An unusual case of Bell's palsy (Ardita vata) managed through Ayurveda

Ardita vata presenting with palsy of one side of the face is akin to Bell's palsy or acute idiopathic lower motor neuron facial palsy. This is characterized by sudden-onset paralysis or weakness of the muscles to one side of the face controlled by the facial nerve. Bell's palsy is an idiopathic, presumed immune-mediated phenomenon, possibly with an infection as the inciting event. In contemporary science, administration of steroids is the treatment of choice for complete facial palsy. A 17-year-old boy diagnosed with Ardita vata due to chronic ear infection was treated with Karpasasthyadi taila Nasya and oral Ayurvedic medicines along with two sittings of the Panchakarma procedure. The total duration of the treatment was 4 months; however, significant results observed after 1 month of treatment shown almost complete recovery without any concurrent medications. The patient suffers from the same complaint 5 years ago in the right side of his face, and for that, he took 2 years of allopathic treatment and got complete relief. This case is evidence to demonstrate the effectiveness of Ayurveda treatment in case of Ardita vata (Bell's palsy) and as a proposition for further research on a greater number of patients.