Ayurveda as a Methodology.
Ayurvedic consultations comprehensively assess the individual's current constitution, eating habits, emotions, stress and energy levels, sleeping patterns, toilet habits, relationships, lifestyle, and environment. This holistic overview of the patient's life allows the practitioner to identify the causative factors that may lead to disease. It then seeks to restore balance through personalised treatment plans, including diet and lifestyle modifications, herbal remedies, and various therapies mentioned in this essay.
The Ayurvedic methodology treats the person as a whole, recognising that physical health is closely linked to emotional and spiritual well-being. According to the teachings of ayurveda, imbalances in one area of the body or mind can affect the whole person. Therefore, it seeks to address imbalances in all areas to promote optimal health and well-being. This is a sophisticated methodology that utilises various diagnostic techniques known as pariksha. Two widely used methods are trividha pariksha and ashtavidha pariksha.
Trividha pariksha involves three steps: darshana (observation), prashna (questioning), and sparshana (physical examination) (Lad, 2007). Darshana involves observing the patient's appearance, including their complexion, body structure, and movements. Prashna involves collecting information about the patient's medical history, lifestyle, and symptoms. Sparshana involves touching and palpating various parts of the patient's body, such as the pulse, tongue, and abdomen, to assess their condition (Lad, 2007).
Ashtavidha pariksha, on the other hand, involves eight steps: nadi pariksha (pulse examination), mutra pariksha (urine examination), mala pariksha (stool examination), jihva pariksha (tongue examination), shrota pariksha (eye examination), twak pariksha (skin examination), shabda pariksha (voice examination), and sparshana (palpation) (Lad, 2007). These eight methods fully assess the patient's physical and mental state.
Nadi pariksha, for example, is an ancient technique which requires many years of experience to be performed with depth (Sharma and Dash, 2008). According to Lad (2007), the pulse represents the body's flow of energy or life force (prana). By examining the pulse, the practitioner can identify imbalances or disturbances in the body's energy flow and diagnose the patient's condition according to the quality and characteristics of the pulse.