EFFECT OF SARVAANGABASHPASWEDANA (STEAM BATH) ON PHYSICAL, HAEMATOLOGICAL AND BIOCHEMICAL PARAMETERS

Background: Bashpaswedana, popularised globally as steam bath is a well-established ayurvedic procedure. It is a modified form of
ushmasweda in which patient is made to perspire, by setting his body below the neck inside a specially designed horizontal or vertical
steam chamber. Bashpaswedana relieves stiffness, heaviness, coldness and induces sweating.
Objectives: To evaluate the effect of SarvangaBashpaSwedana(SBS) on physical (Blood pressure, pulse rate, body temperature and
average time taken to get samyakswinnalakshana (SSL) according to prakriti (constitution), haematological (CBP, ESR) and
biochemical parameters (Serum electrolytes, serum urea, serum uric acid, serum creatinine and random blood sugar)
Materials and Methods: The study was conducted during june 2012 to march 2013 at Government Ayurveda hospital, Hyderabad.
The study design was open labelled, comparing the baseline variables with values after bashpasweda. The subjects (n=50) chosen
gave an informed consent. Sarvangabashpaswedana was preceded by Abhyanga – whole body massage. The subject was made to sit
in the vertical steam chamber till the attainment of samyakswinnalakshanas like relieving from coldness and heaviness,likes to take
cold things and sweating on fore head and blood sample was taken before and after half an hour of procedure. Student’s paired “t” test
was applied to the means + SE of the variables to calculate statistical significance.
Results: The biochemical parameters have shown significant value of ‘p’. Red blood cell count, white blood cell count and platelets
were elevated. The Parameters- Random Blood Sugar, Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate have decreased significantly. The ParametersBlood
Pressure, Pulse Rate have shown insignificant changes. Time taken to attain samyakswinnalakshanas is highest in kaphavata
prakriti patients (27.3min), in kaphapitta (20.89min) and least in vatapitta (12.76min).
Conclusion: The parameters were increased or decreased significantly. But the significance is for changes within normal range,
increased or decreased showing that bashpaswedana has got no influence on the levels of electrolytes, serum urea, uric acid and
creatinine.samyaksweda leads to increased metabolism by improved agni, specially raktadhatvagni and maintains the homeostasis in
circulating body fluids by eliminating the dhatukittamsas without causing dehydration and cardiovascular complications.