Herbal steam generated from medicated milk is directed to the face and neck, traditionally used in facial palsy and nerve-related complaints.
Ksheera Dhoomam means milk vapour: ksheera is milk, and dhooma here is the steam rising from it. Milk is boiled with herbs and a fine stream of its steam is led to the face through a tube. It belongs to the head and face therapies and is a gentle, face-only form of the localised steam the clinic gives to joints and the back as Naadi Swedanam.
A session runs about 15–20 minutes. Ksheera Dhoomam is carried out at Sri Vinayaga Ayurvibe, a doctor-led Ayurveda hospital at Nookampalayam, Perumbakkam, Chennai 600131 — within reach of Medavakkam, Sholinganallur, OMR, Pallikaranai, Velachery and Tambaram.
What Ksheera Dhoomam is traditionally used for
Ksheera Dhoomam is traditionally used for facial nerve weakness, facial palsy, alongside medical care, facial circulation and tight facial muscles.
Ksheera Dhoomam is traditionally used to support weakness of the facial muscles after facial palsy, including Bell’s palsy, which the classics describe as Ardita, and stiffness, numbness or a pulling feeling on one side of the face. In the clinic’s plan for Sinusitis & allergic rhinitis it is also used for facial pressure and a dry, irritated nose.
It is typically planned for people recovering from facial palsy who are already under a doctor’s care, as one part of a wider plan that may include Nasyam and Shiro Abhyangam. It is given alongside medical treatment for the palsy, never instead of it.
What happens in a session
Your face, neck and the area around the ears are massaged with warm medicated oil, with slow strokes on the affected side.
Your eyes are covered with a soft, moist pad; an eye that does not close fully after a palsy is protected with particular care.
Milk boiled with herbs sends its steam along a tube, and the therapist guides the nozzle at a safe distance over the forehead, cheek, mouth and jaw of the affected side, testing the warmth on their own hand.
After 15 to 20 minutes the face is patted dry and covered with a cloth, and you rest a few minutes before going out.
Who should not have Ksheera Dhoomam
A new facial droop, weakness or numbness, especially with slurred speech or a weak arm or leg — that can be a stroke and needs an emergency department at once.
A fever, a skin infection, a cold sore or broken skin on the face.
Uncontrolled blood pressure, a heart condition or pregnancy — heat therapies are checked by the doctor first.
A milk allergy; the doctor may choose another therapy.
Reduced feeling on the face is not a bar, but the heat is kept lower, as you may not notice if it is too warm.
How many sessions?
For facial palsy it is planned as a daily course, often 7 to 14 sessions within a wider plan, and reviewed before it is extended. For sinus pressure it may be given on the same days as a Nasyam course.
Dr.V.Vaitheeshwari B.A.M.S., sets the plan by when the palsy began, what your neurologist or physician has prescribed, and how the face responds. Facial exercises you have been taught continue through the course.
Before you come
Bring the reports, scans and prescriptions from the doctor who diagnosed the palsy.
Keep taking every medicine prescribed for it; we never ask you to stop medication prescribed by another doctor.
Bring any eye drops or ointment you use on the affected side, and a scarf to cover your face and ears on the way home.
Afterwards
The face may feel warm and flushed for a while. At night, sleep out of the direct line of a fan or air-conditioner, especially on the affected side.
Keep up the eye care your doctor gave you — drops, ointment or taping the eye at night — since a palsied eye still needs protecting.
If the weakness spreads, a new symptom appears, or the other side of the face is affected, go to emergency care at once, then let us know on +91 81229 39197.
Cost
Cost depends on the duration and whether the doctor plans a single session or a course. Call +91 81229 39197 and we will tell you before you book — there are no surprises at the counter.
Once a doctor has made the diagnosis and started medical treatment, Ayurvedic therapy can usually begin alongside it. Tell us the date the palsy started: the first weeks are planned differently from a palsy that has been there for months.
Why milk, and not plain steam?
Ayurveda regards milk as nourishing and calming to Vata, the dosha the classics hold responsible for facial palsy. Steam from milk boiled with herbs is chosen where the aim is gentle warmth for a weak face, rather than the heavier sweating other steam therapies bring on.
Will my face recover fully?
Nobody can honestly promise that. Many cases of Bell’s palsy improve on their own over weeks to months, and some leave lasting weakness whatever is done. Ksheera Dhoomam is used to support the face through that period, alongside your doctor’s care.
What does Ksheera Dhoomam cost in Chennai?
Cost depends on the duration and whether the doctor plans a single session or a course. Call +91 81229 39197 and we will tell you before you book — there are no surprises at the counter.
Sri Vinayaga Ayurvibe — 12/597, Main Road, Nethaji Nagar Main Rd,
Nookampalayam, Perumbakkam, Chennai 600131. Phone:
+91 81229 39197.
