Ayurvedic review article on Agnikarma

Abstract

Ayurveda is the everlasting supreme science of medicine because it deals with promotion of health and curing diseases. Sushruta known as father of surgery has described various surgical and para surgical measures. Sushruta has mentioned different methods of management of diseases, such as Bheshaja Karma, Ksharkarma, Agnikarma and Shastrakarma. Agnikarma is one such procedure and it is believed that disease treated with this never reoccurs. Pain has always been a distressing feeling or the unpleasant sensory and emotional experience. There is a need to find a way to relieve pain without much suffering to the patient and Agnikarma is one of the sound ways to do so. It is therapeutic burning with special tools on specific sites according to the disease. It is a parasurgical procedure that is utilized as curative procedure, or as postoperative procedure or in hemostatic manner. In Ayurveda Vata Dosha is responsible mainly for various types of Ruja or pain in the body and Agnikarma is one of the best method to pacifying Vata and Kapha Dosha and hence relieves pain. In modern time also it is used and it is termed as therapeutic burns or cauterization.