing the tests, the doctors received results of 276 mg/dL for fasting blood sugar, 294 mg/dL for postprandial blood sugar, and 8.4% for HbA1c. He weighed 82 kg, was 175 cm tall, and had a BMI equal to 26.8 kg/m². The Ayurvedic approach toward this patient’s treatment was taken.

Intervention

The modalities of the treatment included Shamana Chikitsa, Deepana-Pachana, Snehana, Abhyanga, Swedana and Virechana; besides, dietary changes and physical exercise were also undertaken by the patient. The internal medicines used by the patients included Vasant Kusumakar Rasa, Trivanga Bhasma, Guduchi Satva, Madhunashani Vati, Madhukalpa Vati and Chandraprabha Vati. The patient was advised against sleeping during the day; she/ he was also advised to practice dietary control with regular walking.

Outcomes

During the course of treatment, gradual improvement has been seen in terms of thirst, frequency of urination, appetite, burning sensation in the feet, lethargy and overall perceived stress levels of the patient. Levels of fasting glucose and postprandial glucose are reported to have also decreased during follow-up. Values of AST and ALT were reported to have been reduced from 112 to 54 U/L and from 198 to 62 U/L correspondingly. However, the paper shows inconsistency between the previously reported baseline glucose values in the case report and those given in the outcomes table. Verification against the primary laboratory reports will be required for publishing the pertinent values.

Conclusion

This case illustrates that the use of a multimodal strategy which includes changes in diet, exercise and Ayurvedic treatments could lead to an improvement in glycemic indices and symptoms of diabetes. However, since all the treatments were applied simultaneously, it is impossible to ascertain the impact of particular medicine or therapy. Therefore, more extensive and controlled studies with defined therapies, objective safety monitoring and more extended follow-up are necessary.