Ayurveda: Excellence in traditional medical treatment

 

Ayurveda is considered by many scholars to be the oldest healing science. In Sanskrit, Ayurveda means “The Science of Life.” Ayurvedic knowledge originated in India more than 5,000 years ago and is often called the “Mother of All Healing.” It stems from the ancient Vedic culture and was taught for many thousands of years in an oral tradition from accomplished masters to their disciples. Some of this knowledge was set to print a few thousand years ago, but much of it is inaccessible. The principles of many of the natural healing systems now familiar in the West have their roots in Ayurveda, including Homeopathy and Polarity Therapy.

Many famous Indians including former Indian President APJ Abdul Kalam are also admirers of Ayurvedic treatment.

Ayurveda is a pranic system of medicine, which works to balance the body’s life energies known as doshas. This is achieved by diet, different types of massages, pouring herbal oil onto the body, cleansing enemas, steam baths, and covering the body with herbal leaves and powders. Patients are assessed by qualified doctors and a treatment program tailor-made to address the root of all health problems.

Ayurvedic medicine is particularly effective for metabolic, stress-related, arthritis, neurosis, depression, hepatitis, chronic and many other conditions. Treatments are also very helpful in relieving the effects of surgery and debilitating treatments such as chemotherapy. Other popular uses of Ayurveda include general rejuvenation and beauty care. Ayurveda places great emphasis on prevention and encourages the maintenance of health through close attention to balance in one’s life, right thinking, diet, lifestyle and the use of herbs. Knowledge of Ayurveda enables one to understand how to create this balance of body, mind and consciousness according to one’s own individual constitution and how to make lifestyle changes to bring about and maintain this balance.

Just as everyone has a unique fingerprint, each person has a particular pattern of energy—an individual combination of physical, mental and emotional characteristics—which comprises their own constitution. This constitution is determined at conception by a number of factors and remains the same throughout one’s life.

Many factors, both internal and external, act upon us to disturb this balance and are reflected as a change in one’s constitution from the balanced state. Examples of these emotional and physical stresses include one’s emotional state, diet and food choices, seasons and weather, physical trauma, work and family relationships.

Once these factors are understood, one can take appropriate actions to nullify or minimize their effects or eliminate the causes of imbalance and re-establish one’s original constitution. Balance is the natural order; imbalance is disorder. Health is order; disease is disorder. Within the body there is a constant interaction between order and disorder. When one understands the nature and structure of disorder, one can re-establish order.

There are references to Ayurvedic treatment in religious books too. People suffering from both physical and psychological diseases can recover by means of Ayurvedic treatment. Health problems like neurological disorder, spinal trouble, intestinal ailments, joint pain, paralysis etcetera can be cured by virtue of Ayurvedic healthcare.

In my personal life, I had spinal difficulties. I visited different hospitals in Europe, America and Asia but could not get rid of my spinal problem. All doctors said that I would have to undergo surgery but I was not at all willing to lie on the operating table. I met Mr. Pankaj Saran, the then Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh at the reception program for National Professor Dr. Anisuzzaman which was held in Dhaka in 2014. When Mr. Pankaj Saran came to know about my spinal problem, he said that a hospital in Kerala in India provides very effective Ayurvedic treatment. The name of the hospital is CKV Hospital which is located at Poochakkal in Kochi. I visited the hospital in 2014.

I was amazed at the dexterity and professionalism of the doctors and health workers of that hospital. 80% of my cervical spine problem got cured under the treatment of Dr. Suresh and Dr. Shailaja of CKV Hospital. I would have been 100% cured if I was a little more careful about myself. The doctors of CKV Hospital advised me to take treatment for lumbar problem but I did not pay heed to their advice. As a result now my lumbar problem has intensified. I hope to visit CKV Hospital once again to overcome my lumbar pain.

Kochi is a beautiful place too. The natural loveliness of Kochi is good enough to refresh and revitalize the body and mind of the visitors who go there.

CKV Hospital runs their work for public welfare, not just for business. Many foreigners and high-profile people visit Kochi for taking medical treatment in CKV Hospital. CKV Hospital started functioning in 1952. Through the six decade long fruitful service, CKV Hospital has become pivotal in pragmaticizing Panchakarma therapy and blending it with conventional Marama practices.

The hospital shares the might of Panavally tradition which was popular after the great Panavally Krishnana Vaidyar. His younger son C K Raghavan Vaidyar and his next to kin Sudheer Vaidyar were the inspiring spirits who carved the hospital into its present stature. Panavally Krishnan Vaidyar was the Vaidya of Sree Narayana Guru. Ayurvedic treatment does not have any side effects. For this reason it is safe. Ayurvedic medicines take us back to nature. Nature is the source of all remedies and all kinds of relief.

Based on the World Health Assembly resolution on traditional medicine, the World Health Organization (WHO) has established a traditional medicine strategy, which involves, among other complementary health systems, Ayurveda. The first previous global strategy was published in 2002 and dealt specially with herbal medicines. The current version (2014-2023) is beginning to consider aspects of Traditional and Complementary Medicine practices and practitioners and whether and how they should be integrated into overall health service delivery. It is as well part of the 2013 WHO, World Trade Organization (WTO), World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) study on health innovation and access to medicines.

The WTO mentions Ayurveda in its intellectual property strategy. Traditional medicine, including Ayurveda, contributes significantly to the health status of many communities, and is increasingly used within certain communities in developed countries. Traditional medicine has a long history of use in health maintenance and in disease prevention and treatment, particularly for chronic diseases.

Suitable recognition of traditional medicine is an important element of national health policies and has a well important basis for new products with significant export potential. WTO, WIPO and WHO ask for respect for both the economic value and the social and cultural significance of traditional knowledge and supports documentation of traditional medical knowledge and enhanced regulation of quality, safety and efficacy of such products.

The WHO paper asks to integrate traditional and complementary medicine services, where appropriate, into health care service delivery and self-health care and to promote an improved universal health coverage by doing so. Medical scientists all over the world are now working hard to invent a vaccine for coronavirus. In the same way Ayurvedic doctors should go ahead with their research to find a remedy for Covid 19. I believe they can do it as Ayurveda is an instance of excellence in traditional medical treatment.

The writer is Editor-in-Chief of The Asian Age.