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Ayurveda > Ayurvedic Treatment > Ashtang-Ayurved: Kayachikitsa
By Dr. Satish Kulkarni
Kaya means body and chikitsa means
treatment in the literal sense. But a
complete meaning of the word kayachikitsa
is treatment of the body internally
and externally, in every possible
way, in health and in diseased
condition, in all seasons—high
and low— so as to maintain and
achieve a status of complete health. Ayurveda
takes a holistic approach to the
treatment of the body. Change in
food, change in clothing, change in
residence as per seasonal needs,
change in lifestyle—ayam
and vyayam (exertion and
exercise), yogasadhana (yogic
exercises for body and mind), gati
(movements) and many similar things
are included in kayachikitsa.
Thus kayachikitsa means total
treatment of the body as is
necessary. This provides fitness and
assures health.
We saw in the
article on pathology that Ayurveda
follows two ways of treatment: shaman
and shodhan. Shaman is
soothing. It provides cooling to the
irritated body and mind. It gives
internal and external peace to both
the body and the mind. It is a method
aimed at achieving a status of health
with some rest and/or mild medicines.
Shaman walks by the side of
the body on the path of treatment. It
does not interfere with the functions
of the body aggressively but provides
necessary lubrication.
Shodhan
is a stronger way of treating the
diseased body, especially aggrieved doshas
(basic body elements) and dathus
(body tissues). It is a group of
therapies, which are basically
cleansing procedures. They help in
cleansing the body in every possible
way.
Shaman
and Shodhan constitute one way
of classification. Shaman
includes snehan and swedan.
Snehan is oiling of the body
internally and/or externally. Swedan
is induced sweating, preferably to be
done after snehan.
If shaman
is not sufficient to tackle the
dysfunction of the body, shodhan
is considered. Shodhan is used
to wash out inflammation in dosha-dhatu-mala
and to establish a state of health
again. Shodhan includes vaman
(artificially induced vomiting), virechan
(bowel cleaning with the help of
mild/strong herbal laxatives), basti
(medicated enema), nasya
(administration of medicines through
nasal route) and lastly raktamoksha
(‘impure’ blood letting).
There is
another way of classifying
treatments. It divides chikitsa
(treatment) into three parts. These
are purva-karma
(pre-procedures), panch-karma
(five main procedures which are
executed when thorough cleansing of
the body is necessary) and pashchat-karma
(follow-up treatment). Snehan
and Swedan are said to be purva-karma;
vaman, virechan, basti, nasya
and raktamoksha come under the
heading of panch-karma and
treatments like balya or bruhan
(strengthening the body), santarpan
(nurturing the body), rasayana
(rejuvenating therapy) and vajikaran
(improving sexual performance)
are pashchat-karma.
To summarize, pancha-karma
is purification therapy,
introduced by Ayurveda. It is
done after purva-karma and
followed by pashchat-karma.
All these are scientific and systemic
procedures. They are used when the
body is unable to cope up with its
situation. These procedures help in
bringing aggrieved dosha-dhatu-mala
back to normal status. They also help
in eradicating accumulated ama (toxins)
from the body.
Kaya
Elimination of
unwanted or toxic substances is a
basic tendency of the body. If the
body fails to do this on its own,
then milder procedures like shaman
can help. If shaman too does
not work, then complete cleansing is
achieved through one or more
procedures of the
panch-karma.
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