Aauh..! My lower back

Lumbar spondylosis, spondylolisthesis, disc prolapse, ankylosing spondylitis, lumbar canal stenosis etc these all medical terminology which are literally painful conditions of lower back that may be haunting you. Whether you are in white collar job or blue collar job, lower backache has affected the people heterogeneously. Degenerative diseases/changes and trauma/injury are the leading reasons for this hideous pain which can last from few days to years.

Kati basti is an ayurvedic procedure to treat lower backache and disorders of lumbosacral region. In it lukewarm medicated oil is retained at the site of pain for the prescribed time period. Kati basti relieves pain, stiffness and heaviness of the lower back. Guide by an ayurvedic practitioner it can also be done at home after taking due precautions.

Procedure of kati basti

Recommended time for the procedure is morning after the evacuation of bowels. Medicated oil i.e mahanarayan oil, vishgarbha oil, bala oil, nirgundi oil etc could be used for the procedure.

Step 1 (Pre-procedure)

Local application of medicated oil over the area of pain is done gently. After that nadi swedan i.e local steam is given over the same area for 10-15 mins. Where as in this video we have used dashmool kwath for the steam which has its own importance in pain management. After nadi swedan is done, the patient is wiped with the towel for the main procedure.

Step 2 (Main-procedure)

The patient is made to lie supine and a round bridge made up of black gram flour is fixed. Steel or plastic ring could be used if available to ease the process or simple flour can also be used. The main purpose is to retain the oil when poured avoiding any leakage.

Medicated oil is heated indirectly over the hot water and poured lukewarm inside the frame. The level of oil should be approximately one inch above the skin and the heat in oil should be tolerable. The therapist should massage by dipping one of his finger and moving it in linear fashion with firm pressure and gently. Periodically the oil is taken out with the help of spoon or cotton and replaced with lukewarm oil to maintain the temperature throughout the procedure. Duration of the process is between 30 mins to 45 mins and after removing the frame massage is done.

The therapist should place both his palms on the sacral region with thumbs at the middle of the spine and fingers covering the buttocks on either sides. Then by applying firm pressure hands are moved upwards and in circular fashion on the lumbo-sacral region.

Last Step (Post-procedure)

Afterwards lower back region is wiped with the towel soaked and squeezed in hot water. The patient is asked to rest for 15 mins in supine position. Forward bending, lifting heavy weights and continuous travelling should be avoided immediately after the procedure.