Constipation - Basti Treatment Can Be Of Help!

Constipation is the most common digestive problem which occurs due to poor eating habits and incorrect lifestyle. Every person must have suffered from constipation at one point in their lifetime. Constipation may affect every individual differently. Some people refer to it as infrequent stools and some might refer it as small stools and difficulty passing stools. Each kind of constipation has different causes with different solutions. When the condition becomes worst, it occurs as a syndrome called “irritable bowel syndrome”. Therefore, if treatment is delayed or if left untreated, it can lead to more problems such as piles, rectal prolapsed, fistulas, indigestion, lack of appetite, and fissures.

There are many types of treatment for constipation, however, Ayurveda stands out significantly as it treats the problem naturally.

Ayurveda Treatment for Constipation -

The word ‘Basti’ literally means bladder. In the process of Basti treatment, oils and medicated decoctions are delivered in the body through the anus with the help of an instrument. Basti can also be very helpful in curative and preventive aspects for the conditions like inspiration and expiration, muscular-skeletal movements, delivery process, semen ejaculation, defecation, urination, menstrual discharge, peristaltic movements, and heartbeats. Basti Karma helps to maintain and reset the balanced condition of Vata dosha and therefore, it is helpful in treating numerous diseases. It is not only the process of cleansing as Virechan and Vaman but also performs numerous kinds of functions depending on the kind of Basti, for example, Shodhan Basti which acts as a process of cleansing and Burhan Basti is nutritive in function.

Types of Basti - 

There are mainly two kinds of Basti:

• Anuvasan Basti, which primarily contains only medicated or sesame oils. This is commonly given in lesser amount (60 to 100 ml)

• Niruha or Asthapan Basti contains further material besides oil like herbal paste, honey, decoction, etc.

Procedure -

For the Basti process, gloves, a syringe of 100cc, and rubber catheter numbers 10 or 12 are required. The patient should not have a heavy breakfast before the treatment. Basti preparation requires a warm oil of 40 to 45 degrees Celsius. The amount of oily substance should be 1/4th of the substance that is used for Niruha (60, 120, or 240 ml is specified generally and it should be in the lukewarm state each time). Too hot or too cold substances can lead to many adverse effects.

The patient should be in left lateral position, fill the syringe with oil which should be warm, remove the air from catheter as well as from syringe, grease the catheter with the oil, gently insert it through anus, push the oil with the same speed (neither very fast nor slow), do tapping on buttock or lumbar region after removing catheter and ask patient to stay in same position for 6 to 10 minutes.

Conclusion -

This Basti procedure is one of the most powerful, effective, and significant treatment. It is considered as half of the Ayurveda treatment. However, one should always consult an ayurvedic specialist before opting for this method.