Nasya - The Doorway Through the Nose
Then there is Nasya.
The patient lies with the head appropriately positioned. The face may first be gently prepared with warmth or massage. A carefully selected medicated oil or other preparation is introduced through the nostrils.
It seems deceptively simple.
Yet Ayurveda attaches enormous importance to this route.
One of the most memorable lines associated with Nasya comes from the Ashtanga Hridaya, Sutra Sthana, Chapter 20:
“Nasa hi shiraso dvaram” — the nose is the gateway to the head.
Classically, Nasya is used particularly in disorders involving the region above the clavicles. Different forms may have cleansing, pacifying or nourishing intentions, depending upon the formulation and dose.
Here, ancient observation meets a particularly interesting area of modern pharmacology.
Modern medicine recognizes the nasal mucosa as an important route for local and systemic drug delivery, and specialized intranasal formulations are being researched for access to the central nervous system.
Nasya and migraine research
A 2023 double-blind randomized controlled study from India's National Institute of Ayurveda examined Nasya using two viscosities of Vrihatajivakadya oil in 90 patients with migraine.
Participants received six drops per nostril for 14 days. Both groups improved on migraine disability and migraine-specific quality-of-life measures, with the medium-viscosity preparation showing greater improvement. No adverse events were reported in the trial.
Comments