Healing touch

A complicated tumour surgery at one of Jamshedpur’s top hospital had left 33-year-old Tata Steel employee Prashant Kumar paralysed from waist below.

Three-months on, Kumar is taking giant leaps on the road to recovery and can now even stand up, albeit with support, thanks to the age-old treatment of ayurveda and generous doses of yoga.

Although the city boasts a good number of private healthcare institutions like Tata Main Hospital, Tata Motors and Tinplate hospitals, Arogya Bhawan-Amruth Ayurveda, a Kadma-based natural health hub has seen a steady increase in the number of patients seeking remedy for chronic diseases.

“Earlier we used to have a maximum of two patients coming to us daily. The number is up to 25 now,” said K.S. Namboodiri, a senior physician associated with Amruth Ayurveda.

He added that patients are often reluctant to opt for this stream of treatment due to a lack of awareness.

Some like Kumar who do, however, cannot stop praising the changes that ayurvedic treatment can bring about.

“I underwent a tumour surgery sometime in May but was paralysed. The doctors asked me to opt for physiotherapy that I did, without any relief. Then two months ago, I started ayurvedic treatment. I can now slowly stand with support,” Kumar said.

Located in Ramnagar locality of Kadma, Arogya Bhawan-Amruth Ayurveda is run by the Foundation for Revitalisation of Local Health Traditions, Bangalore, in collaboration with Tata Main Hospital. It was inaugurated in March 2010 and has been making headlines ever since.

The four-bed hospital, which remains occupied throughout the year usually with outstation patients.

Though simple, the patients are required and expected to dedicate a substantial amount of time for the results of treatment to start showing and continue sticking to a good diet regime throughout.

Ayurveda, as said, works on the Tridosha concept which is Vata (from ether and air), Pitta (from fire and sun), and Kapha (from water & moon).

These are the three basic principles to analyse people and subject them to specific ayurvedic treatment.

“It is not magic that will have instant results. It needs time. A problem in the human body does not crop up all of a sudden. It builds up over the years. Thus, one has to be patient during the treatment,” Namboodiri said.

He added that the problem today was that nobody wanted to change their fast lifestyles and end up with a lot of complications by the time they are 40-years-old.