Griva Vasti: Neck Pain Treatment

Treatment in brief

Griva Vasti is deep tissue treatment similar to Kati Vasti, done by pouring warm-hot herbalized oil on the cervical neck region.

Benefits

Relieves pain, inflammation and discomfort in neck area
Stimulates nerves and blood supply, which improves circulation around the neck and shoulder region
Calms, rejuvenates, and nourishes the nerves and muscle tissue around the neck and shoulders
Lubricates the cervical joint and Improves the flexibility and brings smooth movement

For Evidence / Research about Griva-Vasti, click here.

Indications

Conditions for which Griva Vasti is recommended:

Chronic pain in neck region,
Cervical spondylosis
Ankylosing spondylitis
Cervical disc lesions
Disk prolapse
Whiplash
Sprains and strains
Tension headaches and migraines
Torticollis (Wry neck)
Vertigo
Frozen shoulder
Tingling, numbness of the hands
Fibromyalgia
Polymyalgia Rheumatica
Spinal stenosis
Compression fractures
Paget’s disease of the bone
Cervical degenerative disc disease
Fractures

Preparation

Wear old clothes or bring sarong like wrap-around clothing.

Have a shower prior to treatment so skin pores open and help to soak the oil.

If you have long hair, it’s good to bring a hair-tie or shower cap.

Bring a towel to put on car seat.

Treatment Process

The procedure does oleation and sudation around the posterior neck region simultaneously.
Gentle Abhyanga massage is performed from the neck to the waist after Greeva Vasti is applied.
The patient lies face down on the massage table.
The dough is prepared out of Urad flour. It is then made into a small ring with suitable height which is placed over the neck to cover all the vertebrae of the neck and 2-3 vertebrae of the thoracic region, as the client’s neck profile permits.
Every patient is unique and adjusting the dough according to one’s neck profile may take some time; this is the key to treatment’s success.
Specially medicated warm-hot oil is carefully poured into the dough-ring. This oil is changed throughout the procedure in order to maintain a good warm temperature.
At the end of the procedure the dough is removed; a soothing, gentle massage is given over the affected area. The person is made to take rest for a while.
Following Greeva Vasti, sometimes herbal medicated steam is applied, to help the oil to absorb deeply into the tissues).
It is also recommended to administer Nasya (medicated nasal oil) after Greeva Vasti to enhance its therapeutic effects.

After-care

You can drive home after.
It is advised to not to have a shower for at least an hour to gain the full benefits of the massage.
As the medicated oil and specific methods drives the toxins from the deeper connective tissues back to the gastrointestinal tract for proper elimination, is advised to consume some warm water and take some rest after the massage.
Avoid long travel and busy shopping centres.
Avoid going to beach and extreme weather conditions.
Do not lie in the sun with the oil on afterwards.
Do not exercise or do any activities that may aggravate the neck for atleast 1-2 days.
Take warm shower to rinse the oil off before bed. Avoid hot shower.

Price

60-75 minutes treatment: $200 (Includes cost of medicated oil and back massage)

Sometimes a condition may require multiple treatments. For multi-treatment protocol:

3 bastis: 0-3-7 days: $575
5 bastis: 0-3-6-11-16 days: $950

Ayurvedic massage oils cost $60-$100 a litre.
To know why Ayurvedic oils are so expensive, click here.

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What People Are Saying

“My mother had stiff neck for many years and was unable to look around. She did MRI, saw many specialists with no relief. Finally she decided to pursue Ayurveda treatment, which gave her 90% relief. It was hard for me to believe, but Ayurveda worked for here.”

— Dr Abhinay, Anaesthetist, UK

“After two treatments, I found 80% recovery with my sore neck and stiffness was reduced dramatically.”

— Jordon, IT Professional

“Surprisingly relaxing.”