Health and Ayurveda

Monday, April 16, 2007

SCOPE OF PANCHAKARMA IN CHRONIC DEBILITATIVE DISORDERS

Ayurveda is the science of life it deals with the entire creation with special emphasis on the biology of life. The chief objectives laid down before this science are preservation of health and preservation of disease, as is evident from:
Swasthasya swasthya rakshanama
Aturasya vikar prashmanam ch. (Ca.Su. 30/26)

Ayurvedic approach for the treatment of a disease consists of two major procedures viz. Samshodhana Chikitsa and Samshamana Chikitsa. The Samshodhana Chikitsa is the radical treatment of a disease and is supposed to eradicate or eliminate the vitiated doshas, thus completely preventing or curing the disease.

Samshamana Chikitsa is the conservative treatment which consist of conservative measures of treatment like, Langhana and Pachana etc. by administration of appropriate drugs, designed for alleviating the vitiated doshas, thus preventing temporarily or subsiding the disease.

The Samshodhana therapy consists of a number of psycho physiological measures advocated in the treatment of diseases, of which panchakarma therapy is an integral part. As a matter of fact, the indispensable place of panchakarma measures in ayurvedic management of patients is the unique and fundamental character of Indian system of medicine.

The therapeutic measures comprehended by panchakarma therapy are the anchor in Ayurvedic approach to the treatment of a disease, which have proved the test of time and are equally applicable, rather more useful in today’s busy world with polluted environment consisting of lipophilic toxins that accumulated in the fatty tissues of body. The chemical abstracts service in Columbus, U.S.A., which consists of world’s largest facility for substance identification, has identified more than 13 million artificial substances, out of which 1 lakhs industrial substances combine into a chemical soup, which are constantly absorbed from food, air, water and even from our skin. These environmental toxins as well as endogenous metabolic toxins are the toxic levels of the body, which must be detoxified or eliminated out of the body for prevention of possible disease and curing of the existing disease. This signifies the role and relevance of panchakarma as detoxification procedure in the body, which also helps in free radical scavenging and enhancing the body immunity.

Emphasizing the importance of panchakarma therapy, the Ayurveda says that sodhana strikes at the root of the disease and thus the disease treated by it do not reoccur again, while treated with other methods might reappear.

Unfortunately such an important component of Ayurvedic therapeutics gradually declines in practices, which need to be popularized and increasingly practiced for the welfare of the mankind.

The panchakarma therapy has been a subject of discussion in almost all the texts of Indian medicine. The scope described for this therapy is very comprehensive like purificatory, preventive, curative, rejuvenative, preparation for surgery, virilising therapy etc. and similarly there are very comprehensive claims about its efficacy.

As the name suggests the panchakarma consists of five fold therapeutic procedures viz. Vamana, Virachana, Niruha Vasti, Anuvasana Vasti, and Sirovirachna. Which are preceded by the two preparatory procedures of Snehana and Swedana. Snehana stands for external and internal oleation therapy, which render the body oleos and thus makes the vitiated doshas/toxins easily eliminated out of body. Induction of sweating prior to main panchakarma procedure is known as Swedana or Fomentation therapy.

Vamana consist of inducing therapeutic vomiting and thereby eliminating the doshas out of the body through oral route it is specific thereby for Kaphaja disorders. Virechana is the process of eliminating the vitiated doshas out of the body through anal route it is specific procedure for Paittika disorders. Vasti is another purificatory measure, which consist of induction of suitable medicaments in the form of enema through rectal, vaginal and urethral routes. The object is to eliminate vitiated doshas with the retuning enema material and to produce the effects of the enematically introduced medicaments, which may be essentially an oleus or non-oleus based upon the type of Vasti viz. Anuvasana and Asthapana respectively. Vasti karma is supposed to be principal and specific therapy for vatic disorders.

Sirovirachana is the procedure by which required medications are introduced through nasal passage either in liquid or powder forms. Besides its role in panchakarma therapy, Sirovirachana has specific role in Shiro rogas i.e. Diseases of Head and Brain.

Sushruta also includes Rakta Mokshana under panchakarma, which indicates the special significance of Rakta Mokshana is surgical practice. Rakta Mokshana i.e. Blood letting or Venesection and is used for disorders such as urticaria, skin rashes, acne, leucoderma, itching and other dermatoses. Proper administration of Rakta Mokshana results in stimulation of antitoxin substance in blood stream, improving the immune mechanism of the body.

Observations have shown that therapeutic emesis (vaman) is useful in bronchial asthma, sinusitis, and chronic bronchitis while virachana is useful in condition where excess of bile is accumulated in gall bladder, liver and gastro intestinal system producing skin rashes, inflammatory changes, biliary vomiting, nausea, jaundice etc. vasti has been effective in treating variety of neurological and rheumatological conditions.

Scientific studies have demonstrated beyond doubt that Biopurificatory therapy like panchakarma potentially effective and can successfully eliminate environmental toxic materials like polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB’s) and pesticide chemicals from the body with any untoward effect. More than 600 scientific research studies conducted across 200 universities and institutions belonging to 30 different countries validate the potential benefits of panchakarma procedures for promotive preventive and curative health care.

A study conducted at institute of science technology and public policy at Maharishis University of management in Fairfield, U.S.A. has demonstrated that panchakarma procedures can eliminate up to 50% of detectable toxins from blood. Another study conducted at Fairburg University has shown that the level of cholesterol has a whole dropped to the extent of 203.5mg% to 179.5mg% within two weeks course of purificatory therapy. The level of LDL cholesterol dropped by 8.7%, there by reducing the risk of heart attacks by 17.8%. The additional benefits like feeling of well being, reduced aggressiveness and excitability were also observed.

Another study conducted by scientists Dr. Herson and Dr. Fagan, which was published in alternative therapies in health and medicine (sep./oct.2002 issue) has shown that Ayurvedic panchakarma therapy has the potential to eliminate fat –soluble toxins including many carcinogenic chemicals from the body. Thus the scientific studies verify and validate the claims of our Rishis and ancient vaidyas; besides they are the proof of the efficacy of panchakarma procedures beyond the limits of time and space.

Thus, it can be summarized that panchakarma therapy is a unique approach to biopurification and detoxification described in ayurveda, which has got tremendous potential in curing a verity o pathological conditions. There is an urgent need to carry out the biochemical studies on standard scientific parameters to substantiate this fundamental therapeutic approach of ayurveda on scientific footings.

1 Comments:

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