Revision as of 03:05, 3 June 2015

Ayurveda for good health

The Times of India

The Times of India, Oct 17, 2011

Renowned Ayurveda expert, V Vasudevan, talks about Ayurveda and the p a n c h a k a r m a technique used for detoxification and internal cleansing of the body

Ayurveda is as applicable now as it was centuries ago. It looks upon health in its totality and defines the physical, emotional and intellectual well-being of a person as a harmonious state. Serious health issues impact all three realms.

Ayurvedic medicines are given as powders, decoctions and pills, depending on the disease, constitution, body type, etc. There is no system of prescribing a particular medicine for a particular disease, as even a single medicine has a wide range of applicability in various disease conditions. The physician prescribes treatment after talking to the patient individually. Herbal medicines are safe if authentically prepared and used. The range of medicinal formulations available is immense.

Ayurveda applies both external and internal therapies for treatment, which focus on the location of the disease as well as on the entire body. The aim is to restore the total health of the patient, who also develops good immunity after treatment. P a n c h a k a r m a is a central part of the therapy and is a detoxification or internal cleansing process. Most cases are treated with p a n c h a k a r m a and that usually turns out to be the best alternative even in surgical cases. Body toxins are eliminated through external orifices like the mouth, anus, nostrils and skin.

Ayurveda has its own methods of diagnosing disease, and a skilled Ayurvedacharya relies on his skills of diagnosis for treatment. Prescribing Ayurvedic medication on the basis of modern diagnosis is usually not accurate, especially for chronic diseases. P a n c h k a r m a in such cases is far more helpful. The procedure prescribes complete rest as well as strict adherence to physical and mental discipline. Combined with pre and post p a n c h a k a r m a treatments, the course includes therapies, medication, diet, routines and regimens and varies for different patients. P a n c h a k a r m a is effective in curing psychological imbalance and emotional disturbances too.

Ayurveda believes the human body is akin to nature and treatment lies in attuning a diseased body to match nature’s rhythm.

Ayurveda for arithritis

Some ayurvedic drugs AIMS is testing out; Graphic courtesy: The Times of India

The Times of India

Apr 04 2015

AIIMS study endorses Ayurveda for arthritis

DurgeshNandan Jha

In a significant scientific validation for traditional therapies, India's premier medical institution, AIIMS, has found certain Ayurvedic formulations effective in treating rheumatoid arthritis (RA), which causes irreversible joint damage. The study , conducted on 125 RA patients, found Ayurvedic medicines Ashwagandha powder and Sidh Ma kardhwaj helped in relieving pain in tender and swollen joints, and increased mobility in a majority of subjects.Ashwagandha powder is de rived from a plant while Sidh Makardhwaj has herbal and mineral ingredients.

The study was part of a larger research at AIIMS on therapies offered under traditional medicine. The PM's endorsement of alternative medicine has given further push to the programme.

Apart from RA, AIIMS is studying alternative therapies for epilepsy, Alzheimer's and chronic heart failure, among others. Dr Y K Gupta, head of pharmacology at AIIMS, saidscientific validation of alternative medicines was one of the mandates of the institute. “Interest in traditional medicine is renewed and growing due to the adverse drug reactions and economic burden associated with modern system of medicine. The central government is promoting them too,“ he added.

AIIMS is also conducting studies to validate the medicinal values of turmeric, sankhpushpi or Evolvulus alsinoides and stem bark of terminalia arjuna (a medicinal plant used by Ayurvedic physicians) for treating various health ailments. A IIMS doctors said Ashwagandha powder had anti-inflammatory , anti-stress and immuno-modulatory properties, which help improving physical function and joint pain in RA patients.

A researcher who participated in the study said the formulations had multiple benefits. The subjects were administered 5 gram of Ashwagandha powder twice a day for three weeks with lukewarm water or milk and 100 gram of Sidh Makardhwaj daily with honey for the next four weeks as part of the pilot study.

“The drugs decreased RA factor and there was significant change in posttreatment scores of tender joints, swollen joints, pain assessment score and patient self-assessed disability index among other,“ the researcher said.The study has been published in the latest issue of the Indian Journal of Medical Research.

Dr (Gen) Ved Chaturvedi, rheumatol ogist at Army (Research and Referral hospital) said this is a welcome step.“Whether we accept it or not, there are many people in India who subscribe to the health benefits of alternative therapies. It is important to scientifically validate the claims about their efficacy rather than ignoring them totally,“ he said.

According to him, rheumatoid arthritis is a debilitating condition in which patients have to take life-long medications.

“In many cases, where treatment is delayed or the joints get damaged badly , costly joint replacements is done,“ added Dr Chaturvedi.

The NDA government recently announced opening of institute of Ayurveda on the lines of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi and several other parts of the country .