Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine

Lecturer: M.K. SASTRY

acupaincare.india@gmail.com

Cell no: 8473814247

**online seminar/classes will start in November

Ayurveda Medicine

• ‘ayurvedic’ means the science of life & longevity

• Comprehensive system combines natural therapies [ herbs, diet, ex ] with a prof approach to treatment

The Template for Forms of CAM & Analysis (last pg in outline):

• In general, what is practice of ____?

• What supports this belief/practice ?

• What can be learned fr history and variations of this form of CAM ?

• Examples of diagn, use & treatm ?

• What evidence and how to explore it both/either quantity & qualitatively ?

• What prof prep/certific needed to do ?

Derivatives:

• 8 derivative branches [ p. 221 in text chapter 10] in modern med: pediatrics, ob/gyn, opthamalogy, geriatrics, otolaryngology, toxicology, surgery and general medicine

• Modern healing modalities s/a massage, diet, herbal, acupuncture etc have roots in Ayurv philosophy

Balance in Ayurvedic

3 doshas

energies

Vata or

thin

Pitta or

muscul

Kapha

large

Body Thin,

delicate

Medium Hvyset

Mind Hyperact Orderly

Perfecist

relaxed

Soul Intuitive Loving &

passion8

forgiving

The Energies & bodily functions :

Doshas Vata

( Ecto )

Pitta

( Meso )

Kapha

( Endo )

Bodily

Function

Eats &

sleeps

Constip

Cramps

Loves

food

Ulcers, hrtburn,

Eats slowly

Allergies

Hi chol

** see effects of tastes on the 3 doshas p. 223

Conception of individual

•Vata, pitta & kapha factors from parents combine with season, time, quality of emotional relationship with self and others/universe

•‘constellates’ the qualities of the individual

• our indiv constitution is made and does not vary, according to Ayurvedic

•Note pages 227-229 re characteristics of each dosha & where you see yourself.

The Five Elements :• Space, Air, Fire, Water & Earth are the most fundamental to Ayur

science/art

• Dosha energy comprised of the 5 blue elements where Air & Space is energy of movement (vata); fire & water constitute pitta with the principle of digestion; water & earth make up kapha, the energy of structure & lubrication

The

Elements

& doshas

& where

rep in

the body

K

P

V

Ayurvedic

Tongue

Diagnosis

Areas

Ayur Treatment :

• 4 step process of ~ cleansing & de-toxifying ~ palliation

~ rejuvenation ~ mental & spiritual healing

• Instead of going thru each step in class, have posted these steps as slides on web site for this Module

Ayur Treatment : Step 1

•Cleansing and Detox involves anything from induced vomiting, bowel enema, blood cleansing

•Use herbal steam saunas for skin detox

•After this, preparations of yogurt & herbs used to replenish intestinal bacteria

Ayur Treatment : Step 2

•Palliation used to balance the doshas

•Combo of herbs, yoga stretches, breathing exercises, meditation

•Palliation is treatment as well as daily practice for healthy folk

•Want daily discipline and good assimilation of food

Ayur Treatment : Step 3

• Rejuvenation is basically body/mind/spirit tune-up thru

• Herbal treatments

• Mineral preparations suited to affected dosha

• Yoga exercises

Ayur Treatment : Step 4

• Mental hygiene & spiritual healing attempts to improve mind to hier level of spiritual functioning thru:

• Sound therapy or use of mantras

• Meditation & yoga

• Pharmaceutics or remedies

Conclusions re Ayurvedic System:

•Sophisticated and ancient system from India ( & Tibet )

•Focuses on whole organism & reln to external world

•Seeks to estab/maintain harmonious balance within/outside the body

•Texts are in Sanskrit but Columbia Univ in NY devoted to inquiry & educ about ancient Indian medicine/healing

Module 3: Ancient Systems: Traditional Chinese Medicine

•In China, TCM is under the administration of State Administration of TCM and Pharmacology

•TCM is defined as a medical science governing the theory and practice of traditional Chinese medicine

•it includes Chinese medication, pharmacology/herbology, acupuncture, massage, and Qigong

Traditional Chinese Medicine - Acupuncture

• Origins of TCM shrouded in mystery; perhaps BCE origins

• Best trace is to origins at start of CE with rudiments of acupuncture and herbal medicine

• TCM stymied in develop by political ravages; not until mid 20th C ( Ch Mao ) did TCM become systematized into colleges/univ tr

HEADACHES

LI 4

Half way

along the

second

metacarpal

DISAPPEARING TENSION

(Small Intestine 12)

SI 12

INSOMNIA

SPLEEN 6

just above tip of medial malleolus, behind the

tibia.

