PANCHAKARMA ANDHEALTH

Dr. Ananth Ram Sharma P.V

M.D Panchakarma

Introduction

Panchakarma is becoming a very popular word of Ayurveda all over the world with lot of charisma. If you open Internet you can see thousands of website attributed to Panchakarma. These Five therapeutic procedures are the important therapeutic applications in Ayurveda. If you see any metabolic diseases, two criteria have to be considered essentially. One is Agnimântyam (impaired digestive fire) and another is Srothorotham (Obstruction of channels). So Agnidîpanam( Improving the digestive fire) and Srothosodanam (Cleansing the channels) become an important part of treatment as well as prevention of metabolic diseases. Panchakarma is targeted in this level. So, that is why it has become so popular in the art of healing.

Cleansing is very important in the spiritual, physical and the mental levels. Man has been subjected to suffering from three types of diseases like physical diseases, mental disharmony and spiritual ignorance. For this the cleansing has been stressed. It starts with physical cleansing.

Analysis

Panchakarma consists of three Stages. They are Purvakarma (pre requisite procedures), Pradhanakarma (Main procedure) and Paschatkarma (Post Procedural regimens). All these three stages are unavoidable for the success of Panchakarma.

Panchakarma is not only done in diseased person, but also as a preventive or prophylactic measure (seasonal).

Why Panchakarma is important?

What is the principle behind Panchakarma?

Here Panchakarma denotes Vamana (Emesis), Virechana (Purgation), Basthi (Enema- Oil and decoction), Nasya (Nasal Instillations), Rakthamokshana (Blood letting- Leech, Venesection and others).The physiological unit, the Doshas (Humors) in the body decide the nature of the illness and the mode of treatment. If the cause is degenerative you do a regenerative therapy, if the cause is regenerative (Nourishing) we do a degenerative (under nourishing) therapy. The treatment is opposite to the same.

Vamanam

It’s the act of vomiting using different medicines. Vamanam is done in kapha diseases mainly. Commonly we do vamanam in conditions like bronchial asthma, Psoriasis, epilepsy, psychosis, chronic rhinitis e.t.c.

Virechanam

It is the procedure where the medicines are consumed orally to evacuate the stool along with the vitiated Pitta. It is indicated mainly in the diseases of Pitta. Dose of the virechana is decided on the basis of bowel habits so as to give to give Strong, Moderate or Mild purgatives.

Vasthi

Administration of medicines through the anal rout is called as vasthi. Mainly Vasthi is of two types; Anuvasanam Vasthi (Using Oil) and the Kashaya Vasthi (Using Decoctions of herbs, oil, and Honey e.t.c). Because of its multidimensional action vasti is important among all the Procedures. It directly conquers Vata in its vital seat. 

Commonly vasti is done in low backache of various etiologies, infertility, irritable colon, rheumatoid syndrome and arthropathy, neurological deficits, ulcerative colitis, etc.

Nasyam

Nasyam is an independent karma for the disorders of head and neck. Here the medicines are administered through the Nasal rout. Nasyam is given in the form of decoction, juice, oils and powder. It is done usually in mental diseases, bleeding per nose, cervical spondylosis, tinnitus, insomnia, aphasia, ptosis, myasthenia gravis, migraine, disorders of hair and Pigmentation in face.

This is an overall picture of Panchakarma.

There are other procedures like gandûsham, dhûmapanam, kavalam, Udvarthanam, pizhichil, Different Pinda swedas, Shirodhara, Shiro Vasthi, Akshi seka, Upanaha, Karna Dhupana, Abhyanga and Swedana which are also used as supportive and independently.

Pashchat Karma (Post Procedural regimens)

After Panchakarma Samsarjana Kramam (Dietic Regimen) and specific Rasayanam (Rejuvinative drugs) are to be advised.

Role of Panchakarma in Healthy individual

Even though in the healthy individual without proper following of Dinacharya and the Ritucharya and the Change of food & activities etc. cause the sroto avarodha which in turn cause accumulation of Dosha which may lead to Loss of nutrition into the tissues and results in the commencement of disease. So to remove this blockage of channels the Panchakarma helps a lot.

By the proper following of Panchakarma will help in the prevention of epidemic diseases by in creasing the immunity. Periodical Panchakarma will helps in the elimination of waste products of the body, which are accumulated in the minute channels and the body parts. And further promote & maintain the physiological functions of the channels and the bodily organs. It increases the life span by giving strength to the body (by proper nourishment).It delays the aging process.

Benefits of Panchakarma

Improves the intellectual power, strength of the sense organs, provides stability of the tissues, improves digestion, removes the waste products of the body, cures the disease, provides complexion and luster, increases the strength and extends the life span.

Conclusion

Panchakarma helps in Promotion Positive health and in the maintenance of health. The periodical adaptation of Panchakarma saves the manpower, money and the time by protecting the human beings from diseases by providing immunity. Panchakarma is one of the Pre procedures for Rasayana therapy. Apart from all of this it cures the diseases. 

To popularize theses Panchakarma procedures the educational programs such as conducting medical camps, awareness programs, media publications, seminars etc. should be conducted to the public. Opening of enough Panchakarma centers, availability of qualified Panchakarma specialists also necessary. There should be constant support from the government and the authorities. From the above passage it is clear that Panchakarma can do drastic changes in the successful health care.

Thank you,