Diagnosis & Treatment in Ayurveda

[jamesmayur]

In Ayurveda diagnosis is always done of the patient as a whole. The physician takes a careful note of the patient`s internal physiological characteristics and mental disposition. He also studies such other factors as the affected bodily tissues, humours, the place at which the disease is located, patients resistance and vitality, his daily routine, dietary habits, the importance of clinical conditions, condition of digestion and details of personal, social, economic and environmental situation of the patient.

The diagnosis also involves the following examinations
General physical examination

Pulse examination

Urine examination

Examination of the faeces

Examination of tongue and eyes

Examination of skin and ear including tactile and auditory functions


Treatment
The basic healing approach is, `that alone is the right treatment which makes for health and he alone is the best doctor who frees one from disease`. This sums up the principal objectives of Ayurveda, i.e. maintenance and promotion of health, prevention of disease and cure of sickness.

Treatment of the disease consists in avoiding contributing factors responsible for disequilibrium of the body atmosphere or of any of its constituent parts through the use of Panchkarma procedures, medicines, suitable diet, activity and regimen for restoring the balance and strengthening the body mechanisms to prevent or minimize future occurrence of the disease.

For successful administration of a treatment four things are essential. These are
The physician

The medicaments

The nursing personnel

The patient

The physician comes first in order of importance. He must possess technical skill, scientific knowledge, purity and human understanding. The physician should use his knowledge with humility, wisdom and in the service of humanity. Next in importance comes food and drugs. These are supposed to be of high quality, wide application, grown and prepared following approved procedures and should be available adequately. The third component of every successful treatment is the role of nursing personnel who should have good knowledge of nursing, must know the skills of their art and be friendly, sympathetic, intelligent, neat & clean and resourceful. The fourth component is the patient himself who should be cooperative and obedient to follow instructions of the physician, able to describe ailments and ready to provide all that may be needed for treatment.

Types of Treatment
The treatment of disease can broadly be classified as
1. Shodhana therapy (Purification Treatment)
2. Shamana therapy (Palliative Treatment)
3. Pathya Vyavastha (Prescription of diet and activity)
4. Nidan Parivarjan (Avoidance of disease causing and aggravating factors)
5. Satvavajaya (Psychotherapy)
6. Rasayana therapy (use of immunomodulators and rejuvenation medicines)

1. Shodhana treatment aims at removal of the contributing factors of somatic and psychosomatic diseases. The process involves internal and external purification. The usual practices involved are Panchkarma and Pre-panchkarma procedures. Panchkarma treatment focuses on metabolic management. It provides needed purificatory effect, besides conferring healing benefits. This treatment is especially helpful in neurological disorders, musculo-skeletal disease conditions, certain vascular or neuro-vascular states, respiratory diseases, metabolic and degenerative disorders.

2. Shamana therapy involves controlling of vitiated humours (doshas). The process by which disturbed humour returns to normal without creating imbalance of other humour is known as shamana. This treatment is achieved by use of appetisers, digestives, exercise and exposure to sun, fresh air etc. In this form of treatment, palliatives and sedatives are used.

3. Pathya Vyavastha comprises indications and contraindications in respect of diet, activity, habits and emotional status. This is done with a view to improve the effects of remedial measures and to hamper the pathogenetic processes. Emphasis on dose and don`ts of diet etc is laid with the aim to arouse Agni and optimize digestion and assimilation of food in order to ensure strength of tissues.

4. Nidan Parivarjan is to avoid the known disease causing factors in diet and lifestyle of the patient. It also encompasses the idea to refrain from precipitating or annoying factors of the disease.

5. Satvavajaya concerns mainly with the area of mental disturbances. This includes restraining the mind from desires for unpleasant objects and cultivation of courage, memory and concentration. The study of psychology and psychiatry has been developed extensively in Ayurveda and has wide range of approaches in the treatment of mental disorders.

6. Rasayana therapy deals with promotion of strength and vitality. The reliability of body atmosphere, promotion of memory, intelligence, immunity against the disease, the preservation of youth, luster and complexion and maintenance of optimum strength of the body and senses are some of the positive benefits credited to this treatment. Prevention of premature bear and tear of body tissues and promotion of total health content of an individual are the roles that Rasayana therapy plays.


Diet and Ayurvedic Treatment

In Ayurveda, regulation of diet as therapy has great importance. This is because it considers human body as the product of food. An individual`s mental and spiritual development as well as his personality is influenced by the quality of food consumed by him. Food in human body is transformed first into chyle or Rasa and then successive processes involve its conversion into blood, muscle, fat, bone, bone marrow and reproductive elements. Thus, food is basic to all the metabolic transformations and life activities. Lack of nutrients in food or improper transformation of food lead to a variety of disease conditions.

[jamesmayur]

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the origin of all aspects of existence is consciousness. Matter and Energy are one. Matter is manifested in five elements i.e. Ether (Space), Air (Vayu), Fire (Agni) , Water and Earth.

1. Ether
Ether is present in the cavities of the mouth, lungs, and digestive area. Ether is the space in which everything happens. It is the field that is simultaneously the source of all matter and the space in which it exists. Ether is only the distance, which separates matter. The chief characteristic of ether is sound. Here sound represents the entire range of vibration.

2. Air
Air is present in the movement of muscles beating of the heart, expansion and contraction of the lungs and working of the digestive tract. Air is the gaseous form of matter, which is movable and dynamic. Within the body, air (oxygen) is the basis for all energy transfer reactions. It is a key element necessary for fire to burn. Air is existence without form.

3. Fire
Fire is present in metabolism, body temperature, sight and intellect. Fire is the power to transform solids into liquids, to gas, and back again. In other words, it possesses power to transform the state of any substance. Within our bodies, the fire or energy binds the atoms together. It also converts food to fats and muscle. Fire transforms food into energy. It creates the impulses of nervous reactions, our feelings, and even our thought processes. Fire is considered a form without substance.

4. Water
Water is present in the digestive juices, saliva, and blood. Water characterizes change and represents the liquid state. Water is necessary for the survival of all living things. A large part of the human body is made up of water. Our blood, lymph, and other fluids move between our cells and through our vessels, bringing energy, carrying away wastes, regulating temperature, bringing disease fighters, and carrying hormonal information from one area to another. Water is a substance without stability.

5. Earth
Earth represents the solid state of matter. It manifests stability, permanence, and firmness. In our body, the parts such as bones, teeth, cells, and tissues are manifestations of the earth. Earth is considered a stable substance.