Contemporary Relevance of Holistic Healing Systems and Role of Ayurveda From A Clinical Perspective - was presented at an invited experts panel in Abu Dhabi on 26th May 2012. The program was conducted by Sheikh Sultan Bin Zayed Cultural and Media Centre.

1. Contemporary Relevance of
Holistic Healing Systems
and
Role Of Ayurveda From Clinical Perspective
Ayurvedic physician & R&D Director
Holistic Healing Medical Centre, Dubai
www.healthholistic.com
Adjunct faculty
Institute of Ayurveda & Integrative Medicine,
Bangaluru, India

2. TCAM - Demand & Supply
• World over the demand for TCAM is on constant
raise
• 60 - 80 % of world population depends upon
traditional medicine (WHO)
• Western countries 40%(UK), 80%(GER) yearly
consults a practitioner of TCAM
• Largest population practiced traditional
medicines are Ayurveda, Chinese Medicines
(WHO)

3. Why Raising Demand
• Chemical toxicity and side
effects
• Quest for more
compassionate, personalized
and comprehensive health
care
• Commercial exploitation

4. Resistance in Mainstreaming
• Lack of “scientific
evidence”
• Political resistance,
lobbying
• Ignorance & Exploitation

5. Ineffective Integration
• Lack of proper research base
• A mono-culture, narrowed RCTs &
EBM
• Meaningless integration due to
insensitivity of knowledge paradigms
• Wholistic and Reductionist paradigm
differences
• Inadequate fundamental cross
cultural research

6. Current Research Whose Evidence &
Whose Benefits?
• The political hegemony of
biomedicine
• Funded researches & investments
(vested interests)
• Commodification of the
production of evidence
• “RCTs” are biomedical centered
and therefore deeply political that
is tied up with power relations

7. Current Research Models EBM & RCT
• dissects traditional
medicine into standardized
and often much simplified
treatment methods
• evaluation based only on
biomedical outcomes

8. Short Comings
• EBM & RCT are Ideal, but not a
reality
• only <20% of medical treatments
are evidence based
• Scientific logic knowledge may
seem absolute truth, but its
relative, temporary
• Blinding - lacks somatic and
cognitive way of expression and
devoid of expectations

9. Realistic Approach
• Methodological pluralism - whole
system research
• Affordability, availability and social
cultural acceptability determines the
effectiveness of medicine to a greater
extend than the outcomes of
experimental and clinical research
• Scientific validation, is just one
indicator of local effectiveness of
medicines and treatments

10. Integration Or Pluralism
• “Holism is a key element of all systems of
traditional medicine. Therefore, when reviewing the
literature on traditional medicine (both herbal
medicines and traditional procedure based
therapies), the theories and concepts of the
individual practice of traditional medicine as well
as the cultural background of those involved must
be taken into account” (WHO 2000)

11. Ayurveda as a case study
• Multi instrumental approach to
treatment
• Rich pharmacopeia
• Non drug therapies
• Dietary and lifestyle imperatives
• Somatic manipulations by
medical procedures (pancha
karma)

12. Knowledge System
• Enquiry
• norms of verification
• conceptual architecture
• 3 strata
• strategies of its themes of
study

13. Ayurveda - Snapshot
• Truly holistic with real mind body
strategies
• First system in the world to define mind,
its affections comprehensively in health
care
• Drugs being voraciously studied by
modern pharmaceutical giants
• Unbroken tradition of 5000 years

14. Ayurveda - Snapshot
• Ayurveda’s non-linear logic - diseases are
linked to disturbances in feedback systems
which in turn tune aggregations of somatic
sensory emotional and cognitive functions
• centrally linked to a whole system approach,
multi causality frame work

15. Ayurveda - Snapshot
• selection of treatments and effects are
contingent upon factors such as somato-
psychological constitution (prakruti)
• habituation (Satmya) to food items, regimens and
climates
• digestive power (agni)
• disease resistance (balam)

16. Case Study

17. GI Disorders -
Core Indices
• Deranged Digestive Fire
• Deranged Energy Flow
• Chronicity
• Extent of Tissue Damage

18. Correcting GIT
• Correcting digestive fire
• Smoother energy flow
• Repair the tissue damage
• Maintenance & Rejuvenation

19. Case Selection
• Retrospective
• Previously diagnosed
• Had second opinion

20. GIT Symptoms
• Bloating
• Constipation
• Loose stools
• Burning Sensation
• Intolerance
• Indigestion
• Lack of Appetite
• Uncontrolled appetite
• Irregular Bowel Habits
• Abdominal Pain / discomfort
• Existing Diagnosis

21. Correlations
Diagnostic *Correlation
IBS grahani & subtypes
UC grahani & vidradi - complex
Non Specific Constipation sakritgraham
Colitis grahani - pitta vata type
*approximate Ayurvedic correlations;
References end of the document

22. Clinic Visits
Bloating
Constipation
Loose stools
Burning Sensation
Intolerence
Indigestion
Appetite -
Appetite +
Irregular Bowels
Pain
0 3.75 7.5 11.25 15
Sample : Random Bias : Random Observational Size : 30 Period : 2010 - 2012

23. 1
Case 1
Other Concerns
Presentation disturbed sleep, tiredness, frequent
head ache, “protruded tummy was
depressive”, hair fall, emotional
• Heaviness after eating disturbance affecting responsibilities
and relationships
• Abdominal pain & discomfort
• Bloating (20 years) on & off
• Incompleteness in defecation
Previous Diagnosis Ayurvedic Dx
• IBS, GIT studies NAD grahani, gunmam, ?arshas
XX - / F / 52 / IND

24. P
1
Management
Medications / Key Herbs
Counseling
Gandharvahastadi Oil - internal
3 Times
Trivrit Lehyam
Abhayarishtam
Cap Bael Period of Tx
Avipathi Choornam 8 Weeks +
Pippalyadi Oil Enema
Results
Diet & Lifestyle Recommendation
Head ache never experienced, sleep
Soups & Porridge Diet, food in time
improved, bloating reduced, - 15 cm
Cooked Food difference in hips & -8 cm in the waist,
Juices, herbal tea no abdominal heaviness, improved
45 minutes Walk daily energy, improved physical relationship,
hair loss stopped, lost 3.9 Kg
New Symptoms / Exacerbations
NIL
XX - / F / 52 / IND

25. Objectives Of Healing
• improving homeostasis and patient
characteristic
• Cleansing, correction and harmonizing
• emotional well being
• improving relationship
• positive interaction with environment
• sustainable cure
• preventive maintenance

26. Human Effects instrumental in
therapeutic success
• Natural course of disease
• Body’s self healing mechanism
• routine medical and nursing care
• regimens such as rest, diet, exercise and relaxation
• the easing of anxieties through diagnosis and treatment
• patient doctor relationship
• classic conditioning and learned behaviours
• expectation of relief and the power of human imagination
• will and belief of both patient and healer

27. Whole Systems Research
• Clinical, physiological, psychological and
biochemical parameters that makes sense
within the logic of traditional medicine
• Logic of TRM are mainly descriptive and
phenomenological and differ from analytical
and reductionist perspective of modern
science and biomedicine

28. Meaningful Integration
(Pluralism)
• Working with “patient centric”, “result oriented” team
effort
• understanding of safety and potential dangers
• When to refer where to refer
• Mutual respect
• Continuing interaction
• art of healing

29. References
Sujatha,V. (2011). What could “integrative” medicine mean? Social science perspectives on contemporary Ayurveda. Journal
of Ayurveda and Integrative Medicine, 2(3), 115–123. doi:10.4103/0975-9476.85549

30. Thank You
hafeel@gmail.com