Ayurveda or Ayurvedic medicine is a form of alternative medicine in use primarily in the Indian subcontinent. The word "Ayurveda" is a tatpurusha compound of ayus "life" and veda "knowledge", and would roughly translate as the "Science of Life". Ayurveda deals with the measures of healthy living, along with therapeutic measures that relate to physical, mental, social and spiritual harmony. Ayurveda is also one among the few traditional systems of medicine involving surgery.

Ayurveda was first described by Agnivesha, in his book Agnivesh tantra. The book was later revised by Charaka, and renamed to Charaka Samhita. Another early text of Ayurveda is the Sushruta Samhita, which in addition to the Charaka Samhita, served as the textual material in the ancient Universities of Takshashila and Nalanda. These texts are believed to have been written around the beginning of the Common Era, and is based on a holistic approach rooted in earlier Vedic culture. Its conspicuous use of the word veda, or knowledge, reveals its role in early Hinduism and explains its popularity in India. The origin of Ayurvedic medical sciences is claimed to come from a divine revelation from Lord Brahma.

Ayurvedic treatment [Chikitsa] does not mean suppressing the main symptoms and creating some new ones as side effects of the main treatment. It is to remove the root cause and give permanent relief.

There are four main classifications of management of disease in Ayurveda: shodan, or cleansing; shaman or palliation; rasayana, or rejuvenation; and satvajaya, or mental hygiene.

The treatment mainly comprises of powders, tablets, decoctions, medicated oils etc. prepared from natural herbs, plants and minerals. Because the medicines are from natural sources and not synthetic, they are accepted and assimilated in the body without creating any side effects and on the other hand, there may be some side benefits.

Along with medicine, proper diet, exercise and living style is also advised. This is equally important. If we are taking a medicine to remove the root cause and at the same time we are taking some food or following a life style which is increasing the cause of disease, then we may not get well or will be getting less relief.

Dietary Regimen:- Proper selection of diet is necessary to avoid dosha imbalance and is also used as a treatment in many diseases.

Exercise Selection of proper exercise plays an important role in the treatment in disease.

Panch Karma therapy is also used as a treatment in many diseases. This "panchkarma" or Five internal cleansing methods,is a most profound therapy in Ayurveda

Yoga: Ayurveda teaches a very systematic and scientific way of life which is important to pursue both materially and spiritually.

Thus we find that the methods of treatment are based on simple and natural principles. Fundamental principles, health rules, knowledge of individual constitution of our body, use of various herbs, minerals,proper diet,exercises,Panch Karma and Yoga therapy can be very safely used to promote good health, prevent diseases and acquire longevity.

More About Kerala Ayurveda Treatment

Three traditions of Ayurveda exist today — two of them based on the compendia of Charka and Sushruta Samhitas, and a third tradition known as Kashyapas. However, Ayurvedic remedies prior to these traditions also exist, as mentioned in the earlier Vedic literature (2nd millennium BC). Both the Sushruta and the Charaka Samhitas are the product of several scholars, having been revised and supplemented over a period of several hundred years. The scholar Vagbhata, who lived in Sindh at the beginning of the 7th century AD, wrote a synthesis of earlier Ayurvedic materials in a collection of verses called the Ashtanga Hridayam. Another work associated with the same author, the Ashtanga Samgraha, contains much of the same material in a more diffuse form, written in a mixture of prose and verse. The relationship between these two works, and a third intermediate compilation, is still a topic of active research. The works of Charaka, Sushruta, and Vagbhata are considered canonical and reverentially called the Vriddha Trayi, "The Triad of Ancients"; or Brhat Trayi, "The Greater Triad." In the early 8th century, Madhav wrote his Nidana, a work on etiology, which soon assumed a position of authority. In the 79 chapters of this book, he lists diseases along with their causes, symptoms, and complications.

Ayurvedic massage is a form of treatment for various age related and other common disorders. Some of the advantages which can be cited are pain relief, improved circulation, stress relief, better sleep, flexibilty, athletic perfomance and emotional benefits. Massage therapy can soothe pain, relax stiff muscles, and reduce the swelling that accompanies arthritis. Advocates claim that, with ayurvedic massage, deep-seated toxins in the joints and tissues are loosened and released into the system for elimination through natural toxin-release processes

Ayurveda emphasizes preventative and healing therapies along with various methods of purification and rejuvenation. Ayurveda is more than a mere healing system; it is a science and an art of appropriate living, which helps to achieve longevity. Panchakarma is Ayurveda's primary purification and detoxification treatment. Panchakarma means the "five therapies". It is a comprehensive system of knowledge and practices to purify the body of toxins and restore it to balance with natural law. These five therapeutic means of eliminating toxins from the body are Vamana, Virechana, Nasya, Basti and Raktamoskshana. This series of five therapies help remove deep-rooted stress and illness causing toxins from the body while balancing the doshas (energies that govern all biological functions). Panchakarma is ineffective if special detoxification diet is not given along with the treatments. Panchakarma plays a vital role in Ayurvedic medicine, both in health as well as in disease. Although panchakarma is often thought of as the entire procedure, it really is only one part of a group of therapies belonging to a class of cleansing procedures called shodan. There is also a group of milder techniques called shaman for those not strong enough for shodan.

