Kerala doctor and his team help bed-ridden UP man walk again

Baijnath Kushwaha of Uttar Pradesh never believed that he could walk again in his life. For the last 10 years, this 45-year-old native of Naini, Prayagraj, had been confined to bed due to the crippling effects of lymphatic filariasis.

Kushwaha’s life had been in a devastated state because of the large lymph masses developed on both his legs, which rendered him totally immobile and dependent on others for even the most basic tasks.

But thanks to a team led by Kerala-based doctor Dr S R Narahari, who is also the founder-director of Institute of Applied Dermatology (IAD), Baijnath Kushwaha is now back on his feet, reclaiming the life which he thought he had lost. After undergoing integrative treatment, which is the world’s first surgery-free treatment developed by IAD combining allopathy, Ayurveda, and yoga, the lymph volume on Baijnath’s legs got reduced drastically within four months, enabling him to walk and making him self-reliant.

It was on July 31, 2023, that Baijnath Kushwaha was admitted to IAD’s treatment center at Rajkiya Ayurvedic College and Hospital in Varanasi, where IAD is offering free treatment to lymphatic filariasis and lymphedema patients under a project funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and supported by the Uttar Pradesh Government and the Ministry of AYUSH.

“We are really happy and proud that we could successfully treat Baijnath. Our dedicated team worked round the clock on this patient to reduce the huge lymph volume within four months. We followed a three-staged integrative treatment protocol focusing on skin care measures using ayurveda, lymph drainage using yoga and volume reduction, and diet,” Dr Narahari told “Open Digest.”

“In fact, he started showing positive signs of recovery from the first month of treatment. On November 6, 2023, when he was discharged from the treatment center, he was a transformed man, no longer confined to a bed and able to independently attend to his needs,” Dr Narahari added.

IAD’s integrative medicine approach, developed through years of research and scientific study, has been recognised by the British Journal of Dermatology as the most effective treatment for lymphedema caused by lymphatic filariasis. The journal has published the integrative treatment protocol, detailing each aspect of the ground breaking approach.

The National AYUSH Mission under the Government of India has decided to adopt the treatment protocol of IAD as part of a public health program to effectively manage lymphedema caused by lymphatic filariasis or other reasons.

Dr Narahari adds that Kushwaha’s remarkable recovery showcases the transformative power of integrative medicine and its potential to revolutionise healthcare for countless individuals suffering from lymphatic filariasis and lymphedema.