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Ayurveda - Ayurvedic medicine
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Ayurveda
NCCAM classifications [2]
1. Alternative Medical Systems
2. Mind-Body Intervention
3. Biologically Based Therapy
4. Manipulative and body-based methods
5. Energy Therapy
Ayurveda (Devanagari: आयुर्वेद) or Ayurvedic medicine is an ancient system
of health care that is native to the Indian subcontinent. It is presently in
daily use by millions of people in India, Nepal, Sri Lanka and indirectly
through it being the major influence on Unani, Chinese and Tibetan Medicine.
The word "Ayurveda" is a tatpurusha compound of the word āyus meaning "life"
or "life principle", and the word veda, which refers to a system of
"knowledge". Thus "Ayurveda" roughly translates as the "knowledge of life".
According to Charaka Samhita, "life" itself is defined as the "combination
of the body, sense organs, mind and soul, the factor responsible for
preventing decay and death, which sustains the body over time, and guides
the processes of rebirth" [1][2] According to this perspective, Ayurveda is
concerned with measures to protect "ayus", which includes healthy living
along with therapeutic measures that relate to physical, mental, social and
spiritual harmony. Ayurveda is also one among the few traditional systems of
medicine to contain a sophisticated system of surgery (which is referred to
as "salya-chikitsa").
Overview
According to the Ayurvedavatarana (the "descent of Ayurveda"), the origin of
Ayurveda is stated to be a divine revelation of the ancient Indian creator
God Lord Brahma[3] as he awoke to recreate the universe. This knowledge was
passed directly to Daksha Prajapati in the form of shloka sung by Lord
Brahma.[4], and this was in turn passed down through a successive chain of
deities to Lord Indra, the protector of dharma. According to this account,
the first human exponent of Ayurveda was Bharadvaja, who learned it directly
from Indra. Bharadvaja in turn taught Ayurveda to a group of assembled
sages, who then passed down different aspects of this knowledge to their
students. According to tradition, Ayurveda was first described in text form
by Agnivesha, in his book the Agnivesh tantra. The book was later redacted
by Charaka, and became known as the Charaka Samhitā.[5] Another early text
of Ayurveda is the Sushruta Samhitā, which was compiled by Sushrut, the
primary pupil of Dhanvantri, sometime around 1000 BCE. Dhanvantri is known
as the Father of Surgery, and in the Sushrut Samhita, the teachings and
surgical techniques of Dhanvantri are compiled and complemented with
additional findings and observations of Sushrut regarding topics ranging
from obstetrics and orthopedics to ophthalmology. Sushrut Samhita together
with Charaka Samhitā, served as the textual material within the ancient
Universities of Takshashila and Nalanda.[6] These texts are believed to have
been written around the beginning of the Common Era, and are based on a
holistic approach rooted in the philosophy of the Vedas and Vedic culture.
Eight Branches (Ashthanga) of Ayurveda
The eight branches of Ayurveda are:
* 1. Internal medicine - Kayachikitsa
* 2. Surgery - Shalya Tantra
* 3. Ears, eyes, nose and throat - Shalakya tantra
* 4. Pediatrics - Kaumarabhritya Tantra
* 5. Toxicology - Agada Tantra
* 6. Purification of the genetic organs - Bajikarana (or Vajikarana) Tantra
* 7. Health and Longevity - Rasayana Tantra
* 8. Spiritual Healing/Psychiatry - Bhuta Vidya
See also: The Eight Armed Ayurveda
History
Documented references to the precise timing of the origins of Ayurveda are
not available. The age of Ayurveda has been established on the basis of
correlating the evidence with other disciplines as well as circumstantial
evidence. Ayurveda is said to have been first compiled as a text by
Agnivesha, in his book Agnivesh tantra, which was written during Vedic
times. The book was later revised by Charaka, and renamed to Charaka Samhitā
(encyclopedia of the physician Charaka).[7] Other early texts of Ayurveda
include the Charaka Samhitā and the Sushruta Samhitā[6] The system was
orally transferred via the Gurukul system until a script came into
existence.
The earliest scripts would have been written on perishable materials such as
Taalpatra and Bhojapatra, which could not be readily preserved. The script
was later written on stone and copper sheets. Verses dealing with Ayurveda
are included in the Atharvaveda, which implies that some form of Ayurveda is
as old as the Vedas.[8] Ayurvedic practices have also evolved over time, and
some practices may be considered innovations upon earlier Vedic practices,
such as the advances made during the Buddhist period in India.
