An Integrated Approach of Yoga and Ayurveda in Post-stroke Management - A Case Study

Abstract

The World Health Organization defines stroke as the sudden onset of focal or global disturbance of cerebral function, lasting for more than 24 hours or resulting in death, with vascular origin. In India, population-based studies indicate that stroke prevalence ranges from 84 to 262 per 100,000 population in rural areas and from 334 to 424 per 100,000 population in urban areas. Stroke is the second-leading cause of death and the third-leading cause of disability worldwide. Yoga, as a Complementary therapy, has the potential to manage post-stroke complications. These approaches are drugless and employ minimally invasive or non-invasive methods to bring about physiological modifications within the body, thereby aiding the recovery process. In addition, Ayurveda, the traditional system of Indian medicine, with its holistic approach to health and wellness, offers valuable strategies for post-stroke rehabilitation. The present study is a case report investigating the effect of yoga therapy in addition to Ayurvedic treatment on activities of daily living and the quality of life of a stroke patient. This is a single case study of a 61-year-old man diagnosed with ischemic stroke eight years prior, presenting with partial loss of function and pain in the right upper and lower limbs, difficulty in speech, and insomnia, with a history of hypertension for the past eight years. For better management of stroke and recovery, the patient attended the Panchakarma outpatient department of Rishikul Ayurveda College. An Integrated Yoga intervention along with Ayurvedic treatment was administered for one hour daily over a period of three months. The patient was assessed pre- and post-intervention using the Stroke-specific quality of life scale (SSQOL), Barthel index (BI), Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS), and associated subjective parameters such as pain, strength, stiffness, speech, coordination, and shivering. After three months of yoga intervention, considerable improvement was observed in subjective parameters. The Barthel index improved from 90 to 95, SSQOL scores increased from 133 to 151, and DASS scores showed improvement across all three subscales, with Depression and Stress scores shifting from the severe to moderate category, and Anxiety scores shifting from the extremely severe to severe category. The findings suggest that integrating yoga therapy with Ayurvedic treatment may play a beneficial role in post-stroke recovery.