Ayurveda- Myths and Misconceptions

 

           It’s been thousands of years and Ayurveda is still around and doing well. That alone should be enough to silence the “Critics”!! But as its not, I am going to have to try to dispel some of the myths surrounding Ayurvedic medicine!

 

#Are Ayurvedic medicines and therapies scientific?

            The definition of health was explained in the samhitas (Classical texts of Ayurveda) long before WHO defined it. The human anatomy is explained albeit a little differently, but in exemplary detail. The seven layers of the skin were identified and named. Medicines with their indications are described; groups of medicines with similar functions are explained. Therapies with exact details on how to go about them and what happens when it’s done incorrectly, which mistake would lead to the particular condition and its exact treatment are all described. Any person with an ounce of scientific inclination in their head would agree that all this data could not have come if not for serious dedicated research from our Acharyas. The classical texts are not bunch of palm leaves bundled together and bound and given a name. They are scientific treatises with one chapter connecting the other. Each branch of science is given due importance. Anyone who reads the treatise would agree that the work has been carried out with scientific precision! I don’t think our Acharyas simply guessed that this drug would work for this condition and wrote it all down and made a book. As that would mean that the entire therapies prescribed are full of lucky guesses! And as they seem to be still working, this seems to be highly unlikely!! So for all those who would like to debate on whether Ayurvedic treatments are scientific, please do yourself a favour and stop flaunting your ignorance and go and study our treatises and then, let’s argue!! (i.e., if you still want to do so after reading them!)

#All Ayurvedic treatments are long and elaborate

            This common statement is so not true! The duration of the treatment depends on several factors like the severity of the condition and the disease itself. Many conditions can be cured by taking medicines just for a few days and some require month long treatment. This does not mean the medicine is lacking in potency, it just means that the disease is deep rooted. One other thing is, more the disease has progressed the more difficult it gets to treat it. Let me give an example; a young sapling is easier to uproot and takes a lot less time and effort than uprooting of a big old tree. Hope you get the point. In the Ayurvedic classics, diseases are clearly differentiated into various stages of curability like the easily curable, curable with difficulty, manageable and the incurable. You will also find the explanation regarding when and how an easily curable disease gets difficult to cure. So do keep in mind that its not always the fault of the doctor, sometimes you as a patient are also responsible for the swiftness of the outcome of the treatment. So its not always wise to ignore your symptoms. Ayurveda is marvelous but it’s not magic, it’s a science!!!

#Ayurvedic medicines are slow to act

            Ayurvedic medicines are usually found in the form of Kashayas(Aqueous medium), Arishtas(Alcoholic medium), lehyas, tablets, and ghee forms(Lipids). Each of these consists of herbs and minerals that are made into the above dosage forms in which they will show maximum effect to the targeted areas of the body. These are absorbed by the gut quite easily. The medium of the dosage form is also a vital piece to the puzzle. All these factors and many more are to be considered by the physician when they prescribe the medicines. It’s no small task. Hence it’s unlikely the medicine given doesn’t show the desired effect immediately. But then again, one mistake in this process of deduction and you end up with the wrong medicine. The science of ayurveda is intricate but exact. So the mistake would lie either with the doctor or the quality of the medicine. The mistake of the doctor can be easily set right but only if you go back to the doctor and let them know! If it’s the quality of the medicine that is disappointing, then its best to raise the issue with concerned authorities. So before generalizing the issue and blaming the science in general it is our duty to try to understand the cause.

#Pathya has to be followed during Ayurvedic treatments

            Yes this is true. So let’s see what exactly is pathya? It is a set of food habits and activities that are beneficial for the maintainance of health of your of body. Usually when a doctor prescribes medicines to you, he/she will also advice on the do’s (pathya) and don’ts (apathya) to be followed. Now the question is that, whether it is really important to follow these. And what happens if one doesn’t follow them. Well the answer is simple. You have to follow them. Why you ask? Let me explain, there are certain set of food habits and activities that are the causes for your ill health. And the first line of treatment mentioned in the classics for the management of any disease is what is called “Nidana Parivarjana” i.e., abstinence from the causative factors. Seems logical and rational isn’t it? To avoid what is causing you your condition in the first place! Indulging in them just because you can’t practice a little self restraint goes against the principles of treatment and it will only end up harming the positive outcome of the medicines given. Secondly, there are certain food stuffs and activities which, though not being the primary cause for your ill health (meaning you didn’t indulge in them), will certainly be harmful to you in your current condition because they might impede the effect of the herbs in the medicine or else might cause deterioration of your health. So wouldn’t you rather follow these simple rules for the few days that you are under treatment so that, you can live a healthy life later on?

