A REVIEW ON TRADITIONAL MEDICINAL PLANTS USED AGAINST COMMON NEURO-MUSCULO-SKELETAL DISORDERS IN KARNATAKA STATE, INDIA

Karnataka is a southern state of India with richer diversity of plants and nearly 20% of its land area occupied by forest. Geographically Karnataka state is divided into three major zones, Western Ghats (Sahyadri), Coastal region and the Eastern plains which harbor a diversity of medicinal plants that have been used in traditional medicine by tribes and various ethnic groups for their primary health care systems. Effective herbal folk therapy is a challenge as it requires the knowledge of plants, method of collection, mode of preparation, dosage and many other aspects of treatment. Traditional uses of medicinal plants for neuro-musculo- skeletal disorders in Karnataka specifically have not been reviewed. This review presents the ethnomedicinal plants used for the treatment of common neuro-musculo-skeletal disorders such as arthritis, rheumatism, epilepsy, lumbago, paralysis, sprain, migraine, insomnia, depression, bone fracture, psychosis, anxiety, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and neural disorders by various ethnic communities of Karnataka. A total 327 species of plants belonging to 93 families have been reviewed and compiled. 325 of them belong to Angiosperms, one Gymnosperm and one Pteridophyte.