Hinduism attributes the genesis of Ayurveda to several theories in which the
knowledge is believed to have been passed on from being to being, initially,
through its realization by the divine sages, and gradually into the human
sphere by a complex system of mnemonics. Details of Ayurvedic traditions
vary between writers, as is expected when oral traditions are transcribed
from multiple sources. The earliest authors of Ayurvedic manuscripts
recorded divergent forms of the tradition.
Development
Ayurvedic practice was flourishing during the time of Buddha (around 520 BC)
, and in this period the Ayurvedic practitioners were commonly using
Mercuric-sulphur combination based medicines.[9] In this period mercury,
sulphur and other metals were used in conjunction with herbs to prepare the
different medications. An important Ayurvedic practitioner of this period
was Nagarjuna, a Buddhist herbologist, famous for inventing various new
drugs for the treatment of ailments. Nagarjuna was accompanied by
Surananda, Nagbodhi, Yashodhana, Nityanatha, Govinda, Anantdev, Vagbhatta
etc. The knowledge of Ayurveda progressed a lot during this period,
including development of newer and more effective medicines, and is
therefore termed as the Golden Period of Ayurveda.
After emerging victorious at the Kalinga War, Emperor Ashoka (304 BC-232 BC)
influenced by the Buddhist teachings, banned any bloodshed in his kingdom in
250 BC. Therefore many Ayurveda practitioners, who were practicing surgery
along with medicine, left the surgical intervention and adopted totally new
medicinal treatments. In this period, Ayurveda again evolved and flourished
with the invention of new drugs, new methodology and new innovations. The
practice of the accompanying surgery slowly died out during this period.
During the regime of Chandragupta Maurya (375-415 AD), Ayurveda was part of
mainstream Indian medical techniques, and continued to be so until the
colonisation by the British.
Chakrapani Dutta (DuttaSharma) was a Vaid Brahman of Bengal who wrote books
on Ayurveda such as "Chakradutta" and others. Chakrapani Dutta was the
Rajavaidya of Great King Laxman Sen {some says rajVaid of King Nayapala
(1038 - 1055)}. It is believed by some practitioners that Chakradutta is the
essence of Ayurveda.
Ayurveda has always been preserved by the people of India as a traditional
"science of life", despite increasing adoption of European medical
techniques during the time of British rule. For several decades the
reputation and skills of the various Ayurvedic schools declined markedly as
Western medicine and Western-style hospitals were built. However, beginning
in the 1970s, a gradual recognition of value of Ayurveda returned, and today
Ayurvedic hospitals and practitioners are flourishing throughout all of
India. As well, the production and marketing of Ayurvedic herbal medicines
has dramatically increased, as well as scientific documentation of benefits.
Today, Ayurvedic medicines are available throughout the world.
Gurukul system of Ayurveda
In the earlier days of its conception, the system of Ayurvedic medicine was
orally transferred via the Gurukul system until a written script came into
existence.
In this system, the Guru gave a solemn address where he directed the
students to a life of chastity, honesty, and vegetarianism. The student was
to strive with all his being to heal the sick. He was not to betray patients
for his own advantage. He was required to dress modestly and avoid alcohol
or drugs. He was to be collected and self-controlled, measured in speech at
all times. He was to constantly improve his knowledge and technical skill.
At the patient's home, he was to be courteous and modest, directing all
attention to the patient's welfare. He was not to divulge any knowledge
about the patient and his family. If the patient was incurable, he was to
keep this to himself if it was likely to harm the patient or others.
The normal length of the student's training appears to have been seven
years. Before graduation, the student was to pass a test. But the physician
was to continue to learn through texts, direct observation (pratyaksha), and
through inference (anumāna). In addition, the vaidyas attended meetings
where knowledge was exchanged. The practitioners also gained knowledge of
unusual remedies from laypeople who were outside the huffsteter community
such as hillsmen, herdsmen, and forest-dwellers.
Tridosha System
The central concept of Ayurvedic medicine is the theory that health exists
when there is a balance between three fundamental bodily humours or doshas
called Vata, Pitta and Kapha.
* Vata is the impulse principle necessary to mobilize the function of the
nervous system
* Pitta is the energy principle which uses bile to direct digestion and
hence metabolism into the venous system.
* Kapha is the body fluid principle which relates to mucous, lubrication and
the carrier of nutrients into the arterial system.
All Ayurvedic physicians believe that these ancient ideas, based in the
knowledge discovered by the Rishis and Munis, exist in harmony with physical
reality. These Ayurvedic concepts allow physicians to examine the
homeostasis of the whole system. People may be of a predominant dosha or
constitution, but all doshas have the basic elements within them.
