Panchakarma - Snehana or Oleation (Internal) Therapy in Ayurveda!

INDICATION

• Vata diseases.
• Dryness of the body.
• Constipation.
• Neuro muscular & skeletal diseases.
• Preparation for detoxification therapy (Vaman and virechana). Oleation (snehana) – Internal is carried out as singular therapeutic measure for many diseases but in majority of the cases it is done as preparatory treatment for shodhana therapy (Vaman and virechana)

PROCEDURE

Oleation (Snehana) – Internal is carried out mainly with the help of medicated ghee selected accordingly to the disease & dosha condition in gradually increasing doses after assessing the agni. At times combination of various other material like oil, ghee, vasa, majja or their combinations are used. There are two methods for internal oleation:

1.  Acchha sneha. Where a sneha drug (Ghee or other) is directly ingested without any addition except a pinch of saindhava.
2. Vicharana sneha. In this case the sneha is mixed with some or other food & eaten or it is taken by some other route than oral route

DIET

Before The oleation (snehana) – internal has to be taken on empty stomach if it is to be used for shodhana therapy. The patient should have taken his last food atleast 10 hrs prior to snehapan. After Patient is advised to have only warm water after snehapan (normaly ghee). If other material is used for snehana then accordingly various soups are to be used. Patient is not supposed to have anything except hot water until he still has the smell of the ghee in his eructation. Food should be consumed only when patients feel hungry. Heavy, very spicy & junk food must be avoided during the course of the treatment.

BENEFITS

1. Oleates the body.
2. Moisturizes the entire body from within outside.
3. Improves the elasticity of the body.
4. Increases the mobility of the all the systems.
5. Alleviates the vata.
6. Reduces the pains, aches from the muscle & adjoining skeletal system.
7. Dislodges the toxins of the body & helps in bringing to the GI tract.

CAUTION

The oleation (snehana) – Internal should not be carried out without consultation. Should not be used in the patient with intolerance without testing. The doses has to be increased gradually.