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asteriskyou are here: > Home > Read  > Health  > Living medical traditions  > Ayurveda 
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Topic section: Ayurveda
TOPIC SECTION:
Ayurveda
Ayurveda is a living medical tradition with a history reaching back more than two thousand years. With roots in the Indian subcontinent, its infl
Image: According to Ayurveda, examining the size, shape and colour of the eyes gives information about the balance of the doshas
According to Ayurveda, examining the size, shape and colour of the eyes gives information about the balance of the doshas.
Copyright: Mark de Fraeye
uence has spread to many other parts of the world. The name Ayurveda comes from ayus (life) and veda (knowledge or science), indicating that Ayurveda incorporates a whole way of life.

Three forces called doshas are central to the Ayurvedic concept of the body. These doshas are known as vata, pit
A healthy person’s pulse should be like an elephant - slow, steady and regular.
ta and kapha. Your health, character and appearance can all be influenced by the dominant dosha in your body. The fundamental aim of Ayurveda is to use treatments and lifestyle to bring your doshas as closely as possible into balance.

Your physical appearance and pulse can suggest imbalances in the doshas, indicating where in the body an illness is focused. Highly trained Vaidyas (Ayurvedic doctors) rely on their senses to help diagnosis. Examining patients’ physical characteristics can give clues. For example, different medical problems give the pulse a distinct character, often compared to the characteristics of animals. A healthy person’s pulse should be like an elephant - slow, steady and regular.The Vaidya also questions the patient. First impressions are very important and diet, lifestyle and state of mind are all relevant when making a diagnosis.

Vaidyas treat patients from all levels of society and all religious backgrounds. Sometimes they use Ayurvedic trea
Image: Meditation, like yoga, has strong links with Ayurveda and is often recommended as part of an ‘Ayurvedic lifestyle’
Meditation, like yoga, has strong links with Ayurveda and is often recommended as part of an ‘Ayurvedic lifestyle’.
Credit: Science & Society Picture Library
tments alongside those from other medical traditions.

When treating illnesses, Vaidyas generally use two types of therapies. Some actively purge and purify the body to eliminate the causes of disease (shodhana). Other therapies are more passive and soothe the symptoms of disease (shamana).

The centrepiece of Ayurvedic treatment is panchakarma therapy. Meaning the ‘five actions’, panchakarma is a series of procedures - including vomiting, purging and enemas - which aim to drive out harmful doshas (forces) and waste products.

Vaidyas are as concerned with preventing illness as with treating it. They are as likely to prescribe exercise and changes in diet as they are medicine. They will also recommend a disciplined and balanced lifestyle - which may include early mornings, fewer late nights and special attention to personal cleanliness and hygiene.


 

 
 
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Topic section: Traditional Chinese Medicine
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Balance and harmony are essential in Traditional Chinese Medicine – good health is believed to stem from the smooth flowing of the cosmic energy, qi (chi). TCM started in China more than two thousand years ago, and is now integrated into health care systems around the world.  > more

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Topic section: African medical traditions
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For thousands of years, Africa’s many medical traditions have grown and changed in response to local disease and sickness. Although a diverse continent, certain elements of theory and practice are common to the many African medical traditions taking a holistic, community-led approach to medicine.  > more
 
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