Ayurveda
Ayurveda, as its name indicates, is our guide for a healthy living from our childhood to our old age. It’s a science of not only how to cure diseases but also how to improve our health. Today, Ayurveda has established itself as a main alternative medical science.
Panchabhautik Chikitsa
The classical Ayurvedic therapy is based on Tridosha Siddhanta (Tri = three, dosha = cardinal humour, siddhanta = theory). Each of these three humours, as with all other things found in the nature, are formed from the five universal elements known as panchamahabhutas (Panch = five, maha = main, bhuta = entity). These five elements are:
- Prithvi – Matter
- Aap – Water
- Tej – Fire
- Vayu – Air
- Akash – Space
They are explained well elsewhere.
The equilibrium of these five elements in the body denotes health while their imbalance or disturbance denotes disease. Panchabhautik chikitsa is a branch of Ayurveda which bases the analysis and
treatment based upon this principle.
This kind of treatment was seen to have miraculous effects, even in defects considered mechanical – like spondylosis/ spondilytis.
The Process
The process of analysis and treatment typically has the following four steps:
- To find out the exact cause of the disease. Many a times the chain of reaction in attainment of a particular disease (Vyaadhi samprapti) is explained by the Panchabhautik theory.
- To analyse the present and future effects of this causative factor on the other prominent systems of the body.
- To treat the imbalance (and not only the disease in question) in order to balance the elements. The body experiences weakness during this equilibriating process.
- To regain in the strength of the body and stabilize it.
As opposed to the famous Nadi Priksha (pulse diagnosis), Datar shastri developed a special technique of Naad Pariksha (sound examination). He also has done a great research regarding vyaadhi samprapti and had attained demonstrable results with his patients.
Medicine
Since the human body and the nature are both created from the Panchamahabhutas, Ayurveda considers all substances found in the nature as medicine; provided that it is used for specific indications and with appropriate formulations. Therefore, it utilities a wide range of materia medica mostly natural products viz. herbs, minerals, animal products and marine originates. They are used for indications in different conditions of health and disease in order to restore the state of balance.