Sweda Karmam

Sweda Karmam

Sarvanga Swedana is a common procedure done in Ayurvedic Panchakarma units. Passive body heat therapy, which is akin to Sarvanga Swedana is known to cause systemic hemodynamic changes. Such studies would have been required to find the possible hemodynamic changes following the Sarvanga Swedana sessions also. An observational study was planned to observe hemodynamic changes among patients routinely receiving Sarvanga Swedana in a Panchakarma setting at an Ayurvedic hospital.

Used everyday in the pancha karma program. This can be requested at the end of any treatment offered at the Ananda Ayurveda. The process which relieves stiffness, heaviness, coldness of the body and produces sweat is called swedana. Increased sweating removes toxins from skin.

Significant increase in blood pressure and pulse rate (PR) was observed in all patients immediately after the completion of Sarvanga Swedana therapy. Upon continuation of Sarvanga Swedana in a subgroup; however, a significant reduction in systolic blood pressure and PR was also observed.

Swedana (body heating) is a treatment modality common to Ayurvedic clinical practice. Practiced either as a preparatory component to Panchakarma (five detoxification procedures) or as an independent intervention, Swedana is praised for its relaxing and detoxifying effects all through the classical Ayurvedic texts.