Types of Healing Systems

Dr Ashwini, Naturopath

There are many different types of healing systems.

1. Allopathy or Western Medicine

This medical care uses techniques based on scientific evidence. Western medicine prescribes specific drugs for a disease. It has improved health and longevity tremendously. Following are the steps in which this healing system functions.

• Diagnose the disease
• Stop disease progression
• Relieve the symptoms associated with the disease
• Prevent the spread of the disease
• Cure the disease (if a cure is available)
• Improve quality of life

2. Homeopathy

Homeopathy is an alternative medicine based on the theory of treating ‘like with like’. Homeopathy claims to stimulate healing responses to diseases by administering substances that mimic the symptoms of the disease in healthy people.

Something that brings on symptoms in a healthy person can (in a very small dose) treat an illness with similar symptoms. This is meant to trigger the body’s natural defenses.

German physician Samuel Hahnemann (1755–1843) is considered the Father of Homeopathy, who first postulated it at the end of the 18th century.

In homoeopathy too, principle is “Samah samam shamayati” (like cures like), the disease is not treated, but the symptom of the disease is treated. No matter whether the disease is diarrhoea or malaria, the symptom is treated and not the disease. Moreover, the medicine is applied in a subtle form. It is theorized that the subtle affects the crude, hence subtle medicine is applied to cure the crude disease.

The more subtle the medicine, the more effective the result on the crude disease.

However, the concept of “ Like cures Like” is from ancient India. The Mahabharta has an incident of treating like with like. Duryodhana planned to poison and throw Bhima into the Ganges. So he went with his brothers and the Pandavas for a swim in the Ganges. After the sports they slept in their tents being exhausted. Bhima had exerted himself more than the others and as his food had been poisoned, he felt drowsy and lay down on the bank of the river. Duryodhana bound him with wild creepers and threw him into the river.

Poisonous water-snakes bit his body. The poisonous food he had taken was counteracted by the snake poison and no harm came to Bhima. The river washed him to a bank.

3. Ayurveda

The system promotes mental, physical, and spiritual wellness through exercise, diet, and other lifestyle changes.

Ayurveda believes that the entire universe is composed of five elements: Vayu (Air), Jala (Water), Aakash (Space or ether), Prithvi (Earth) and Teja (Fire). These five elements (referred to as Pancha Mahabhoota in Ayurveda) are believed to form the three basic humors of the human body in varying combinations. These combine in the human body to form three life forces, or energies, called doshas. They control how your body works.

Charaka is called ‘Father of Ayurveda’. In his book ‘Charaka Samhita’ he had mentioned about 340 plant types and about 200 animal types.

They are vata dosha (space and air); pitta dosha (fire and water); and kapha dosha (water and earth).

Everyone inherits a unique mix of the three doshas. But one is usually stronger than the others. Each one controls a different body function. It’s believed that your chances of getting sick – and the health issues you develop – are linked to the balance of your doshas.

The first of the three fundamental elements that maintain the health of the living being is váyu or vata, the second is pitta, and the third is kapha. The pitta element is the principal helping factor in the digestive mechanism. As a result of it, the seven formative body elements are created. The third health-determining element is kapha, or the liquid, viscous portion of the body. Excess kapha creates spontaneous heat within the body which manifests externally as fever. The word kapha is old Vedic. Through Latin we also get the word kapha (cough) in modern English.

Ginger is the enemy of kapha, the destroyer of kapha. Thus one name of ginger in ayurveda is kaphári. Similarly, arum or elephant root is the destroyer of arsha [piles] so arum in Sanskrit is called arshári or arshaghnii.

According to ayurveda, when the balance of the body is lost due to the increase or decrease of váyu or pitta or kapha, disease starts. Medicine is applied to restore balance. If the amount of váyu or pitta decreases, medicine is applied to increase it; if the amount of vayu or pitta increases medicine is applied to decrease it.

In the unani system, a similar system of medicine, there are four factors (dhátu) – váyu, pitta, kapha and rakta. The difference between the two systems is that in the unani system one more factor, i.e., rakta, has been added. The other three factors are the same.

4. Naturopathy

Benedict Lust, a German- American practitioner coined the word Naturopathy and founded the School of Naturopathy in 1901 in New York. Body has an inherent ability to maintain and restore health and seeks to identify and treat the root causes of illness rather than simply alleviating symptoms.

It is a type of alternative medicine that focuses on treating the whole person, rather than just their symptoms. The role of a naturopathic doctor is to support this process by identifying and removing obstacles to health. Naturopathy emphasizes the use of natural therapies, such as herbal medicine, nutrition, and physical therapy, to promote wellness and prevent disease.

Furthermore, naturopathic doctors take a holistic approach to healthcare, taking into account a person’s physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being when developing a treatment plan. Overall, Naturopathy aims to restore balance and harmony to the body, promoting optimal health and wellness.