What is Panchkarma?
PanchKarma is a part of the purification therapies of Ayurveda. "Panch" means five and "Karma" means action so literally translated,
it is a set of five systematic actions used for Purification of the Body.
Benefits of Panchkarma
1.Purifies the body by excreting out toxic waste materials so that the root cause of disease can be eliminated & recurrence of disease can be subsided.
2.Various systems of the body can be made healthy by regularizing the metabolism which was initially affected by irregular food habit, Environment Condition or other factor.
3.Reverses biological age by its property of inducing Rasayana Karma (Rejuvenation therapy).
4.Minimizes drug doses & toxicit
5.Gives easy recovery, sustained relief & inhibits the relapse.
6.More potent with long lasting effects.
7.This therapy is not just for an ill individual but a healthy one can also get a long, healthy & energetic life
These Panchkarma procedures are carried out in three sequential steps:
1. purva karma meaning preliminary procedures
2. pradhana karma meaning primary procedures
3. paschat karma meaning follow up procedures respectively
For the easy, proper and effective administration of the shodhana karma (Detoxification), it is essential to prepare the client by the specific therapeutic procedures.
To set an ideal stage for shodhana the client is subjected to certain upakrama or therapies. These preliminary procedures are referred by the name purva karma, snehana and svedana therapies are enumerated as purvakarma. Following the purva karma the client is then subjected to actual shodhana or evacuation procedures that are also the primary procedures which include vamana (emesis), virechana (purgation) asthapana basti, ansuvasana basti (introducing herbal medicine though anal route) and nasya karma.
These five evacuation procedures are referred as pradhana karma.
Shodhna procedures which come under the domain of the apatarpana chikista are likely to cause debiliy in clients.
And even there occurs impaired functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. Hence following the pradhana karma, it is required to restore the physical strength as well as optimum functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.
This is achieved by the specific dietic regimen like samsarjana karma or tarpanadi krama. Even complete rest is advised for several days following the shodhana karma. These follow ups of the client in regards to dietary or behavioral regimen is considered as pashchat karma. Thus panchkarma is carried out in these three sequential steps.
To complete the treatment, depending upon the illness the client is then subjected to specific shamana or rasayana chikista. Pachana Morbid dosha may be present in two distinct states. These states are known as ama and pakva state. Ama refers to the incompletely formed state of the morbid dosha and in this state it is inseparably adhered to the body issues, hence can not be expelled out from the body. Pakva state of the morbid dosha refers to the formed state and in which it can be expelled from the body by the different shodhana procedures. The pachana upakrama is the oral administration of the medicines in the form of powder, tabler or decoction to enhance the digestive power that renders the pakva state of the morbid dosha, so that later it may be expelled easily by the different shodhana procedures.
SNEHANA
Imparting greasiness to the body by the administration of fat substances either through the internal route or external route is referred by the name snehana chikitsa. Before the shodhana this snehana helps in the mobilization of the dosha from the site of morbidity to the site of elimination.
SVEDANA
Induction of perspiration by different methods of applying heat to the body is the svedana procedure. This procedure also helps in the mobilization of the dosha into the gastrointestinal tract where from it is eliminated by the
shodhana procedure.
VAMANA
Induction of vomiting for expelling the dosha accumulated in the amashaya (gastrium) by oral administration of emetics is the procedure of vamana.
VIRECHANA
expelling the morbit accumulation of dosha from the intestines by way of inducing purgation is the virechana karma.
BASTI
Expelling the morbid dosha from the colon by administering by evacuating enema is the procedure of basti karma.
NASYA
The procedure to do nasya karma includes cleansing the head from any morbid dosha by way of administering the medicine through the nasal route.
RAKTAMOKSHANA
Allowing the blood to bleed by different techniques for therapeutic purpose is known as raktamokshana.
SAMSARJANA KRAMA
The specific prescription of diet following the shodhana procedure to restore the functioning of the gastric fire as well as physical strength is referred by the name samsarjana krama.
TARPANDI KRAMA
This refers to specific kapha alleviating diet advised after the shodhana procedures in clients in whom the samsarjana krama is contraindicated
Tarpanadi krama restores the functioning of the gastric fire as well as enhances the physical strength.
SHAMANA CHIKITSA
Following the shodhana procedures to complete the treatment, palliative measures are carried out by way of administering the medicines and is unique and specific to different diseases. Such a palliative measure is known as
shamana chikitsa and it clears the small amount of morbid dosha, which is left out after the shodhana procedures and also rectifies the damages caused by the disease process.
RASAYANA CHIKITSA
Certain diseases have a tendency to relapse even after the proper administration of shodhana and sharmana therapy . This is said to be due to persistence of abnormilatity in the srotas ( body channel) o else the deficient
immunity power. This relapsing tendency of the illness may be controlled by the administration of the rasayana chikitsa.
