When listening to Panchakarma, one thought that strikes are “the purification of the body”. In my career of 15 years of serving patients and treating them with an Ayurvedic approach, the one thing that has remained constant in every treatment is the Panchakarma therapy. It not only purifies the entire body but also detoxifies it at the cellular level and promotes the rejuvenation process.
Here, we will discuss how panchakarma therapy helps to heal non-healing ulcers. What is the reason that we, as Ayurvedic health practitioners, employ panchakarma therapy for every condition?
What is panchakarma therapy?
A regimen of treatment called panchakarma purifies and rejuvenates the body, mind, and consciousness. According to Ayurvedic theory, each individual is a unique manifestation of the five fundamental components of ether, air, fire, water, and earth. Each person has a different balance of the three doshas (tridoshas) that result from the combination of these elements: Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. When this doshic balance gets out of whack, dysfunction, and disease occur. Since panchakarma is performed uniquely for each person while keeping in mind their unique constitution and specific disorders, it calls for close monitoring and supervision.
Step 1: Purvakarma:
Prior to the purification process actually starting, the body must be stimulated to release the toxins using the recommended techniques. Snehan and Swedana are these two processes.
Step 2: Pradhanakarma:
This stage includes five therapies:
- Vamana (Emesis): In this, an individual is prompted to vomit to eliminate Kapha. This helps in clearing clogs in the chest, an individual feels relaxed lungs, breathes freely, has clear thinking, a clear voice, and has a good appetite.
2. Virechan (Purgation): In this, a person releases excess Pitta/ This helps to reduce/eliminate skin inflammation, rashes, nausea, jaundice, chronic liver attacks, etc.
3. Basti (Enema): The main factor for manifestation of disease, i.e., Vata, is eliminated in this therapy. This helps in the nourishment of deeper tissues like bones.
4. Nasya (Nasal administration): The nose serves as both the entrance to the brain and the entrance to consciousness. Nasya is the term for administering medication through the nose. The closest orifice, the nose, is used to expel any extra body humors that have
built up in the sinus, throat, nose, or head areas.
5. Raktamokshana (Blood Cleaning): This therapy helps to eliminate toxins from the blood that are spread due to the absorption of toxins from the gastrointestinal tract. It helps to heal Pitta, Vata, and Kapha’s vitiated conditions.
Step 3: Paschatkarma:
This involves balancing your lifestyle to maintain a healthy body and bodily functions.
“Panchakarma: To initiate the body’s innate healing capacity and also render the body clean” It is evident that the cleansing of the body is initiated by panchakarma therapy. When an individual is suffering from non-healing ulcers, which are specifically caused due to vitiation of Pitta, Vata, and Kapha doshas, panchakarma initiates the healing process. The main reason for undergoing this therapy is to start the repair process.
Once the body is cleansed completely, the healing process that was obstructed due to the accumulation of toxins at the ulcer site is completely eliminated. Now, the body is prepared to undergo further procedures for wound healing.
Benefits of the Panchakarma therapy for non-healing ulcers:
1. Eliminate toxins from the entire body and mind
2.Restores constitutional balance, improving the health of an individual
3.Strengthens the immune system and becomes strong enough to resist illness
4.Reverses the negative effects of stress, which affects the healing process
5.Brings deep relaxation and well-being to an individual
Having known ayurvedic therapies to greater depth, I usually go for Virechana karma to eliminate accumulated doshas from the body and accompany it with Raktamokshana therapy using Jalaukavacharna (leech therapy). Usually, after these therapies, improvement is noticed in an individual.
After virechana therapy (and associated panchakarma therapies in some cases), the progress
seen is-
a. Decrease in inflammation
b. Reduction of the burning sensation at the wound site
c. Decrease in the secretion of pus
d. Significant relief in pain
e. Increased appetite
f. Complete stoppage of pus formation through wound lesions
This treatment is also associated with the intake of herbs and maintenance of lifestyle. Altogether, panchakarma, along with a healthy lifestyle, tends to eliminate pain and other symptoms of the non-healing wound. Further, when the 5th procedure of panchakarma, i.e.,
raktamokshana, is employed, a wound is almost set to heal completely.
Read more about Factors that affect wound healing
My Perspective
The modern way of treating ulcers employs the intake of medications including antibiotics, omeprazole, lansoprazole, phenytoin, etc., and reduces symptoms. Over a period of time, the wound becomes unresponsive to such medicines. This may be due to conditions like diabetes.
What Ayurveda focuses on is the root cause of the disease. The vitiation of dosha, being the root cause of non-healing ulcers, is targeted during treatment. I have seen patients healing daily from such conditions, all thanks to the wisdom of Ayurveda. This not only cures the wounds/ulcers but slowly reverses other conditions like diabetes.
I do not deny the fact that this procedure may take months to heal a wound completely, but the wound won’t return, I assure you!
