Fomentation or Sweda Karma- heat therapy

Heat therapy relaxes you; loosens muscles and ligaments; dilates blood vessels; boosts circulation; increases metabolic processes; warms the skin and, of course, makes you sweat. So, heat therapy in Ayurveda is called sweda karma (sweda means sweat). This is one of the prerequisites for Ayurvedic Panchakarma Therapies.
Heat works to promote wound healing. When applied to a wound, heat raises the metabolic rate. The resulting increased blood flow carries away waste products and provides a greater supply of nutrients and infection fighters to the affected area. It helps reduce the pain of arthritis and sore muscles. It is also used for treating cancerous tumours. Ayurvedic classics have described a wide range of fomentation procedures, which are classified into different categories depending upon various factors:
Whether it involves agni (fire) or not. (agni sweda or niragni sweda).
Is it used for a specific part of the body (ekaanga sweda) or the whole body (sarvaanga sweda). Generally, locally applied heat as in hot packs can be better for wounds, muscle and skeletal injuries; heat therapy for the whole body is generally for relaxation.
Whether the fomentation is wet (snigdha) or dry (rooksha). Moist heat is thought to penetrate deeper than dry heat and so may be better for sore muscles or injured ligaments. Some skin ailments may benefit from less penetrating dry heat.
Ayurveda recommends heat application in all Vaata, Kapha and Aama disorders. Heat can be effective supporting therapy in case of many diseases like bronchial asthma, cough, catarrh, hiccups, bloated belly, inactivity, catch in waist, sides and back, painful urination, urinary stones, turnours, paralysis of the limbs, loss of sense in the limbs, etc.
However, for those with poor blood circulation, diabetes or heart disease, heat therapy should be used only under a doctor's supervision. It is not for expectant mothers, children and aged persons.
Ayurveda has restricted its usage in case of bleeding disorders, diarrhoea, debility and indigestion. Also fomentation will not give the desired results if you are mentally disturbed by emotions like fear, sorrow or anger.
Heat application in the pubic region should be milder than for other regions. Testicles, eyes and chest must be covered properly while taking this heat therapy. Among the wide range of fomentation procedures, some of the important ones are described in the formentation procedures section.


Fomentation Procedures

Some of the well known Formentation Procedures are discussed below:
Upanaaha Swedam (Poultice)
This is the hot application of a paste of drugs such as kola (Zizyphus jujuba), kulattha (Dolichos biflorus), suradaaru (Cedrus deodara), raasna (Pluchea lanceolata), maasha (Phaseolus radiatus), fruits of eranda (Recinus communis) etc.

Ifyou are suffering from Vaata disorders (skeleto-muscular pains), powder and mix these drugs in sour buttermilk or wine along with salt. This is to be applied while it is still hot, over the affected parts, covered with cloth or castor leaves or other leaves. A poultice that has been tied in the morning must be removed in the night or if it has been tied in the night, it should be removed the next morning.

Ooshma Swedam (Steam Bath)

Inducing sweat by means of steam is called ooshma swedam. For generating steam, ordinary plain water is boiled or sometimes medicated decoction may be used. The steam so generated is directed to the whole body or any particular part. For this you need not go to any health spa or health centre. You can sit or lie on a rope cot or chair and cover yourself with a blanket. Place the steaming decoction below the cot. The decoction should be frequently stirred.

A Vagaaha Swedam (Sitz Bath)

In this therapy, the patient undergoing treatment gets into a tub filled with prescribed herbal decoction. When it is comfortably hot, the patient is covered with a blanket to preserve the heat. As the decoction loses heat, it should be replaced time to time with hot decoction. The rule is that medicated oils selected according to the ailment must be added to the decoction.

This procedure is especially suited in generalised body pains, painful or obstructed urination, pelvic inflammatory diseases and hernia. The drugs for preparing the decoction are the leaves of drumstick, castor, karanja (Pongamia pinnata), holy basil, black basil. sireesha (Albizzia lebbek), vacha (Acorus calamus) and fish meat. If the whole body is to be subjected to fomentation then the patient should immerse up to the neck in the decoction, Otherwise, immersing the patient up to the naval region is sufficient. The patient and the tub should be covered fully with a thick blanket.

Kanbala Swedam (Using A Blanket To Promote Sweating)
This is a simple and yet effective method. Take a blanket and immerse it in hot decoction. Ensure that it is comfortably warm. Cover the patient with it after squeezing the extra t1uid from it. You can repeat the process if desired or you can use two blankets, one after the other for continuous fomentation.

Taapa Swedam (Dry Sweating)

In this therapy, sweat is induced by rubbing or pressing the body with a heated stone, tile, hot water bottle or similar material. It is more suited in inflammatory swellings with discharge. This effect can also be achieved with an electric room heater. You can get hot air from it by placing a table fan behind it. This is advantageous over the moist heat in some aspects. The primary disadvantage of steam heat is that your body can't dissipate heat as effectively as in a hot-air bath because heat evaporates more readily in dry air. In a steam room, the sweat lingering on the skin creates a stifling effect that increases the skin temperature, even though a steam room is kept at a comparative low temperature.

Naadi Swedam (Using A Tube To Induce Sweating)

This is very convenient if a particular area is to be subjected to fomentation. Fill a pressure cooker with plain water or prescribed drugs and water. Remove its weight and attach a gas stove pipe to its nozzle. Generate steam and direct it to the desired area. This procedure has to be done carefully as the steam is capable of scalding the exposed part. There are other procedures like pinda sweda, bhaashpa sweda, etc., which need professional supervision and help for conducting the act.

Heat therapy is a pre-pancha karma procedure. To start with, usage of medicated oils externally and internally loosens up the accumulated doshas in the body. With heat therapy, they melt and the flow is directed into the bowels. It is then easy to expel them with vamana (emesis) or virechana (purgation). Thus sweating is essential before any cleansing process. This concept is exclusive to A yurveda.