Vasti Karma is a specific therapeutic procedure, in which medicines are administered into body through lower pathways, most often through anus. It cleanses the accumulated toxins from all over the body.
Some times medicines are also administered by other routes, like Urethra or vagina, then this procedure is termed as Uttara vasti.
Vasti is primarily administered to treat vata dosha but can be tridoshahara in nature and can produce both samsodhana or shamana effects. It is also highly beneficial in rejuvenating treatment, especially in convalescence.
Vasti karma is considered as the most important procedure in five fold Panchakarma therapy. The word Vasti, stands for a special instrument used for enemata therapy.
It is effective in majority of vata conditions like Parkinson's disease, MND/ALS, multiple sclerosis, paralysis, fibromyalgia, back pain, neck pain, slip disc, sciatica, atrophy, arthritis, rheumatic diseases, neurological diseases, gout, diseases of GIT, splenomegaly, intestinal worms, fistula in ano, fever, psychiatric problems, gynaec problems, infertility etc.
Vasti is of three types –
- Asthapana or Kashaya vasti
- Anuvasana or Sneha vasti
- Uttaravasti.
‘Uttara Vasti’ is an exclusive type of basti upa-krama, can be defined as a therapeutic administration of a specific medicinal oil, ghrita or decoction through urethral route in males and urethral or genital route in females. Uttara vasti has been highly successful treatment for the management of most of the uro-genital, fertility and gynecological disorders.