The Kerala Ayurvedic Treatment

The subject is too vast that I am forced to confine myself to a few traditional treatments special to Kerala. Dhara (dripping), pizhichil (a form of body irrigation with warm oil), navarakizhi (fomentation with navara rice cooked in milk and decoction), navaratheppu (anointment with a paste made of navara rice powder cooked in milk and decoction), talam (application of medicated pastes on the vertex) and thalapothichil (covering the head with medicated paste) are some of them.

The best brains of ancient ayurvedic physicians of Kerala, guided by their experience, evolved a few unique methods of treatment to improve the healthcare system. Their prime aim was to make the ayurvedic treatment less expensive and accessible to common man without losing its efficacy. They are very keen to adhere to the fundamental therapeutic approach of ayurveda while designing the treatment profiles. Salubrious climate of Kerala, abundant availability of resources required for treatment, deep knowledge – base of traditional medical fraternity including Ashtavaidyas and the scientific temper they maintained in practice set a congenial background for the development of medical science. Social and environmental atmosphere that prevailed in Kerala also contributed largely.

The environmental conditions and the way of living of Keralites need special mention here. Kerala is rich in her flora and fauna, with high medical value. The people enjoy regular inunction with oil, daily bath and restricted diets enforced by customs and beliefs.

The modus operandi of Kerala special treatments can be correlated to some divine rituals too. For instance, the origin of dhara can be traced to the tantric practices of Siva temples. Siva is the God of yoga and he enjoyed dhara with liquids. The miraculous effects of dhara on the psychosomatic diseases justify this correlation medically. Similarly the inestimable effects of oil massages would have their source in kalarippayattu, the martial art of Kerala. The marma treatment, which was prevalent from early time also, might have helped to evolve massage-based therapies. What could be seen in Kerala special treatment is an excellent blend of the experiences of the traditional practitioners with tridosha concept of the classical texts.

The most important singular fact for the popularity of these treatments will be the unorthodox and innovative mind of the Kerala physicians. While receiving liberally from the ancient stock they enriched the tradition by creatively contributing to it. Kerala special therapies remain to be a key component in modern Ayurvedic treatment too. Its role as a pre-operative procedure of panchakarma therapy is well recognized. Kerala special treatment combined with panchakarma therapy constitute a unique form of medication, which is capable of dealing with many new medical challenges such as auto-immune disease and degenerative diseases. Cutting across the regional differences, ayurvedic physicians accept the therapeutic value of Kerala special treatment, which has now become an integral part of ayurvedic practice.

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