Ayurvedic Treatment of Tourette Syndrome

Tourette Syndrome

About Tourette Syndrome

Tourette’s syndrome is a complex neurological disorder that causes affected person to make sudden repetitive movements or undesirable sounds, called tics that can’t be controlled. Begins between the ages of 2 and 21, and lasts throughout life. It has also been found that Tourette’s syndrome is more common in boys than in girls by a ratio of five to one.

It is not degenerative and people with TS can expect to live a normal life span.

Persons with Tourette syndrome do not have much control over the unusual movements or sounds (‘tics’) that they make. They consist of abrupt recurrent twitches of a group of muscles. Characterized by blinking, sniffing, grimacing, shoulder movements and head movements. The exact cause of this disorder is unknown.

Causes of Tourette Syndrome

The causes of Tourette is exactly not known. It is likely to be caused by a combination of inherited (genetic) and environmental factors.

  • Tourette has been linked to an abnormality that may exist in the basal ganglia, the part of the brain that helps to control motor movements. Chemicals in the brain, dopamine and serotonin and norepinephrine that transmit nerve impulses (neurotransmitters) could be responsible.
  • Genetics seem like to play a part in some cases of Tourette’s syndrome, with it appearing to run in families. People belonging to family members with Tourette’s are more predisposed to get it themselves. But people in the same family may have different symptoms.
  • Environmental factors possibly play a role in the development of TS (for example, stress or infection), but these causes are not well defined.
  • Emotional and mental stress and distress may also worsen the tics.

Ayurveda View of Tourette syndrome

According to Ayurveda Tourette syndrome is due to the aggravation Vata Dosha. A sub type of vata- prana vata is mainly responsible for this syndrome.

Symptoms and Signs of Tourette Syndrome

Symptoms of TS can vary from one individual to another. The hallmark symptom of TS is tics. For tics to be defined as Tourette’s syndrome, that must be present for at least a year and comprises of at least one vocal tic.

Tics are involuntary and usually sudden, rapid and repetitive muscle movements and vocal sounds that some people make, without being aware of it. People with Tourette syndrome do not characterize same symptoms.

Tics worsen with stress, anxiety, excitement, anger or fatigue and can get better during absorbing activities or sleep. The more severe ones can be embarrassing and can affect your social life or work.

Types of Tics:

1. Tics can be:

  • Vocal (Sounds)– Like Grunting, Coughing Or Shouting Out Words
  • Physical (Movements)– Like jerking of the head or jumping up and down

2. Tics can also be:

  • Simple – These sudden, brief and repetitive tics include a limited number of muscle groups.
  • Complex– These distinct, coordinated patterns of movements involve several muscle groups.

Simple motor tics include:

  • Eyes Blinking
  • Shoulder rotation or elevation,
  • Head and arm jerking,
  • Lip contractions
  • Closing of the eyes,
  • Eyes rolling in the orbits.
  • Turning the neck to one side (torticollis)
  • Opening And Closing Of The Mouth,
  • Contractions of abdomen
  • Stretching of arms and legs.

Complex motor tics include:

  • Jumping
  • Kicking
  • Touching Objects
  • Retching
  • Bending Or Rotation Trunk,
  • Burping
  • Socially Inappropriate Movements,
  • Obscene Gestures

Simple phonic tics include:-

  • Grunting,
  • Clearing Throat,
  • Coughing
  • Meaningless Sounds or Utterances.

Complex phonic tics include:-

  • Complex and Loud Sounds,
  • Phrases Out of Context,
  • Phrases With Obscenities,
  • Cursing,
  • Repetition of Other Person’s Phrases.

Associated conditions have been reported in half of the children with Tourette’s syndrome. The most common are attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)

Herbal Remedies for Tourette Syndrome by Planet Ayurveda

Planet Ayurveda provides effective herbal remedies such as Stress Support, Brahmi Capsules, Ashwagandha Capsules & Gotu Kola Capsules for ayurvedic treatment of tourette syndrome. These herbal remedies are prepared from using best quality herbs and strictly follow the principles of Ayurveda. All these herbal remedies of Planet Ayurveda are 100 percent pure, natural and vegetarian. These are free from chemicals, additives and preservatives. These are safe to use as these are free from side effects.