Ayurvedic Tastes
Ayurveda holds that the tastes of foods or herbs have specific physiological
effects. Those tastes that transform after digestion (Vipaka) are more
powerful.
Sweet - Madhura
Sweet foods nourish, cool, moisten, oil, and increase weight
Sour - Amla
Sour foods warm, oil, and increase weight
Salty - Lavan
Salty foods warm, dissolve, stimulate, soften, oil, and increase weight
Bitter - Katu
Bitter foods cool, dry, purify and decrease weight
Pungent - Tikta
Pungent foods warm, dry, stimulate, and decrease weight
Astringent - Kasaya
Astringent foods cool, dry, reduce stickiness.
Medications
Ayurveda operates on the precept that various materials of vegetable,
animal, and mineral origin have some medicinal value. The medicinal
properties of these materials have been documented by the practitioners and
have been used for centuries to cure illness and/or help maintain good
health. Ayurvedic medicaments are made from herbs or mixtures of herbs,
either alone or in combination with minerals, metals and other ingredients
of animal origin. The metals, animals and minerals are purified by
individual processes before being used for medicinal purposes.
Writers and compilers of Ayurvedic literature such as Charaka, Sushruta,
Vagabhatta, Bhav Mishra, Shaligram and others have written about the
qualities, characteristics and medicinal uses of the herbs, mineral, metals,
chemicals, animal parts, cooked food articles, natural foods, fruits etc.
Among them, the Bhav Prakash Nighantu, written by Bhav Mishra, is known for
its detail .The composition of the Nighantu part (Ayurvedic Materia Medica)
of the Bhav Prakash is part of the classical book. The details of the
medicinal herbs are given according to the nature, effects, and curative
properties as observed by the Ayurvedic practitioners.
Ayurvedic literature has been written by several authors in languages such
as Sanskrit, Hindi, Kannada, Tamil and more recently, in English.The
Shaligram Nighantu was written in Sanskrit. The Banaushadhi Chandrodaya was
written in Hindi.The Indian Materia Medica was written in English.
Panchakarma and Ayurvedic Massage
Panchakarma (the five actions or modalities) is a collection of purification
techniques that Ayurveda prescribes for some diseases and for periodic
cleansing. A course of Pancharkarma typically includes a short-term dietary
prescription, massage, herbs, and may include purgatives, sweat baths,
medicated enemas, and nasal cleansing.
Ayurvedic massage is a form of treatment for various age related and other
common disorders. Some of the advantages which can be cited are pain relief,
improved circulation, stress relief, better sleep, flexibility, athletic
performance and emotional benefits . Massage therapy can soothe pain, relax
stiff muscles, and reduce the swelling that accompanies arthritis .
Advocates claim that, with ayurvedic massage, deep-seated toxins in the
joints and tissues are loosened and released into the system for elimination
through natural toxin-release processes.[10] Ayurvedic massage is especially
developed in Sri Lanka and the Indian state of Kerala
Current Status
In the early 20th century, Ayurvedic physicians began to organize into
professional associations and to promote their case for national recognition
and funding. This began to become a reality after Indian independence in
1947.
Ayurveda is now a statutory, recognised medical system of health care like
other medical systems existing in India. The Central Council of Indian
Medicine {CCIM} governs and recommends policies for the research and
development of the system. An Encyclopedia on Ayurveda - Ayushveda.com[3]
has been developed to promote the knowledge of Ayurveda worldwide.
In certain states in India, Charak Samhita and Sushruta Samhita are included
in the curriculum of modern medical courses (M.B.B.S).
Ayurvedic institutions and practitioners
Ayurvedic practitioners have been appointed as Honorary Ayurvedic Physician
to the President of India. Every year on the occasion of Dhanvantari jayanti,
a prestigious Dhanvantari Award is conferred on a famous personality of
Medical Sciences including Ayurveda. Kerala is the leading state in India
that promotes research and practices of Ayurveda. This has been attributed
to Kerala's well established Ayurveda centers, Ayurveda pharmaceutical
companies, and Ayurveda medical college's. Today besides Kerala, Gujarat,
Maharastra, and Karnataka are also promoting Ayurveda. For example, there
are many Ayurvedic centers (known as Vaidya shalas) all over Kerala.
Practice in the west
As a result of strong regulations in medical practice in Europe and America,
the most commonly practiced Ayurvedic treatments in the west are massage and
dietary and herbal advice.
