Ayurvedic & other natural treatment for lumps on body - Does it work?

You're not alone if you've noticed mysterious lumps appearing on your body. These common bumps affect 1 in 10 people and become more prevalent with age, with nearly half of those aged 40 to 60 experiencing some form of lump or nodule.

With the rising popularity of Ayurveda, homeopathy, and other natural remedies, it's time to explore what causes these benign body lumps and debunking myths and bringing out facts on alternative medicine.

Are these ancient practices the answer to your concerns? Let's find out!

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Author’s Disclosure

Before diving into this topic, it's important to disclose that my background is in modern medicine, or allopathy. While professionally trained in this field, I've had positive personal experiences with traditional medicine. I believe traditional medicine can complement modern medicine, especially in managing chronic conditions like diabetes and hypertension. However, I am not trained in any traditional systems of medicine. In this article, I aim to form an opinion based on logic and data.

Non-surgical treatment for Lipomas (Fatty tumor) with Homeopathy or Ayurveda

The fear of surgery is prevalent in India, driving thousands to search for non-surgical options online, mainly looking for ayurvedic or herbal treatments for lipoma. This trend has led to the emergence of lipoma removal creams available on platforms like Amazon and Flipkart. Ayurvedic treatments for lipomas have gained immense popularity, with videos from gurus like Baba Ramdev garnering millions of views.

Given this popularity, we decided to explore these treatment options. Our first focus is Baba Ramdev's viral video on Ayurvedic lipoma treatment. Below, we delve into his suggested Ayurvedic protocol for lipoma removal.

Causes of Lipoma: Ayurveda vs. Modern Medicine

In modern medicine, a lipoma is defined as an abnormal deposition of fat cells under the skin, forming a benign (non-cancerous) tumor. Causes for lipoma are attributed to genetics, injury, or environmental factors.

In contrast, Ayurveda takes a holistic approach, attributing the cause of lipomas to the imbalance of doshas. In Ayurveda, lipoma is called "Medoj Granthi," meaning fat knot. Medoj granthi is believed to result from an imbalance of kapha and vata, described as Meda pradhan Vata Kaphaja vyadhi— a fat-dominant disease caused by vata and kapha doshas.

Modern medicine views lipoma as a localized condition, while Ayurveda sees it as part of a broader systemic imbalance. Ayurveda often takes a holistic view of most diseases.

Lipoma Treatment Philosophy: Ayurveda vs. Modern Medicine

Modern medicine offers treatment options such as surgical removal or fat-dissolving injections as treatment options for lipomas, with no approved creams for removal.

Ayurveda, with its holistic view, has a more complex, long-term treatment protocol. However, for individuals with one or a few lipomas, this protocol might be burdensome and time-consuming. Surgical removal remains a practical and cost-effective option in modern medicine.

Ayurveda may help reduce lipoma recurrence or prevent new occurrences in people with multiple lipomas. Ayurvedic treatments focusing on holistic approaches could be beneficial, but evidence is limited. Importantly, such treatments should be administered by trained Ayurvedic practitioners.

Ayurvedic Lipoma Removal Creams and Drops Online

Ayurvedic treatments available online include lipoma removal creams and drops. These products are marketed as solutions for lipomas and other skin growths like skin tags and warts, available on platforms like Amazon and 1mg.

Ingredients in these products include:

Barium Carbonate
Arsenate of Lime
Calcium Carbonate
Radium Bromide
Silico-fluoride of Lime
Orchid Tree Extracts
Bitter Herb
Kanchanar Guggulu

These ingredients claim to have anti-tumor properties or effects on fat reduction. However, online reviews are mixed, indicating these products don't work for everyone.

Evidence on Ayurvedic Treatments for Lipoma Removal

Evidence on natural treatments for lipoma is extremely limited. Most available studies are small-scale or in vitro, meaning they are not tested on humans or are merely case reports.

Below are some studies on lipoma removal:

HTML Table Generator

Title	Year	Journal	What was studied	Sample size
Evaluation of Lipolytic Activity of Herbal Extracts on Lipoma	2020	Journal of Herbal Medicine	Turmeric, ginger, and dandelion extracts	Not applicable (In vitro study on excised lipoma)
Ayurvedic Treatment for Lipoma: A Case Series	2019	AYU Journal	Ayurvedic protocol including herbal formulations, dietary changes, and lifestyle modifications over 6 months.	10 participants
Effectiveness of Herbal Cream in Lipoma Reduction: A Double-Blind Clinical Trial	2018	International Journal of Herbal Medicine	Turmeric and chickweed applied twice daily for 12 weeks.	50 participants
Clinical Evaluation of Turmeric-Based Ointment for Lipoma Treatment	2015	Journal of Ayurveda and Integrative Medicine	Observational study with turmeric-based ointment applied for 3 months. Size reduction measured using calipers.	30 participants
Herbal Medicine and Lipoma: Assessing the Potential of Ayurvedic Herbs	2015	Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge	Experimental study on Ayurvedic herbs using lipoma-derived cell lines to evaluate cytotoxicity and growth inhibition.	Not applicable (cell line study)

From an evidence perspective, natural remedies for lipoma removal appear ineffective.

Conclusion

The allure of natural remedies for lipoma is understandable, especially for those seeking non-surgical options or scared of surgery for the risk of scarring. However, the evidence supporting Ayurvedic and homeopathic treatments is limited and inconclusive. While traditional medicine may offer supportive care in managing lipomas, surgical removal remains the most effective solution. As always, individuals should consult healthcare professionals when considering alternative treatments for lipoma.