In today's world when more and more people are falling prey to the adverse effects of stress and anxiety, which is leading to diseases like improper digestion, lack of sleep, allergies, chronic fatigue, cancer, heart diseases, diabetes, osteoporosis etc. The importance of pancha karma in ayurveda is borne out by the fact that it is applicable to all cases covering a wide range of preventive, curative, and promotive conditions. These diseases are caused mainly due to deeply seated toxins. With the process of Panchakarma it eliminates these toxins from the body, allowing healing permanently of tissues, channels, digestion and mental functions. In Ayurveda, the treatment is broadly divided into two categories: Shodhana and Shamana. Curing the disease by cleaning out the impurities is called Shodhana chikitsa, which is the principle of Panchakarma. It involves the clearing of vitiated doshas (vata, pitta and kapha) which cause the disease and thereby the restoration of equilibrium of doshas

The word dhatu comes from the root DHA meaning basis or foundation. The purpose of metabolism is to create proper dhatus together with the intelligence with which they carry out their role as the field of physiological activity. Dhatus are created through the action of catalysts that convert one tissue to another. In this way, progressively refined tissues are created from their grosser precursors. The catalyst for this is another type of agni, a dhatu-agni or metabolic fire. According to Ayurveda dhatus are the basic tissues, which maintain and nourish the body in other words it can be defined as one, which supports the body. There are mainly seven types of dhatu according to Ayurveda. The seven dhatus are composed of five mahabhutas. These dhatus remain inside the human body in a proper equilibrium so that the body can function properly but any disturbance in their equilibrium causes disease. The seven dhatus are as follows:

In Sanskrit the word dhatu means 'that which binds together'. Dhatu is the element, which constructs our body. Dhatu is the base of growth and survival. Dhatus take different forms in our body to maintain life. Different organs (sharir avayavas) and different body systems (strotasas) are made out of dhatus. Our nourishment and development is fully dependent on dhatus. They support the mind. To summarize, dhatus account for the Ayurvedic explanation of the anatomy and physiology of the human body. Our body processes consumed food and transforms it into life sap, which in turn creates a chain of further body tissues i.e. dhatus. Their gain gives quality to our life and their loss destroys life. The Quantity and quality of each dhatus and it's balanced functioning is very important for perfect health

According to Ayurveda there are three vital principles, which regulate and control the biological functions of the body. They are known as Vata, Pitta and Kapha. They are the subtle forms of the three bhutas -air, fire and water. Doshas play a vital role in the basic foundation of Ayurveda. They are responsible foe coordinating and directing all the substances and structures of the body. Doshas are referred to as 'dynamic energies' and 'vata dosha' are kinetic energy. Vata doshas initiate all forms of activity and motion in the body. It acts as a network of communication from tissue to tissue and cell to cell. It is responsible for perception, assimilation and reaction. Vata doshas is the basis of all communication process in the body. All motions, transportation and electromagnetic activities are controlled by vata. 'Pitta dosha' is responsible for all types of transformations in the body. Pitta controls digestion of food as well as conversion of light rays that fall on the retina to electric impulses. It is mainly associated with the chemical reaction and changes taking place in the body. Pitta controls emotion like anger, fear and boldness. Pitta controls digestion of food, it is responsible for hunger, appetite and thirst. The functions of pitta are more physical compare to vata. There are mainly five types of pitta dosha. The quality of Pitta dosha' is most predominant during youth and adulthood. 'Pitta' reflects the dynamics of youth. Kapah dosha is the third important part of dosha. It is the cohesive energy in the body, it smoothes out problems, lubricates and provides support when needed. If 'vata' is kinetic energy then 'kapha' is potential energy. Kapha is the principle of water and earth is heavy and moist. It is said that carbohydrates and fats can increase 'kapha' There are five types of kapha dosha, based on both anatomy and body function. 'Kapha' abnormalities lead to respiratory disease, feeble mindedness, weakness and lethargy.

It is seen that the dead body and the other inanimate objects have none of the three doshas. Which proves that all the three doshas are invariably connected with life. Each of them has it's own significance and qualities, which are contrary to each other so as to maintain the equilibrium

Mala are the substances or waste matter to be thrown out of the body. The waste produvts are called mala. Mala are excretory by-products formed as a result of various physiological activities going on in the body. Purish (stool), Mutra (urine) and Sweda (sweat) are considered as main excretory product of the body. These are also known as Dushya as these tend to be influenced to cause pathology or disease by imbalanced doshas. These are known as Mala due to its principle property of Malinikaran i.e. Toxification. Malas are the third in the trinity of the body; the other two are doshas and dhatus. According to Ayurveda only a balanced condition of doshas, dhatus and malas is Aarogya (good health or disease free condition) and their imbalance causes ill health or disease.

As a result of metabolic processes being carried out in the body, essence of ingested food and waste products are constantly formed. If waste products are not being formed besides the essence i.e. beneficial products that nourish tissues, then metabolic process would be impaired ultimately leading to the formation of malformed tissues. So, there needs to be an appropriate segregation of essence of ingested food and waste product and excretion of the waste matter on appropriate time for maintaining health. Malas are actually the waste products of the body and their proper excretion from the body is essential, so that the proper health of the individual can be maintained because if the waste products are not thrown out it can toxify. Waste products: