Greeva Basti – Ayurvedic Oil Pooling Treatment for Cervical Problems

The phrase Greeva Basti is from Sanskrit. The word Greeva refers to neck and Basti stands for container or retaining something inside. It is an Ayurvedic neck care and basically a hot oil therapy. Greeva Basti is bathing the neck region with medicated oil or freshly prepared herbal decoction. The procedure does oleation and sudation around the neck region simultaneously. Due to present day lifestyle which involves continued and glued sitting position and lack of body movements the problems of the spine, muscles and skeletal tissues of neck and shoulder arise. Greeva Basti addresses these issues effectively.

• The person undergoing Greeva Basti is made to lie face down on the massage table (Droni)
• The dough is prepared out of black gram flour or whole wheat flour. It is then made into a small ring of four to five inches in diameter which is placed over the neck to cover all the vertebrae of the neck and 2-3 vertebrae of the thoracic region.
• After it is glued with some water to make it leakproof, lukewarm medicated oil or the decoction of herbs is slowly poured into it. When this cools down it is squeezed out and replaced with a more warm one.
• At the end of the procedure, the dough is removed; a gentle massage is given over the area. The person is made to take rest for a while.

The healing properties of herbal oil improves circulation, helps strengthen the musculature and lubricate the joint.

• Relieves the burden of stress and congestion in nerves, bones and muscles of the neck and shoulders and thus relaxing and rejuvenating them
• Improves the flexibility and brings smooth movement
• Improves circulation around the neck and shoulder region.

• Cervical spondylosis
• Cervical spondylitis
• Cervical disc lesion
• Vertigo
• Tingling, numbness of the hands
• Compression fractures
• Chronic pain in the neck region
• Frozen shoulder

This procedure is not recommended if you have any open wounds in the neck region.