#Side effects of Ayurvedic medicines

            This is a confusing myth to me. Because half of the people are under the impression that ayurvedic medicines are free of side effects and half of them under the impression that it causes side effects when taken with any other medicine. Frankly, I have yet to come across side effects caused by Ayurvedic medicine when taken with medicines of other system of medicine like Allopathic or Homeopathic medicines. Side effects due to Ayurvedic medicine might occur. There are again a few reasons to it. For example, if the minerals used are not purified properly before manufacturing, or if your medicine contains adulterants used as substitutes for the real drug. All these are causes of concern. If the quality of medicine is at stake then, the health of the patient is at stake. The credibility of Ayurveda is at stake. And that is a serious issue. So, more and more stringent measures should be put in place, to ensure that the drug quality does not ultimately suffer. It is the duty of all of you too, to report any discrepancies to the right authority. One other reason might be if the medicine doesn’t agree with the constitution of your body (prakruthi of your body) and this may cause skin eruptions, mouth ulcers etc. These might be just isolated cases which are the reaction of that particular person only to the medicine given. So again,(at the risk of repeating myself) please don’t generalize this to entire Ayurvedic medicine.!

#Ayurvedic therapy = Massage

            Now this is such a big misconception that I don’t think I alone can make much of a difference to it. Though that doesn’t and won’t stop me from trying and doing my bit! Massages, though being, a very good way to make money for the therapy centres,(and wooing foreign customers) is not an entire therapy in itself. Yes, it definitely is rejuvinative and relaxing. But, selling it as a curative therapy by itself is purely wrong, according to my opinion. In the classics, we find massages as a pre-treatment to the panchakarma procedures. They are procedures which are contributory towards cleansing your body of the toxins. Use of the copious amounts of oil, adding aromatic oils to massage oils, stone fomentation etc are just gimmicks to make the particular centres more lucrative and lack in textual backing. It is always advisable that before you decide you need a massage, you consult a doctor. If it’s for fatigue or pain or any other reason you are wishing for a massage doesn’t it seem sensible to find out why you are feeling fatigued and in pain in the first place? And please don’t ever equate an Ayurvedic centre to a Spa. It’s not just degrading but also goes to show how unaware you are about certain things in this world!

#Ayurvedic medicines are expensive!

          This is widely discussed and sadly, partly true. But there are some reasons for it. But this is my view to it. I can only guess why the costs are so high. As everybody is aware Ayurvedic medicines are herbal, mineral and herbo-mineral in nature. Everybody is also aware of the decline in the flora of our surrounding. It is getting more and more difficult for pharmaceutical companies to procure herbs of good potency cultivated in the prescribed manner. Due to the lack in the supply and the ever increasing demand for the herbs, the prices of the available resources soar high. And also, most of the Ayurvedic medicines have a long list of ingredients in them. The methods of preparation, of the medicines are also very elaborate leading to additional cost. So in my view though it’s a tad expensive its totally worth it! After all its for your health!

#Ayurveda and Use of Modern Diagnostic techniques

            I have always been of the opinion that why shouldn’t Ayurvedic doctors use these diagnostic techniques? These are just techniques after all! How do you expect a science to grow and prevent itself from becoming obsolete if you refuse to allow it to grow with the times and the advancement of technology? Do you mean to say that if MRI scanning and USG etc techniques were available to our Acharyas they would have refused to use them? Would they have refused saying we have the power of the inner eye to scan your body hence we do not need your advanced techniques? And coming to point where the modern science practitioner goes red faced arguing how an Ayurvedic doctor becomes a quack if he/she gives an I.V fluid. Again, it’s just a technique and unless the Ayurvedic doctor pushes some medicine or anti-biotic through the I.V. I don’t see how they are doing anything wrong.

            Nadi vignana or the art of pulse diagnosis was first done by Ayurvedic doctors, so does that mean everytime a non-ayurvedic doctor checks your pulse he turns into a quack? The technique of rhino-plasty is taken from Acharya Sushrutha’s technique and yet they are not the quacks! I guess the people’s idea regarding quackery moves in just one direction with just one system of medicine in mind!

            These are just some of my views regarding the Myths and Misconceptions surrounding Ayurveda. I hope atleast some of you find it useful. And the rest I hope you atleast had a good read!! Again before signing off, I would like to stress that these are just my take on some of the issues, I don’t intend to accuse or defame anybody of any organization. And if you find any mistake in anything please do let me know in the comment section. I appreciate you taking time to read this.

Thank you.

“Alone we can do so little, Together we can do so much” – Helen Keller