A warm herbal paste is applied and bandaged over painful joints or swollen areas, and often left in place for some hours.
Upanaha / Lepam covers two related ways of applying herbs as a paste. Lepam means a coating: a paste is spread over the skin and taken off before it dries. Upanaha means binding: the paste is cooked warm, spread thickly and bandaged over the area, often for some hours. Both are among the specialised procedures, and the doctor chooses which one you need.
A session runs about 30–45 minutes. Upanaha / Lepam 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 Upanaha / Lepam is traditionally used for
Upanaha / Lepam is traditionally used for swelling, joint pain, local circulation and chronic inflammation.
It is traditionally used for swollen, painful joints, a stiff shoulder or knee, swelling that lingers after the acute phase of an injury, and some skin conditions where the skin is thickened or rough. A warm upanaha suits a cold, stiff, aching area; a cooler lepam suits one that is hot or inflamed.
The doctor typically plans it for knee pain and osteoarthritis, arthritis and joint stiffness, frozen shoulder, and thickened patches in psoriasis, often alongside Jaanu Vasti, Podi Kizhi or Naadi Swedanam. It is chosen where a joint is too swollen for much oil, and for a hand, wrist, ankle or foot where other therapies are awkward.
What happens in a session
The doctor decides between upanaha and lepam, and which herbs, from the look and feel of the area: warm and bound for a cold, stiff joint, cooler and unbound for one that is hot.
For upanaha, the paste is cooked thick, cooled until it is warm but comfortable on the therapist’s wrist, and spread about a finger thick over the area.
It is bound firmly but not tightly: you should be able to slide a finger under the bandage, and fingers or toes beyond it should stay warm and pink.
For lepam, the paste is spread more thinly, against the direction of the hair, and taken off as soon as it starts to dry.
Applying it takes 30–45 minutes, and the doctor tells you how long an upanaha stays on: a few hours, or overnight.
Who should not have Upanaha / Lepam
Broken skin, an open wound, an ulcer, or an infected or weeping area.
A joint that is hot, red and very painful, with fever, which needs a medical assessment for infection or gout first.
A known allergy or sensitivity to any ingredient; ask for the list, as every ingredient is named.
Poor circulation in the legs, or numbness from diabetes, where a warm, bound paste needs extra care or a different approach.
A fresh injury where a fracture has not been ruled out.
How many sessions?
It is usually given as a series, daily or on alternate days, and often combined with another therapy for the same joint. The doctor sets the number and checks the skin at each visit.
For skin conditions the plan is longer and slower, and lepam is used alongside internal treatment rather than on its own.
Before you come
Wash the area, and do not apply creams, balms or oil to it on the day. If a cream has been prescribed, tell us.
If an upanaha is planned for overnight, bring an old sheet or pillowcase to protect your bedding.
Tell us about diabetes, circulation problems, or any reaction to herbal products in the past.
Afterwards
Keep an upanaha dry, and do not tighten it. If it slips, call us rather than binding it hard yourself.
Take it off at once and call us if you feel burning, throbbing or numbness, or if the fingers or toes beyond it turn pale, blue or cold.
Mild itching or a faint herbal stain fades after washing; report a raised, spreading rash.
After it comes off, wash with warm water and keep the area covered from cold for the rest of the day.
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.
Yes, if the doctor has planned it for overnight. Rest the limb on a pillow so the bandage is not pressed. If you wake with pain or tingling, take it off and tell us in the morning.
Is the paste the same as a pain balm from a shop?
No. A balm is a fixed product built around a few strong-smelling oils. This paste is prepared fresh for the area, and the herbs, the liquid they are cooked in and whether it is warm or cool all change with what the doctor finds.
Can it be used for a sprained ankle?
Not in the first days, when swelling, bruising and the possibility of a fracture call for rest and often an X-ray. Once that phase has passed and a fracture is ruled out, a warm upanaha may be used for the stiffness and swelling that linger.
What does Upanaha / Lepam 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.
