Does an Ayurvedic herb called Asoka help with premenstrual syndrome?

ABSTRACT Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is a disease characterised by manifestation of physical and psychological symptoms in females. It is a disorder of unknown etiology that recurs in the luteal phase of an ovulatory menstrual cycle. In Ayurvedic perspective, vitiation of tridoshas particularly vata can be observed in the pathogenesis of PMS. The Asoka - Saraca asoca (Roxb.) de Wilde has got vedanasthapana, pittakaphahara and sokanasana karma which implies that it can cure both somatic and affective symptoms. Bhavana includes processing of churna with liquid extracts to increase the potency. A clinical case of premenstrual syndrome has been selected to study the effectiveness of bhavita churna (processed powder) of stem bark of the drug. The treatment was conducted in the luteal phase (14 days prior to menstruation) for three menstrual cycles and a follow up was also carried out for another three consecutive menstrual cycles. There was significant reduction in symptoms as assessed through Premenstrual Syndrome Scale after 3 cycles of treatment when compared to before treatment. The effect sustained even after follow up. The Asoka - Saraca asoca (Roxb.) de Wilde stood as an effective drug for relieving physical and psychological symptoms observed in PMS. Key words: Asoka, Premenstrual Syndrome, bhavita churna, vedanasthapana, sokanasana

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