In the United States, the National Institute of Ayurvedic Medicine
(established by Scott Gerson) is an example of a research institute that has
carried out research into Ayurvedic practices.[11] Gerson has published part
of his work on the antifungal activities of certain Ayurvedic plants in
medical journals.[12]
Several Pharmecutical companies and Academic Institutions in the west have
come into conflict with Indian academic institutions and traditional
Ayurvedic practitioners over the intellectual property rights of herbal
products researched by the western agencies. The Ayurvedic practitioners
have known about the efficacy of such products for centuries and so contend
that they carry precedence with regards to patent rights on such products.
On December 1993, the University of Mississippi Medical Center had a patent
issued to them by U.S patents and trademarks office on the use of turmeric
(U.S. patent No. 5,401,504) for healing. The patent was contested by India's
industrial research organization, Council for Scientific and Industrial
Research (C.S.I.R), on the grounds that traditional Ayurvedic practitioners
were already aware of the healing properties of the substance and have been
for centuries, making this patent a case of bio-piracy.[13]
After a complex legal battle, the U.S. Patents and Trademarks Office ruled
on August 14, 1997 that the patent was invalid because it was not a novel
invention, giving the intellectual property rights to the principle back to
the traditional practitioners of Ayurveda. R. A. Mashelkar, director-general
of the CSIR, was satisfied with the result, saying:
"This success will enhance the confidence of the people and help remove
fears about India's helplessness on preventing bio-piracy and appropriation
of inventions based on traditional knowledge[13]"
The turmeric patent was just one of the hundreds that the several academic
organizations and Pharmecutical companies in the west have claimed by
ignoring Ayurvedic knowledge. Vandana Shiva, a global campaigner for a fair
and honest Intellectual Property Rights system, says patents on herbal
products derived from Neem, Amla, Jar Amla, Anar, Salai, Dudhi, Gulmendhi,
Bagbherenda, Karela, Erand, Rangoon-kibel, Vilayetishisham and Chamkura also
need to be revoked.[13]
Seven American and four Japanese firms have filed for grant of patents on
formulations containing extracts of the herb Ashwagandha. Fruits, leaves and
seeds of the Indian medicinal plant withania somnifera have been
traditionally used for the Ayurvedic system as aphrodisiacs, diuretics and
for treating memory loss. The Japanese patent applications are related to
the use of the herb as a skin ointment and for promoting reproductive
fertility. The U.S based company Natreon has also obtained a patent for an
Ashwagandha extract. Another US establishment, the New England Deaconess
Hospital, has taken a patent on an Ashwagandha formulation claimed to
alleviate symptoms associated with arthritis. It is clear that the
Ashwagandha plant is catching the attention of scientists and more patents
related to Ashwagandha are being filed or granted by different patent
offices since 1996.[14]
Ayurvedic wisdom originated in the main Vedas as a part of way of life - a
spiritual connection with spirit and nature. This is most evident reading
Atharva Veda. Ayurveda was used to remove obstacles on one’s path to
Self-Realization. At some point the medical aspects began to take priority
over the spiritual forms of healing (ie, focusing on lifestyle, dharma and
moksha. Today, these spiritual aspects of Ayurveda have taken a back seat to
the medical focus. As Ayurveda becomes more commercially viable career, the
spiritual aspects may continue to lose ground. Yet there are a growing
number of practitioners who practice mainly these spiritual therapies and
find better results than limiting their approach to the medical, physical
realm.
