Kati Basti is the quiet one. No massage, no strokes: a ring of dough on your lower back, filled with warm medicated oil, kept warm while you lie still. The heat and the oil do the work. It is the treatment I suggest when a back is too sore to be massaged, or needs more than massage can give.
What Kati Basti is
You lie on your front. I shape a ring of chickpea-flour dough around the painful area and seal it to the skin. Then I pour in warm herbal oil and keep it at temperature, topping it up as it cools, for twenty to thirty minutes. Afterwards I remove the oil and the ring and finish with a few minutes of light work around the area. The sensation is of deep, spreading warmth.
Where it comes from
Kati Basti is one of the classical Ayurvedic treatments for the spine, named in the old texts: kati is the waist, basti a container. It belongs to the family of localised oil-retention therapies that also includes Netra Basti for the eyes and Janu Basti for the knees. In India it is given in series, typically daily for a week, for back pain and stiffness. The local oil-retention treatments belong to the oleation therapies described in Vagbhata’s Ashtanga Hridaya [1].
What it is for
What people come to me for:
- Lower back pain, acute or chronic
- Stiffness and a feeling of a “cold” back
- Sciatica (tell me first)
- Backs that are too tender to massage
- Office workers, cyclists and anyone who sits for a living
I know of no clinical trial of Kati Basti. What follows is classical practice and my own experience; the US National Institutes of Health gives an honest summary of the research on Ayurveda [2].
How often to come
This depends on why you come. These are the rhythms I suggest most often; we settle on yours at the intake.
| If you come for | I suggest |
|---|
| An acute episode, once the first days have passed | Three sessions in one week, then reassess |
| Chronic pain or stiffness | Five sessions, one or two a week |
| Maintenance | Once a month in winter, less in summer |
What to combine it with
Treatments that work well alongside it:
And at home, in the days around the treatment:
- Warm, cooked food and no cold drinks on treatment days
- Turmeric, ginger and ghee in the diet while in a course
- Keep the lower back warm and dry afterwards; no swimming that day
Practical
50 minutes, €95. Amsterdam city centre, by appointment.
- Eat lightly, and nothing heavy in the ninety minutes before.
- Tell me beforehand about pain, injuries, pregnancy or conditions you are being treated for.
- Keep the rest of the day easy if you can. The body is warm and open, so a hat helps on cold days.
When not to book
Better to wait, or to choose another treatment, with:
- Fever
- Infection or inflammation of the skin on the back
- Pregnancy
- The first days after an injury
If you have a diagnosed disc problem, it is wise to ask your doctor first and let me know.
Afterwards
Leave the oil on the lower back for a few hours if you can. Rest. Rinse with warm water in the evening.
Booking
Before a first treatment I suggest an Ayurvedic consultation of forty minutes for €90, so I know which oil and which treatment fit you. If you already know what you want, write to me or book directly.
Before a first visit, read the preparation notes and contraindications and the cancellation and rescheduling policy.
References
Numbers in square brackets in the text point to the entries below. Journal references are given in the National Library of Medicine style; each was checked against the Crossref and PubMed registries.
- Srikantha Murthy KR, translator. Vagbhata’s Astanga Hrdayam. Vol. 1. Varanasi: Chowkhamba Krishnadas Academy; 2004. Sutrasthana, chapter 2 (Dinacharya): daily oil massage of the body, head, ears and feet.
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. Ayurvedic medicine: in depth. Bethesda (MD): National Institutes of Health. [NCCIH]
The frequencies and combinations above are my general advice from practice, not medical treatment. If you are being treated for a condition, tell your doctor and tell me.