Muscle Wasting: Ayurvedic Treatment, Causes & Natural Remedies

Mamsa kshaya is the depletion of mamsa dhatu, creating muscle atrophy and weakness. The physical signs are distinctive: sunken cheeks and eyes, a thin neck with exposed bones, visible ribs and vertebrae, prominent sacrum, withered buttocks, and thin breasts. The joints appear disproportionately large because surrounding muscles have wasted away, giving the person an emaciated, skeletal appearance.

Causes of mamsa kshaya include working too hard, excessive physical activity, eating insufficient protein, and not consuming enough kapha-nourishing food. Certain diseases such as typhoid can cause hyperactive metabolism that depletes mamsa dhatu even after recovery. Ayurveda teaches that even extreme mamsa kshaya can be treated through panchakarma (cleansing program) and muscle-rejuvenating herbs, as damaged organs can be regenerated.