Ayurveda consultation helps to improve your overall health. It does not merely help to treat the disease, in fact, it helps to restore the optimum health of the whole body and mind. Let’s learn about what is ayurvedic consultation and how does it work.
What is Ayurvedic Consultation?
Ayurvedic Consultation refers to the expert advice from an ayurvedic doctor or practitioner that includes interpretation of the ayurvedic constitution, analysis of a specific dosha aggravation in the body, recommendation for improvement in diet and lifestyle and a prescription for the best suitable herbs and ayurvedic treatment to treat the disease.
As stated above, ayurveda consultation includes different segments, so we will discuss each segment of the consultation process:
Interpretation of Ayurvedic Constitution
There are three major factors that determine the body constitution. These include Vata, Pitta and Kapha. These three factors collectively called Tridosha in ayurveda. Ayurvedic science is entirely based on Tridosha Theory for interpreting the ayurvedic constitution. The imbalance in these three factors also contributes to a disease and different symptoms. Each person has a unique body constitution. This uniqueness also determines what type of diseases a person may suffer, or which types of diseases are more prone in that person.
For example, if Vata dosha is predominant in a person than the other two doshas, then the person is likely to suffer from Vata types of diseases. The common examples include – flatulence, intestinal gas, abdominal colic, exhaustion, pain and memory loss. Similarly, if a person has more Pitta dosha in his body, then he is likely to suffer from Pitta diseases. The common examples include hyperacidity, gastritis, heartburn, burning sensation during defecation, vertigo, restlessness, palpitation etc. In the same way, if a person is having excess Kapha in his body constitution, he is likely to suffer from Kapha diseases. The most common examples are obesity (includes easy weight gain, which is very difficult to lose).
Therefore, “Interpretation of Ayurvedic Constitution” is a very important step in an ayurveda consultation. It is an initial step before commencing ayurvedic treatment. It also determines the tolerability of herbs. It provides answers to an ayurvedic doctor for questions – which herbs will be more suitable in this patient and which should be given with precaution.
In fact, your body constitution decides what type of ayurvedic treatment will be more beneficial for your overall health and more suitable for treating a disease in your individual case. Based on these facts, each person having the same disease but having different body constitution may require a different approach to treat a disease in ayurveda.
However, there are many free online tools are available for determining ayurvedic body constitution, but an ayurvedic expert can provide a better judgment for your body constitution by asking different questions and analyzing different scenario of your life. So, it is always better to approach an ayurvedic doctor for better analysis of your body constitution.
Analysis of Dosha Aggravation
The three doshas are part of the body and their imbalance gives rise to different diseases or symptoms. According to ayurveda, everything in the world is made of five elements, which are also responsible for Tridosha in the living substance.
Vata Dosha | Ether (Space) + Air |
Pitta Dosha | Fire + Water |
Kapha Dosha | Earth + Water |
- Vata dosha represents movability of the energy, air and other elements.
- Pitta dosha represents energy transformation.
- Kapha dosha represents bondability of the energy and elements. It also reflects the mass.
The imbalance in three doshas gives rise to a disease. Depending on aggravation, increase and decrease in three doshas and in their level of intensity, the different diseases can develop. Bringing them in harmony and balance helps to treat the disease.
According to the aggravation of dosha or their increase and decrease in the body, the different medicines are prescribed by an ayurvedic practitioner. In the most instance, this approach gives awesome results treating even obstinate and chronic diseases. This is the reason why ayurvedic treatment is so successful for treating chronic diseases than modern medicine.
“Analysis of Dosha Aggravation” is a crucial part of the ayurvedic consultation. Likewise, body constitution, it also helps the ayurvedic doctor for selecting the best ayurvedic herbs for treating the disease. For analyzing dosha aggravation, your doctor will ask a set of questions and take the in-depth history of your disease, diet and lifestyle.
Tongue & Pulse Diagnosis
Furthermore, tongue analysis and pulse diagnosis are also very important ways to check the aggravated dosha, increase or decrease of any dosha. The appearance, color and coating of the tongue indicates an increase, decrease and vitiation of the specific dosha and effects of the disease on different organs. Similarly, pulse diagnosis also helps to analyze dosha and effects of the disease on the body and mind.
Recommendation for Dietary Improvement
During the ayurvedic consultation, the ayurvedic doctor will ask questions about your current dietary habits including details of your breakfast, lunch and dinner. This information helps to understand dietary factors contributing to your health problem.
The first treatment principle of ayurveda is “Food is Medicine”. The correct food can be the first medicine for treating the disease or stopping its progress. The diet can be different in each case depending on the specific disease, body constitution and aggravation of dosha, as discussed above. Ayurvedic doctor will prescribe diet according to these things.
Recommendation for Lifestyle Improvement
The unhealthy lifestyle of the patient can be a major contributing factor to several diseases. The common lifestyle disorders include atherosclerosis, diabetes, dyslipidemia, heart diseases and obesity. According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, lifestyle diseases had contributed 147678 deaths in 2013 within Australia.
The unhealthy lifestyle can also contribute to other diseases or worsen the health condition. Therefore, it is necessary to understand the patient’s lifestyle and make corrections in the lifestyle to treat and prevent the disease.
The teaching of ayurvedic science starts with advocating healthy lifestyles and food. Ayurveda also recommends special dietary and lifestyle changes according to seasonal changes that help to prevent and treat diseases. For all these things, the ayurvedic practitioner can help the patient. In ayurveda consultation, you will also get recommendations for these things, which will make your life better and healthier.
Prescription for Herbs & Ayurvedic Treatment
In addition to dietary and lifestyle improvement, ayurveda also have a wide range of treatment options. In ayurveda, herbs, ayurvedic medicines and panchakarma therapies are used for treating the disease. Ayurvedic science provides a better solution for the management of diseases by managing diet, changing lifestyle and recommending ayurvedic treatment.
The most important part of ayurvedic treatment is panchakarma, which includes 5 major therapeutic procedures and their subtypes. It helps to get rid of the disease by removing the root cause of the disease through its detoxifying and cleansing effects.
Ayurveda has a holistic approach that treats the whole patient considering the body, mind and soul than a single disease. So, it is the reason why many patients getting ayurvedic treatment for a specific disease also gets benefits in his/her other health problems. Ayurvedic treatment takes care of patient’s physical, psychological and spiritual well-being, so it attacks the disease from all possible sides of an illness.
In Ayurvedic consultation, the doctor first understands the body and mind, their tolerability for ayurvedic therapies, herbs and suitability of ayurvedic treatment according to all the things discussed above in the article. Then the final step is prescribing ayurvedic treatment accordingly.
Follow-ups
Follow-ups are a very important part of ayurvedic treatment. Timely follow-ups are a crucial part of treatment for ensuring the positive outcome of the ayurvedic treatment.
The most important thing is that as body and mind start responding to ayurvedic treatment, changes in dosha and other conditions also start appearing. After a few weeks, the patient may not need the same medicines as prescribed in the initial consultation. He may require a change in treatment according to the changes in health condition, symptoms, dosha and even season. Some medicines and foods may not be always good in all seasons. So, in follow-ups, the ayurvedic doctor also review his previous recommendations. If necessary, he may also advocate changes. Therefore, timely follow-ups are very important for all patients until they get a complete relief from the disease.
Dr. Pooja Saini.
Ayurvedic Consultant & Nurse Practitioner.
(Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery (BAMS), Master in Mental Health).
Working at Pure Herbal Ayurved Clinic in Melbourne, Australia.
References
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