A randomized open label comparative clinical study to evaluate the efficacy of shigru pallava arka nasya and eye exercise in prathamapatalagata timira with special reference to simple myopia

Simple Myopiais the most common clinical variety of Myopia (distant vision impairment) seenin children and in adults. Its symptoms include diminution of vision fordistance in varying degrees depending on the amount of refractive error andAsthenopic symptoms such as eye strain, headache etc.

This symptom is mentioned as Avyaktha Darshana in PrathamaPatalagata Timira, a stage of Timira described under Drushtigata Rogas.

The available treatments of refractive errors includeusing of power glasses and surgical treatment.

Soldiers, sailors, athletes, workmen and children havegreat difficulty with glasses because of the activity of their lives, which notonly leads to breaking of the lenses but often throws them out of focus. Attheir best it cannot be maintained that glasses are anything more than a veryunsatisfactory substitute for normal vision.

Surgicalintervention although popular is not affordable to everyone and may beassociated with complications such as dry eye and night glare which can beannoying.

Thereby, due to these downsides, there is an immediaterequirement of wholesome treatment measures which can manage this visualinfirmity and ensure the disease does not progress. Acharyas of Ayurveda considerIndriyas (sense organs) as one of thevital components of Ayu(life), andhave described various well designed treatment modalities comprising of Chakshushya dravyas, Netra kriyakalpas, relevant changes in Ahara and vihara, and other remedial strategies, which are said to escalatevisual acuity, strengthen the indriyasand also avert consequent ocular complications.

Shigru  is a Chakshushya**dravya indicated in many Netra vikaras. The Arka preparation of the same can be not only very potent but also asterile form of medicine in the treatment of eye disorders. In this study an effort is made to evaluate theefficacy of Shigru Pallava Arka Nasya and Eye Exercise inthe management of Prathama PatalagataTimira (Simple Myopia.)