Though Vata imbalance diseases are innumerable, the following eighty diseases are the most commonly manifested ones: 1. Nakhabheda (cracking of nails) 2. Vipadika (cracking of feet) 3. Pada shoola (pain in foot) 4. Pada Bhramsha (foot Drop) 5. Pada Suptata (numbness of foot) 6. Vata khuddata (club foot) 7. Gulpha Graha (stiff ankle) 8. Pindikodveshtana (cramps in calf muscle) 9. Gridhrasi (sciatica) 10. Janu Bheda (Genu varum)- Bow leggedness, bandiness 11. Januvishlesha (Genu valgum) – Knock Knee 12. Urustambha( stiffness of thigh) 13. Urusada (pain in the thigh) 14. Pangulya (paraplegia) 15. Guda Bhramsa (prolapsed rectum) 16. Gudarti (Tenasmus) 17. Vrushanakshepa (pain in scrotum) 18. Shepha Stambha (stiffness of penis) 19. Vankshana anaha (tension of groin) 20. Shroni Bheda (pain around the pelvic girdle) 21. Vidheda (diarrhea) 22. Udavarta (bloating) 23. Khanjatva (lameness) 24. Kubjatva (kyphosis) 25. Vamanatava(dwarfism) 26. Trikagraha (stiffness of sacro-iliac joint) 27. Prsistagraha (stiffness of back) 28. Parshva Marda (pain in chest) 29. Udaraveshta (Gripping pain in abdomen) 30. Hrit Moha (braby cardia) 31. Hrit Drava (tachycardia) 32. Vaksha- Udgharsha (rubbing pain in chest) 33. Vaksha- Uparodha (impairment of thoracic movement) 34. Vakshastoda (stabbing pain in chest) 35. Bahu Shosha (atrophy of arm) 36. Greeva Stambha (stiffness of the neck) 37. Manyastambha (torticollis) 38. Kanthoddhvamsa(hoarseness of voice) 39. Hanu Bheda (pain in jaw) 40. Ostha Bheda (pain in lips) 41. Akshi Bheda (pain in eye) 42. Danta Bheda (toothache) 43. Danta Shaithilya (looseness of tooth) 44. Mookatva (aphasia / dumbness) 45. Vak Sanga(stalling speech) 46. Kashaya asyata (astringent taste in mouth) 47. Mukha shosha (dryness of mouth) 48. Arasajnata(ageusia) – loss of taste function 49. Ghrana Nasha(anosmia) – loss of smell function 50. Karna Shoola (ear ache) 51. Ashabda Shravana (tinnitus) 52. Ucchaih Shruti (hard hearing) 53. Badhirya (deafness) 54. Vartma Stambha (Ptosis of eye lid) 55. Vartma Samkocha (entropies) 56. Timira(amaurosis) – a type of vision loss 57. Akshi Shoola (pinching pain in eye) 58. Akshi Vyudasa (Ptosis of eye ball) 59. Bhru Vyudasa (ptosis of eye brow) 60. Shankha Bheda (pain in temporal region) 61. Lalata Bheda (pain in frontal region) 62. Shiro Ruk (headache) 63. Kesha bhumi sphutana (dandruff) 64. Ardita(facial paralysis) 65. Ekanga Roga (monoplegia) 66. Sarvanga Roga (polyplegia) 67. Pakshavaha (hemiplegia) 68. Akshepaka (convulsion) 69. Dandaka (tonic convulsion) 70. Tama (fainting) 71. Bhrama (giddiness, dizziness) 72. Vepathu (tremor) 73. Jrumbha (yawning) 74. Hikka (hiccup) 75. Vishaada(asthenia) – weakness, depression 76. Ati Pralapa (delirium) – excessive irrelevant talk 77. Raukshya (dryness) 78. Parushya (hardness) 79. Shyava Arunaava Bhasata (dusky red appearance) 80. Asvapna (sleeplessness) 81. Anavasthita chittatva (unstable mind).
General causative factors for vata imbalance
Vayu (vata) gets aggravated or increased from over indulgence in wrong foods i.e. Light, dry, rough, bitter, pungent and astringent, and activities i.e. Too much running, jumping, carrying heavy weights etc. Which causes depletion of the tissues. Vata then fills up the empty channels left by the depletion of the tissues and moves or circulates greatly much more than normal, and can become enveloped by the other doshas i.e. Pitta and kapha which have also filled up the empty spaces caused by depletion of the tissues.
There are two ways in which vata can be aggravated, 1. By occupying the channels caused by the depletion of tissues and producing increased functioning in the channels so occupied. 2. By becoming involved or enveloped by other doshas which have accumulated in the channels and producing disease and loss of functioning of the channels so affected. In the first type vata is the only dosha producing the effect and is hence very powerful. In the second type vata is associated with one or more of the other doshas and is regarded as not as powerful as the first type.
General principles of treatment of Vata disorders:
Madhura, Amla Lavana Snigdha Ushna Upakrama – The vitiated Vata should be treated by drugs having sweet sour and saline taste and unctuous and hot qualities Snehana – oleation, Sveda – fomentation, sweating treatment Asthapana – decoction enema Anuvasana – oil enema Nasyakarma – nasal instillation of drops, Bhojana – healthy diet, Abhyanga – massage, Utsadana – unction, Parisheka – sprinkling of oil / liquid containing materials having anti-Vata properties. This is to be done with due regard to the dosage and the season.
Importance of Basti treatment in Vata disorders – Of all the treatments stated above, the Asthapana (decoction enema) and Anuvasana (oil enema) are the treatment par excellence for the cure of Vatik diseases, because immediately after entering the colon, they strike at the very root of the vitiated Vata and when Vata is overcome in the colon, even the entire vitiated Vata dwelling in other parts of the body is automatically alleviated.