Everything You Want to Know about Ayurveda – Part 4

• Prakriti Pareeksha - Determining the constitution or birth type of the person
• Vikriti Pareeksha - Determining the imbalance of Dosha or Dhushya (Dhatu) of the person

Prakriti Pareeksha identifies your constitution and based on that, the doctor guides the patient to eat the right food and follow a certain routine. You can consult our doctors to help understand your dosha and get recommendations based on your Dosha type. Vikriti Pareeksha gives the exact diagnosis by addressing the issues, symptoms, finding out where the dosha is moving to, and if it is mixed with mala (waste) or ama (non-digested food). You can consult our Ayurvedic Doctor to diagnose and prescribe the right course of treatment for you. In Ayurveda, the concept of Agni, or the digestive fire, is a key factor that guides our physiological makeup, or our Prakruti and Vikruti. One should have strong Agni to feel fit. Lesser Agni indicates suffering.
Digestion Process in the Body All the food that we eat should be digested in the body. The body absorbs the required nutrients from the food and the rest is expelled out of the body as waste. However, this cycle is sometimes disturbed due to external negative aggressors like stress, weather change, inappropriate food and lifestyle habits causing the food to not get digested completely. This half-digested un-metabolized food cannot be clearly identified as nutrient or waste. Therefore, it is neither absorbed nor expelled out and circulates in the body as toxins. Ayurveda has named such toxins as "Ama", literally meaning undigested or uncooked.
Why is Ayurvedic Diagnosis and Treatment more effective?
An Ayurvedic diagnosis, and subsequent treatments, differs from the modern medicine, because Ayurveda identifies and treats the root cause of illness, whereas modern medicines only treat symptoms. Diagnosis is made not only on the disease level (called Roga), but also on the patient level (called Rogi), which includes patient's environment, age, sex, habits, the frame of mind, diet, appetite, physical condition, physiological state and many more. This kind of examination has two-fold advantage, first it conducts exhaustive diagnosis and secondly it allows tailor treatments, specific to each patient. Therefore, they are more effective. The Ayurveda considers the body as a whole human being, and believes that everybody has the potential and energy to bring it back from illness to a healthy and balanced state.
Diagnostic Procedures The diagnosis of the disease involves identifying its causes. An eight step diagnostic procedure called
Ashtasthana Pareeksha is followed. 1 Akriti - Examination of physique, lean, plump, fat, etc. 2 Nadi (Pulse diagnosis) - Examination of the strength, rhythm, speed and quality of pulse. Generally, Vata pulse is fast, Pitta pulse is throbbing, Kapha pulse is slow and heavy. 3 Jihwa - Examination of tongue based on colour, smoothness 4 Malam - Examination of stool based on colour, smell, texture 5 Mootram - Examination of urine based on colour, smell, density, quantity 6 Sabdam - Examination of voice, based on pitch, blabbering 7 Sparsanam - Examination of body temperature, hot or cold 8 Drik - Examination of the colour of conjunctiva, watery or dry eyes
Method Analysis (Trividha Paeeksha) Based on Ashtasthana Pareeksha, Ayurveda uses three method analysis for Vikriti Pareeksha:

1. Observation (Darshanam) – ‘Akriti’, ‘Drik’ are examined. The practitioner evaluates general physical health by analyzing the patient, their body structure, eyes, skin texture, cracks in lips, quality of hair and nails.
2. Touch (Sparshanam) – Rogi’s ‘Nadi’, ‘Jihwa’ and body temperature are examined. The practitioner scans the patient based on techniques like palpation (pressing), auscultation (listening to sounds of internal organs) and percussion (tapping). There is special focus on the patient's pulse, tongue, nails, and speech. Testing of ‘Malam’(stool) and ‘Mootram’ (urine) is also a part of this.
3. Questioning (Prashnanam) –The practitioner asks the patient about his/her complaints, symptoms, duration of discomfort and disease progression. The practitioner also inquires about any incidents that have triggered the symptoms, the mental and psychological conditions.

All the three methods are equally important and effective for the diagnosis, based on which the treatment protocol is determined for the patient.
Treatment in Ayurveda
Health and wellness depends on a delicate balance between the mind, body, and spirit. Ayurvedic treatment aims to promote good health and state of homeostasis (balance), not fight disease. The science of Ayurveda is based on maintaining a healthy metabolic system, good digestion and excretion for the vitality, health, and long life. Balance is the key to a healthy lifestyle. Do not control or suppress the natural urges, at the same time; do not indulge too much in them. Food, sleep, sexual intercourse, physical exercises and all emotional activities should be in moderation. There are a wide array of treatments and therapies available in Ayurveda. Ayurveda treatment starts with an internal purification process, followed by a special diet, herbal remedies, massage therapy, yoga, and meditation. Practitioners may include medicine and treatment or just treatment or just medicine in an individual's Dincharya (daily recommended routine) and Ritucharya (seasonal routine). To know more about the treatment methodologies, common medicines and how Ayurveda is contrary to modern medicine, consult our Ayurveda practitioner. (Image Source - www.blog.drvikram.com)