Yoga and
Ayurveda may be effective in treating high-risk cases of COVID-19, according to
the latest IIT study.
A joint team
of researchers from the IIT Delhi and Dev Sanskriti Vishwavidyalaya, Haridwar,
conducted the research on 30 high-risk COVID-19 patients.
Besides the
standard care treatment as per guidelines, they prescribed the patients Ayurvedic medicines through telemedicine and administered a personalized
therapeutic Yoga program using video conferencing. Almost all of them were
classified as high-risk owing to one or more co-morbidities such as Diabetes mellitus, Hypertension, Chronic Kidney Disease, and Coronary Artery Disease
(which are known to lead to severe outcomes in cases of COVID-19, especially
those above 60 years of age).
The personalized
treatment plan took account of each patient’s medical history and symptoms,
making it more effective than a fixed standardized treatment plan.
The
treatment included Ayurvedic medicines, daily Yoga-sessions including deep
relaxation techniques, pranayama, basic asanas, and some lifestyle
modifications. Based on the administered treatment, the cases were categorized
into YAS (Yoga-Ayurveda based treatment, with possibly allopathic Supplements:
4 patients), YASP (Yoga-Ayurveda based treatment, with possibly allopathic
Supplements and Paracetamol: 6 patients), YAM (Yoga-Ayurveda based treatment,
and Modern Western Medicine (MWM), i.e., allopathy as an adjunct: 6 patients),
MYA (first tried MWM, later switched to Yoga-Ayurveda: 14 patients).
The
patients, most of whom presented many symptoms before the Yoga and Ayurveda
treatment, were followed up telephonically regularly until recovery. More than
half of symptomatic patients started improving within five days (90% within
nine days); over 60% reported at least 90% recovery within ten days. Six
patients with oxygen saturation (SpO2) below 95% benefited from Makarasana
and Shithilasana; none progressed to composite endpoints (consisting of
admission to the Intensive Care Unit, invasive ventilation, or death).
“Most
patients reported that the therapy had a profound impact on their recovery
process, with many experiencing improvements with respect to their
co-morbidities too. By the end of the treatment, several patients had decided
to adopt Yoga in their lifestyle, and several turned to the Ayurveda doctors in
the team for management/treatment of their co-morbidities”, said Dr.
Sonika Thakral, who coordinated with the patients for routine follow-up.
“On the
whole, the patient’s belief in the efficacy of these traditional systems of
medicine was extremely enhanced,” said Dr. Alka Mishra, who administered
Ayurveda treatment to some patients. “We are observing an increasing trend
towards ancient systems of medicine,” said Dr. Yogesh Kumar, who also
administered the Ayurveda treatment.
The study
findings have appeared in the Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge. The
authors point out that high-risk COVID-19 patients undergo severe anxiety,
which may further deteriorate their condition. They further suggest that besides the treatment for COVID-19, Yoga and Ayurveda may help to relieve such patients from anxiety and aid in speedy post-treatment
recovery.
“The
said interventions are believed to have collectively accelerated the recovery
process by checking anxiety, instilling peace of mind, and enhancing the
overall well-being of the patients,” said Dr. Sumitra A. Bentur, a private
practitioner who designed the Yoga intervention and conducted Yoga sessions for some patients.
“The
study also demonstrates an urgent need to scientifically examine the
Traditional Indian Knowledge systems at the top academic institutions. A timely
and suitably designed randomized controlled trial evaluating the efficacy of
Ayurveda and Yoga based personalized integrative treatment for COVID-19 would
have equipped the people with much more credible information
about their use in managing COVID-19,” said Prof. Rahul Garg, IIT Delhi
who conceptualized the project.
