Panchkarma is the process, which finds and cures the root cause of a problem by maintaining the correct balance of ‘Tridosha’ in body. Pancha Karma is not only good for alleviating disease but also beneficial during periods of transition whether it is a change of season or change in your personal/professional life like marriage, divorce or a transition into a new phase of your life. This therapy helps to remove the undesired elements from the body, enhance digestion and improve metabolic process through food herbal medicines. Panchkarma means the five therapies:

1) Vamana (therapeutic vomiting or emesis)

2) Virechana (purgation)

3) Nasya (elimination of toxins through nose)

4) Vasti (enema)

5) Raktamoskshana (detoxification of blood)

EYES AND PANCHKARMA

Eyestrain due to TV, computer, pollution, watering of eyes, dimness of vision, formation of cataract are some of the eye diseases cured by panchkarma.

Netratarpan- it is one of the therapeutic processes for the treatment of eye. It cleanses eyes by bathing them in pure medicated ghee. It gives a cooling effect to the eyes and strengthens optic nerve thus improving eyesight.

Akshitarpan

Akshi’ means eyes, Tarpan means nutrition. This is a process where herbally medicated Ghee is poured over the eyes and fresh black gram paste is applied. Netravasti is a treatment for the eyes. To undergo this treatment the patient is made to lie on his back on the droni as in Urovasti. A receptacle is built around the eyes with black gram dough for the retention of the medicated ghee (ghritam) used in the therapy. The receptacle around the eyes should be one and half inches high and totally leak – proof. After the ghee is poured over the patient’s closed eyes, he/she is asked to open them slowly. The ghee is normally kept in the receptacle for less than 5 minutes after which it is gently removed while the patient keeps his eyes closed. Exposure to strong sunlight must be avoided for sometime after this treatment. Netravasti is indicated for glaucoma, conjunctivitis and night blindness.

Dhara

Dhara is the pouring of warm medicated oil or an herbal decoction over the body. Dhara with oil is one among the major oil therapies. While in Shirodhara oil is poured only on the forehead, in Sarvangadhara, it is poured all over except on the head. However, any dhara with oil is generally called Snehadhara.

When medicated buttermilk replaces oil (Sneha), the therapy is called Takradhara. If medicated milk is used instead of medicated oil, then the process is called ‘Ksheeredhara’. All types of dhara are useful for eye diseases.Extracts of herbs that possess preventive and curative properties are used for Netradhara. The procedure of the treatment is very simple. A stream of herbal extract is gently poured into the eyes of the patient who lives on the droni. The patient is made to lie on both sides in order that both eyes are thoroughly washed. The extract is poured through a funnel made of leaf of jackfruit tree. Any device that lets out a small, continual flow may substitute for the leaf funnel.

Shirovasti

Shirovasti is considered more of a palliative (Shamana) Treatment than an eliminative (Shodhana) and Sudation (Swedana).

A leather sleeve of about 6 to 8 inches in length is placed on the shaven head of the patient and a band (Vartti) tied around the forehead to keep it in place. Kneaded dough is used to line the inside of this sleeve and ensure that it does not leak. Oil is then poured into the sleeve and allowed to remain on the head for a while. The oil commonly used is Ksheerabala or Dhanwantaram. The length of time the oil should be kept there is determined by the severity of the disease. Usually it is upto 15 minutes for diseases caused by severe Vata disorders.

This treatment is prescribed for disorders like facial paralysis, cataract, deafness, earache, insomnia and other diseases that afflict the cranial nerves.