1. Stress Support

Stress Support is a formulation of some Ayurvedic herbs that works in a synergistic manner to relieve stress naturally and their extract is used in making these capsules. It is helpful in maintaining a healthy mind and body. These capsules do not induce sleep.

Ingredients:

  • Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera): This natural herb with medicinal properties helps to induce natural sleep is called somniferous. Its shrub and the root powder extract helps to relieve stress and body aches.
  • Bramhi (Bacopa Monneiri): Bramhi is one of the constituent of the Stress Support capsules that is found to be very useful in improving memory and reducing stress.
  • Tagar (Valeriana vallichi): This is an effective Ayurveda herb to fight stress, anxiety and overactive mind and that too without causing any side effects. Tagar is a popular herb used in India for its anxiety and stress breaking properties.
  • Jatamansi (Nardostachys jatamansi): This is a cooling herb. In Ayurveda medicines it is useful in managing blood pressure, stress and anxiety as well control the anger, hatred, revenge and other negative thoughts and keeps the mind cool and sleep is induced by this herb in a natural way.

Dose: 1 capsule two times a day, with plain water after meals.

2. Brahmi Capsules

This herbal formulation is obtained from the extract of herb Brahmi (Bacopa monnieri). These capsules have found to be beneficial to improve intellect, memory, and particularly retention power. Also supportive in other ailments like vertigo, anxiety, stress, blood pressure. It is a very potent nervine tonic and is anti-anxiety agent.

Ingredients:

Brahmi (Bacopa monnieri): This is a wonderful herb useful in increasing memory naturally. It nourishes the neurons, it improves retention ability. It increases grasping power, learning capability and has stress relieving effect.

Dosage – 1 capsule two times a day, with plain water, after meals.

3. Ashwagandha Capsules

Ashwagandha capsule is a herbal medicine which provides relief in fatigue, stress, anxiety, palpitation, ageing, nervous breakdown. Its regular use can bring the strength back to muscles by relieving the muscles and calms down the system. It’s a type of nerve tonic, energizes the physical as well as mental strength. It can be given to growing children, as well as to old age people. Supportive in relieving the Symptoms of TS.

Ashwagandha capsules contain standardized root extract of Withania somnifera herb.

Ingredients:

Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera): It’s an Ayurveda medicinal herb which is a good anti-oxidant and also a strong nervine tonic. Effective in managing conditions like fatigue, stress, depression, anxiety, Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder etc.

Dose: 1 capsules two times a day, with plain water after meals.

4. Gotu Kola Capsules

This Ayurveda herbal is helpful in maintaining healthy brain and also balances psychic energies (Satva, Rajas and Tamas) in body. Effective product for depression and stress. This product is prepared from pure and standardized extract of Gotu kola (Centella asiatica):

Ingredients:

Gotu kola (Centella asiatica):
The natural herb has use in boosting memory, managing concentration as well as to manage acidity that occurs due to stress and depression. The herb is helpful in preventing nervous exhaustion and calms down the nervous system. Thereby helps with stress management as well. Helpful in managing the symptoms of Tourette syndrome.

Dosage – 1 capsule two times a day, with plain water, after meals.

5. Neuro Plan Syrup

Neuroplan syrup is a polyherbal formulation prepared using herbs like brahmi (Bacopa monnieri), Mandookparni (Centella asiatica), Jyotishmati (Celastrus paniculatus), Shankhpushpi (Convolvulus pluricaulis) and various other herbs. The above-mentioned herbs are considered as medhya (nervine tonic) as per classical texts which has a calming and relaxing effect on the brain. This syrup preparation manages symptoms like Eyes Blinking, Shoulder rotation or elevation, Head and arm jerking, Lip contraction, Closing of the eyes, Eyes rolling in the orbits, Turning the neck to one side (torticollis), Opening and Closing Of The Mouth and Contractions of abdomen etc by improving the coordination between the nerves, thus alleviates Tourette’s syndrome.

Dose: 2 tsp twice a day, after the meals.