Ayurveda has been the ancient practice of natural healing methods employing natural growing plants and herbs. In a State like Kerala, this has been the traditional practice for years.
Ayurveda, the science and art of living with the basic fundamentals of life, fire, air, water and earth together help in maintaining the balance of the body, mind and consciousness of the individual. Ayurvedic treatment helps you to maintain a healthy balance of vata, pitta and kapha, the three Doshas in the body. Vata pertains to air and ether elements, while pitta pertains to fire and water elements whereas kapha pertains to water and earth elements.
Panchakarma Aurvedic treatment in Kerala involves two main processes for making a person healthy through Detoxification and Rejuvenation. Panchakarma involves ‘five treatments’, as the Sanskrit word indicates, enabling your body to remove toxic materials accumulated as a result of diseases and poor nutrition. Panchakarma corrects the imbalances in Doshas and eliminate the harmful ama through the body’s own organs like colon, sweat glands, lungs, bladder, urinary tract, stomach, intestines, etc. Five different techniques of purgation are applied to detoxify the body and they are briefly mentioned below.
A special medicated drink is given to the patient to stimulate the emesis. Waste products (vitiated dosha) are eliminated through the upper gastrointestinal tract. This treatment enables removal of excess mucus from the body which largely gets accumulated in the lungs due to congestion. Congestion in the lungs can cause repetitive attacks of bronchitis, cold and coughs. This procedure can be well treated for skin diseases, also termed as Psoriasis.
Under Virechana therapy, purgation is induced by drugs aiming specifically at the elimination of excessive Pitta Dosha from the body. Effective removal of wastes from intestines and toxic materials keeps
the body healthy and fit. This has been the traditional cure for many water borne diseases such as jaundice, cholera and hemorrhoids.
A natural form of treatment that involves an enema using quath or Kashaya Vasti helps in proper functioning of the rectum vessels for bowel movement. Enema is one of the many contributions of Ayurveda to medicine and has proved to be extremely effective for a variety of medical conditions. Herbal mixtures made out of oils, ghee, milk, etc are administered into the rectum. The constipation and kidney stones can be reduced with this treatment and or eliminate the chances of their occurrence.
This form of medication involves application of medicated oil into the nostrils. This oil is poured in small doses into the nose as the patient inhales. Next the body is massaged for removal of sweat caused as a result.
During the treatment process, the parts of the body like nose, neck, shoulders, palms and feet are rubbed for perspiration causing removal of wastes from the nose. This helps in removal of sinusitis, migraine, chronic
cold and congestion. In cases of hemiplegia and facial paralysis, this method is crucial.
This method of medication involves blood-letting through leech or cuts made through a metal instrument. It is recommended for diseases caused due to impure blood.