Ayurveda: what is the alternative medicine originating in India and does it work?

It’s not uncommon for people to turn to herbal remedies or alternative medicines if they’re feeling unwell or have an ache or pain.

But Ayurveda, which is one of the oldest healthcare practices in the world and originates in India, now has global influences, with many people following the ancient form as a way of relieving pain and promoting healing.

‘Ayur’ means ‘Life’ and ‘Veda’ means ‘wisdom/journey/enlightenment’ - and it focuses on these key pillars:

• daily routine
• diet
• yoga and meditation
• manual therapies
• herbal supplements 

When combining specific, tailored parts of these pillars, it is believed the practitioner will live a long and healthy life.

What is Ayurveda?

Ayurveda states that the five elements of earth, water, fire, air and space are present in everything, including the human body.

These forces - each have their own characteristics and tendencies - are believed to combine to create a unique blueprint for every individual.

Your Dosha is your unique blueprint, with the three main Doshas being Vata (space and air), Pitta (fire and water) and Kapha (water and earth).

It is believed that any of these elements can move out of balance depending on the individual’s lifestyle, the season, location and diet, and are said to cause imbalance which then in turn leads to illness and disease.

Scarlett Woodford, 33, is an Ayurvedic practitioner from London who says that coaches will gently observe you and ask questions in order to determine your current Dosha type.

They will then tailor a suitable therapy plan that “aims to bring you back into optimum health and alignment with nature,” Scarlett added.

The practitioner said that Ayurveda takes everything into account and believes that nothing acts in isolation, with all bodily organs, tissues, systems, channels and mental activity being connected.

This is echoed by Karolina Raczynska, secretary of the Ayurvedic Professionals Association, who says people should find a practitioner “who can assess the health of the patient and formulate advice which is always individual for each patient”.

Does Ayurveda work?

At an Ayurvedic clinic, a coach might treat someone for conditions such as anxiety, diabetes, psoriasis, arthritis, depression, polycystic ovary syndrome and asthma.

The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health adds: “A few studies suggest that Ayurvedic preparations may reduce pain and increase function in people with osteoarthritis and help manage symptoms in people with type 2 diabetes, but most of these trials are small or not well-designed.

“There is little scientific evidence on Ayurveda’s value for other health issues. People should never replace proven conventional treatments or therapies with unproven alternatives.”

In regards to Ayurveda and cancer, Scarlet said that with more severe conditions such as this, it is more about symptom management than disease reversal, with many people “reaching beyond the realms of traditional medicine when faced with such a diagnosis”.

She added that practices involved in Ayurveda, including meditation, the use of oils, and manual therapies are “proven to have a soothing, calming effect on the mind and body”.

Martin Ledwick, head information nurse at Cancer Research UK, said: “There is no scientific evidence that Ayurvedic medicine is effective at treating cancer either on its own or alongside conventional treatment. We would not recommend using it instead of evidence-based, conventional medicine.

“Some people may choose to use it to gain a sense of well-being alongside their conventional treatment, but we would always advise checking with your doctor before taking any alternative or complementary treatment like Ayurveda to make sure there are no known interactions with any of the conventional drugs or treatments you are receiving.”

‘You can do anything from making small, seemingly minor changes to your daily routine’

Addressing the question as to whether Ayurveda is as effective as more traditional and modern-day medicines, Scarlett said “it is too difficult to say”.

She said that different practitioners will offer different opinions, but in her personal experience “the two can be used together.”

“My Ayurvedic teacher is a medical GP as well as an Ayurvedic coach, therefore the teachings I have are very unique,” added Scarlett.

“One point to highlight is that Ayurveda can largely work as a preventative treatment, offering 360 degree holistic suggestions that tackle the mind, body and spirit, whereas traditional medicine tends to treat the physical symptom presented by a client in that moment.”

For those looking to use Ayurveda alongside more modern-day medicine, Scarlett said that every case is different and in the past she has advised clients who are already taking a prescribed medication to keep on taking it.

She said: “It’s not necessarily a good idea to think totally in extremes, especially for those who have been reliant on a certain medication for a long time”.

“That’s the great thing about Ayurveda, you can do anything from making small, seemingly minor changes to your daily routine, to undergoing quite a routine changing seasonal cleanse,” Scarlett added.

Both Ayurveda and modern medicine “can be extremely helpful depending on the complaint, and can even compliment each other,” Scarlett said.