Effectiveness of Snehana and Swedana in a Case of Unspecified Joint Pain: An Ayurvedic Case Report

Musculoskeletal pain is a common ailment with a significant impact on quality of life. Ayurvedic medicine offers potential therapeutic interventions for managing such conditions. This case report explores the efficacy of Snehana (oleation) and Swedana (sudation) therapies, integral components of Ayurvedic treatment, in alleviating joint pain and improving functional outcomes in a patient with shoulder and knee pain. A patient presented with persistent shoulder and knee pain. Following a diagnosis at a primary health center of unspecific pain and conservative management with analgesics, the patient sought Ayurvedic treatment at our hospital. The patient underwent a one-week regimen of Snehana and Swedana, along with oral Ayurvedic medications including Trayodashang Guggul, Dashmool Kwatha and Sunthi. Pain intensity was assessed using the Visual Analog Scale before and after the intervention. Following one week of treatment, a patient with shoulder and knee pain demonstrated reduced pain, with Visual Analog Scale scores decreasing from 6-7/10 to 2/10, and further to 1/10 at follow-up. Concurrently, the range of motion in multiple planes improved, indicating enhanced joint mobility. This case suggests that Snehana and Swedana therapies, when administered without major Panchakarma procedures or modern medications, may offer effective pain relief and improved function in patients with musculoskeletal pain. While limited by its single-case design, this report highlights the potential of Ayurvedic interventions and supports the need for randomized clinical trials with larger sample sizes to validate these findings and explore the underlying mechanisms of action.