Criticisms
Scientific studies and standards
Critics object to the lack of rigorous scientific studies and clinical
trials of many ayurvedic products. The National Center for Complementary and
Alternative Medicine states that "most clinical trials of Ayurvedic
approaches have been small, had problems with research designs, lacked
appropriate control groups, or had other issues that affected how meaningful
the results were."[15]
In India, scientific research in Ayurveda is largely undertaken by the
statutory body of the Central Government, the Central Council for Research
in Ayurveda and Siddha (CCRAS), through a national network of research
institutes.[16] A large number of non-governmental organisations are also
conducting research work on different aspects of Ayurveda[4]. However, "even
staunch advocates of Ayurveda like cardiologist Dr. M.S. Valiathan...admit
that 'clinical studies that would satisfy the liberal criteria of WHO World
Health Organisation have been alarmingly few from India, in spite of
patients crowding in Ayurvedic hospitals"'.[15]
Safety concerns
There is evidence that using some ayurvedic medicine, especially those
involving herbs, metals, minerals, or other materials involves potentially
serious risks, including toxicity.[17][3][18]
A research study published in the Journal of the American Medical
Association[19] found significant levels of toxic heavy metals such as lead,
mercury and arsenic in 20% of Ayurvedic preparations that were made in South
Asia for sale in America. The Journal found that, if taken according to the
manufacturers' instructions, this 20% of remedies "could result in heavy
metal intakes above published regulatory standards"[19] Similar studies have
been performed in India, and have confirmed these results. Cases of metal
toxicity from use of ayurvedic medicines are well known.[20] Some
practitioners claimed that "heavy metals are integral to some formulations
and have been used for centuries. There is no point of doing trials as they
have been used safely and have mention in our ancient texts."[20]
There is a technique of detoxification applied to heavy metals and toxic
herbs called samskaras, which is similar to the Chinese pao zhi although the
Ayurvedic technique is more complex and may involve prayers as well as
physical pharmacy techniques.[21] An intriguing study of the effectiveness
of the Ayurvedic samskaras was printed in the Journal of Postgrad
Medicine[22]:
Crude aconite is an extremely lethal substance. However, the science of
Ayurveda looks upon aconite as a therapeutic entity. Crude aconite is always
processed i.e. it undergoes 'samskaras' before being utilised in the
Ayurvedic formulations. This study was undertaken in mice, to ascertain
whether 'processed' aconite is less toxic as compared to the crude or
unprocessed one. It was seen that crude aconite was significantly toxic to
mice (100% mortality at a dose of 2.6 mg/mouse) whereas the fully processed
aconite was absolutely non-toxic (no mortality at a dose even 8 times as
high as that of crude aconite). Further, all the steps in the processing
were essential for complete detoxification.[23]
The described detoxification is a simple chemical processing which involves
four succesive rounds of boiling the crude root in cow's urine (twice) and
cow's milk (twice). Such processing is reasonably expected to chemically
modify both toxic and proposed therapeutic components of the root. It will
also lead to extraction of these compounds from the root into the boiling
solvents, thereby decreasing their concentration in the final product.
It should also be noted that, while these washes appear to ameliorate the
toxicity of the crude root, there is no evidence that the processed root has
any therapeutic value. A search of the Citation Index, via Web of Science (isiknowledge.com),
returned no mention of any therapeutic value for aconite. However, the
literature is replete with instances of aconite poisoning, though no mention
of specific processing is made in these poisoning cases.
"Miracle Cures"
Some critics also question the safety of those Ayurvedic drugs that are said
to provide "Miracle Cures". [24] The critics argue that simply following
age-old Ayurvedic formulas is no guarantee of safety and the fundamental
processes and concepts on which these ancient processes are based must be
exposed to serious scientific scrutiny.
References
1. ^ http://www.toddcaldecott.com/pdf%20files/publications/Ayurvedic%20medicine/Chapter_one.pdfPDF
(1.25 MiB)
2. ^ 'Suddha medicine' refers to classical Ayurvedic medicine. The word "suddha"
is translated as "pure".
3. ^ a b Development and its Status of Ayurveda
4. ^ Ayurveda Encyclopedia, "Know Ayurveda"
5. ^ ayurveda.in
6. ^ a b
7. ^ History of Ayurveda,ayurvediccure.com
8. ^ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atharva_Veda,_Ayurveda_verses
9. ^ Dr. Prabhakar Chatterjee. Ras Chkitsa.
10. ^ Ayurveda is Life - Best Ayurveda
11. ^ National Institute of Ayurvedic Medicine, United States
12. ^ Gerson, S, Green, LH, Preliminary Evaluation Of Antimicrobial Activity
of Extracts of Morinda citrifolia Linn., Abstr. Am. Soc. Microbiol. A-66:13
May 2002
13. ^ a b c Johnston, Barbara and Webb, Ginger (1997). "Turmeric Patent
Overturned in Legal Victory". HerbalGram Fall 1997 (41): 11.
14. ^ Ashwagandha next on patent hunters list,Hindu Vivek Kendra archive of
the Times of India May 16 2001
15. ^ a b Ayurveda under the scanner,The Hindu
16. ^ Central Council for Research in Ayurveda and Siddha.
17. ^ National Center for Complementary and Alternatie Medicine
18. ^ The Ayurveda Wars,Indian Express
19. ^ a b Journal of the American Medical Association
20. ^ a b Indian express
21. ^ Alan Keith Tillotson. AHG, PhD, D.Ay The One Earth Herbal Sourcebook:
Everything You Need to Know About Chinese, Western, and Ayurvedic Herbal
Treatments 2001
22. ^ Safety & Regulation -- Who's Watching the Herbal Store?", Tillotson
Institute of Natural Health.
23. ^ "Can we dispense with Ayurvedic samskaras?" Thorat S. and Dahanukar S.
J Postgrad Med. 1991 Jul;37(3):157-9.
24. ^ [1] "miraculous cures".
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