Lichen Planus is an inflammatory skin condition in which flat lesions appear on the skin or mucous membrane, causing pain, redness and itching. It is neither infectious nor contagious, but it may persist for months or years, and may recur. The exact cause is unknown, but it may sometimes be triggered by an allergic or immune reaction to a medication or other substance.
In Ayurveda, there is no clear-cut synonym for lichen planus. However, all skin diseases have been clubbed together as "Kushtha", and the general principles of treatment for kushtha can be applied to the treatment of lichen planus, with very good results. Treatment is aimed at reducing itching and inflammation, and gradually helping the causative immune reaction to subside. Patients having severe symptoms, or recurrence, may require several courses of treatment.
Herbal
Some of the medicines usually used for the treatment of lichen planus are: Arogya Vardhini, Gandhak Rasayan, Nimba-Gandhak, Swayambhu Guggulu, Sukshma Triphala, Saarivadyasava, Mahamanjishthadi Qadha,and Khadirarishta. Single herbal medicines used for this disease are: Nimba (Azadirachta indica), Saariva (Hemidesmus indicus), Manjishtha (Rubia cordifolia), Karanj (Pongamia pinnata), Tulsi (Ocimum sanctum), Haridra (Curcuma longa), Daruharidra (Berberis aristata), Chirayta (Swertia chirata),Guduchi (Tinospora cordifolia), Khadeer (Acacia catechu) and Vacha (Acorus calamus). These medicines have the unique property of acting on the skin and blood tissue, and also bring about the desired immunomodulation.
Medicines used for local application are: Shatadhout ghruta, honey, Neem-Karanj oil, Shodhan oil, Ropan oil, Chandan oil, Marichyadi oil and Bakuchi oil. Selection of the appropriate medicine is made according to the predominance of symptoms and the location of the lesions.
Some physicians advocate cleansing of the body for the purpose of detoxification. This is advisable if the lesions are widespread or do not respond to standard oral medicines. Induced emesis, induced purgation, and periodical blood-letting are some of the procedures adopted for this purpose.
Lichen Planus - Ayurvedic Herbal Treatment
Dr. A. A. Mundewadi is Chief Ayurvedic Physician at Mundewadi Ayurvedic Clinic based at Thane, Maharashtra, India. He is available as an online Ayurvedic Consultant at http://www.ayurvedaphysician.com
Dr. A. A. Mundewadi, B.A.M.S., has clinical experience of 22 years and clinical research experience of 9 years. He has published his findings of herbal treatment of HIV / AIDS in 55 patients in the Bombay Hospital Journal, Mumbai, India, July 2005 issue.
He has also successfully completed a clinical trial of herbal extract medicines in Schizophrenia compared to modern anti-psychotics, in 200 patients. He has also conducted preliminary studies of Ayurvedic herbal extracts in the treatment of Bipolar Disorder, Vascular Dementia, Alzheimer's Disease, Parkinson's Disease, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Autism, Mental Retardation, Tobacco and Alcohol Addiction, Age Related Macular Degeneration and different types of Cancer.