Ayurveda
Ayurveda is a healing system from India that dates back 4,000 years—and is still the main form of medicine used there today. The word Ayurveda combines "Ayur" (life) and "Veda" (knowledge).
Ayurveda acts on the body's systems and organs, like Western medicine, and also on the body's "vital" energy. According to the Ayurvedic theory, there are three "vital" energies or doshas in the body, with the Sanskrit names of vata, pitta, and kapha.
Our bodies are a mix of these three doshas, and all three must be in balance for good health:
- Vata is linked to the air element and relates to the nervous system
- Pitta is linked to the fire element and relates to metabolism and digestion
- Kapha is linked to the water element and relates to the mucous membranes, moisture, fat, and the lymph system
Since each of us has a unique blend of doshas, treatments are individual. Two people may have the same symptoms, but need different treatments. Ayurveda finds that good digestion is key to good health and poor digestion makes toxins and illness.
How Ayurvedic practitioners are trained
Ayurvedic practitioners attend one of the 106 medical colleges in India. There are 22 schools in 11 states in the U.S. and in British Columbia that offer Ayurvedic training. Some have correspondence courses as well. The Ayurvedic Institute in New Mexico and the National Institute of Ayurvedic Medicine (NIAM) in New York offer certificate programs. NIAM has a correspondence course, too.
How an Ayurvedic Practitioner Might Treat Diabetes and Kidney Disease
"During a first visit, we give patients a complete physical exam. We also feel the pulses in the wrist and consider the individual's type according to a system of doshas—vata, pitta, and kapha. Doshas are related to body types and energetic nature. We work to understand the imbalance of the doshas and suggest treatments to restore the balance between them. Given the kidneys' relationship to the body's fluids, the kapha dosha may be involved, since it relates to the energy of water.
"Diabetes I and II, and immune-related problems, are often considered for Ayurvedic treatments. Diabetic complications and control of blood sugar levels can often be achieved through Ayurveda alone or with conventional medicines.
"The Ayurvedic philosophy suggests that a balanced system is the best defense against disease. Treatment is with cleansing, herbs and teas, massage, and perhaps yoga postures, breathing, or meditation for mental and spiritual hygiene."
Caution: If you are on a special diet for diabetes or CKD, you may not be able to follow some of the food or drink suggestions made by an Ayurvedic practitioner.
The College of Maharishi Vedic Medicine in Iowa offers a B.A. degree that prepares students to be health educators or consultants to doctors. Some doctors also choose to be trained in Ayurveda, so they carry the letters MD (Ayu), M. Phil. (Ayu), or Ph.D. (Ayu). Other practitioners who complete a 5-year program in India have the title of BAMS. Ask a practitioner to explain his or her training. As of August 2007, there is no licensing in the U.S. as there is for doctors. States vary in how they regulate Ayurvedic practitioners. These holistic centers offer Ayurvedic treatment:
- Maharishi Vedic Health Center in Lancaster, MA.
- The Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health in Stockbridge, MA.
- Medical Ayurveda Rejuvenation Center in Newport Beach, CA.
- The Ayurveda Medical Group has three centers:
- Mount Pearl, Newfoundland, Canada
- St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada
- Durango, Colorado, U.S.
- The National Ayurveda Medical Association is in Santa Cruz, CA.
