Ayurvedic Clinical Study of Shwitra Yoga in Leucoderma (Vitiligo) Treatment

Abstract

Leucoderma (Shwitra) is described in Ayurveda as a challenging skin disorder and is considered difficult to cure due to its chronic nature and psychosocial impact. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the efficacy of a herbal formulation named Shwitra-Yoga, prepared from six Ayurvedic drugs—Bakuchi, Aamalaki, Anantmula, Tulsi, Vidanga, and Ajamoda. A total of 32 patients suffering from leucoderma were included in the clinical trial. Before administration of the formulation, patients were assessed according to Ayurvedic principles such as Tridosha involvement, etiological factors, and prognosis. Some patients underwent Shodhana therapy (Vamana or Virechana) prior to treatment, while others were directly managed with Shamana therapy using Shwitra-Yoga. The formulation was administered in tablet form along with Khadirjala, and Somaraji oil was applied locally.

Patients were followed up at intervals of 15–30 days, and clinical changes in the lesions such as pigmentation, margins, color variation, and size were recorded using a vitiligo graph. The results showed that 18.75% of patients achieved complete improvement, 6.25% showed 75% improvement, 21.87% showed 50% improvement, and 34.37% showed 25% improvement, while a few cases showed no improvement or slight increase in lesions. The findings suggest that Shwitra-Yoga has encouraging therapeutic potential in the management ofleucoderma, warranting further research with larger sample sizes.

KEYWORDS: Shwitra, Leucoderma, Vitiligo, Shwitra-Yoga, Tridosha, Shodhana, Bakuchi, Ayurvedic Management, Kushthaghna Drugs, Skin Disorders.