Ayurvedic management of acute calcaneal spur with Viddhakarma and Siravedha: A case report

Abstract

The feet are a highly dependent yet most neglected part of the body. The negligence may result in various levels of discomforts and associated heel pain. Abnormal pressure over foot muscles and ligaments may lead to chronic plantar heel pain and further development of calcaneal spur, which are the most encountered orthopedic problems. Various modern treatment options are available for the management of calcaneal spur, but either they involve longer duration or are expensive. Hence, there is a need to opt treatment approaches that may provide satisfactory results with minimum adversities. Viddhakarma (~therapeutic needle-piercing) and Siravedha (~therapeutic bloodletting) are the therapies of Ayurveda origin, with proven efficacy in pain management and can be used in conditions such as calcaneal spur. A 42-year-old female patient presented to the outdoor patient department in the hospital on August 17, 2022, complaining of sharp pricking pain with heat sensation in the right heel, morning stiffness in bilateral heels, and difficulty in walking for four days. On assessment, the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC), Visual Analog Scale (VAS), and Foot Function Index Scale for the right foot of the patient were scored 47, 9 and 127, respectively. The X-ray of the bilateral foot (anterio-posterior and lateral view) showed an inferior bony spur projecting forward from calcaneal tuberosity more on the right side than on the left. The patient was treated with Viddhakarma, Siravedha of the right foot, along with oral Ayurvedic medicines. On completion of the treatment, the WOMAC and VAS scores were reduced significantly to 37 and 6, respectively. Further, there was a significant reduction in the Foot Function Index scale score to 96 within ten days of the treatment. Based on the clinical observations, it may be inferred that a combination of Viddhakarma, Siravedha, and oral Ayurvedic medicines can be safe, convenient, and effective in managing patients suffering from calcaneal spur. Both of these procedures can be performed by trained health-care professionals on an outpatient basis, thus convenient to the sufferers too.