SORE THROAT

Lung 11

EXAM ANXIETY

Heart 7

First skin

crease

Thumb side of

tendon at crease.

What does Acupuncture treat

• what is treated is daily life, chronic kinds of irritants, illnesses

• Balance restoration is key

Most common Acu-treatable conditions:

• Nausea & vomiting

• Tendinitis

• Insomnia

• Dysmenorrhea; Fibromyalgia

• Headache, neck pain; TMJ pain; post surgical pain; back pain; osteoarthritis

• Strokes; arthritis; dental procedures

What’s the Evidence ?

• WHO lists 40 conditions for which qualitative claims have been made for effectiveness

• By gold standard science, ev is inconclusive whether acupuncture is effective

Body’s energy meridians & centers

Major Meridians

•Lung ~ LU

•Large intestine ~ LI

•Stomach ~ ST

•Spleen ~ SP

•Heart ~ HT

•Small Intestine ~ SI

•Bladder ~ BL-UB

•Kidney ~ KI

•Pericardium ~ CX P HC

•Tri-heater ~ TH

•Gall Bladder ~ GB

•Liver ~ LIV

•Conception Vessel

•Governing vessel

The Literature re Ac Effectiveness

•Many of the studies done in China

•Systematic bias in that literature bec meta analyses show very hi eval of effectiveness in Chinese med lit, 99% effective vs 80-85% in western countries’ med lit

•Many of the Chinese studies used no placebo, no control group at all

•Thus, great skepticism

What has Acupuncture shown ?

•Most positive results in studies re nausea and vomiting

•Use P6, about 2 inches above wrist crease using wrist band w pearl-sized bead; thus can standardize treatment & self-stim P6

•Effectiveness of P6 stim for anesthesia-induced nausea using double and single blind studies

What has Acupuncture shown ?

•Tendinitis treated well in single-blind, placebo control studies where treatm shown to be slightly more effective than placebo group

•Tennis elbow double-blind study using sham acupuncture showed greater tolerance of pain & elbow use for treatment group

Others•Success re treating insomnia – but imagine practical problems here

•Some success in DB study treating dysmenorrhea with a 41% reduction in use of pain medication by treatm group

•Being used more now to alleviate pain of chronic fatigue ( fibromyalgia )

•Mixed results re treating headaches & asthma; widespread use in treating TMJ

Back Pain & Acupuncture• Western society fascinated by possible use of acu in LBP treatm

• All kinds of studies comparing acu with physical therapy, massage, chiro treatments

• In most studies, hier rate of effectiveness in PT, mass, chiro

Conclusions re Evidence ?

•Now working to standardize and do well administered studies

•Ex: in US, acu needles now classed by FDA as legit medical device rather than experimental device

•Greater funding for res now in the West which should help

•Also, better acceptance of case studies vs DB controlled ones

Acupuncture in Canada• Variety of institutes and colleges

• Most well known is Academy of Clinical Chinese Medicine of Toronto

• Also, Grant MacEwan College in Edmonton offers Prov government-sanctioned diploma program

• And, on West Coast…

Standardization of Training•3 years to become certified acupuncturist

•4 years to become TCM Practitioner

•5 years to become Doctor of TCM

Final Thoughts

•Typical CAM area

•Will never meet DB standards

•Need more longitudinal studies to mount evidence

•Viable ‘alternative’

•Tough to form decision basis for health consumer but note the ‘communization’ of acupuncture and herbs via web sites

THANK YOU

**online seminar will be staring in November.

OUR CLINIC:2ND FLOOR, JKON BUILDINGOpp. Sonaram Field, Sonaram High SchoolBharalamukh, Guwahati-781009

Copy right: M K SASTRY