Crystal Magic

            My self-described bible, Alternative Medicine - The Definitive Guide, has failed me for the first time.  Nowhere within its over one thousand pages can I find a reference to “healing with crystals.”  Well, surely I can learn more about the subject on the National Center for Alternative and Complementary Medicine’s website, but no, I strike out once again.  Maybe I finally found a truly “alternative” alternative.  Fortunately, Asheville does not let me down.  There are an abundance of sites within town that offer healing with crystals.  What is crystal healing?  According to reputable sources, crystal healing is a technique using crystals and other stones as conduits for natural healing energy.  Each crystal has unique properties that can benefit certain conditions or illnesses.  A common belief is crystals stimulate our body’s “chakras,” seven points of energy along our bodies that start on the forehead and extend down to the pelvis.  Each chakra’s name is based on the corresponding region of the body - sacral chakra, solar plexus chakra, heart chakra, and so forth.  Certain crystals work with certain chakras.

            I perform an exhaustive internet search for “crystals,” “crystal healing,” and “crystal therapy” in the Asheville region and devise a plan.  I create my own pu pu platter of crystal samplings.  I will begin my journey with a visit to Michelle.  Michelle offers the world renowned “John of God Crystal Bed Therapy.”  The crystal bed promises deep relaxation and increased energy along with a “redefined sense of life purpose.”  I will follow this up with an excursion to the Asheville Salt Cave.  The cave contains twenty tons of “crystal salt” with all eighty-four trace elements that are found in one’s body.  The elements are at the same vibrational patterns which our bodies need to heal themselves.  When this is over, if I have any ailments left, I will top off my exploration of crystals with a little bit of cookbook medicine.  Following recommended uses, I will purchase my own crystals and see if I can fix what still needs fixin’.

Next week . . . John of God’s Crystal Bed

Ayurvedic Medicine - The Final Analysis

             My month long flirtation with Ayurvedic medicine is coming to an end.  I completed a pared down version of a parchakarma, or cleansing.  I consider my approach a western adaptation of the real thing.  With the guidance of the Ayurvedic doctor, I focused on dietary changes, herbal supplements, and a day spa treatment.  The more adventurous parchakarmas might include bleeding by leeches, purgatives, and enemas.  While the path I took may have lacked the excitement of a good bleeding, it still had its moments.  The shirodhara, which involved the slow sustained pouring of warm oil over my forehead, was soothing and unlike any of my prior experiences.  I feared my enjoyment of shirodhara would be offset by a raging crop of acne pustules in my scalp the following week, but fortunately, I was spared this embarrassment.

            Is Ayurveda worth the time and money?  Yes and no.  Perhaps if my dosha (life-force) had been more out of balance, I would have been more aware of the results.  Aside from the utter relaxation I experienced during my day spa experience, I am unable to appreciate any objective changes in my overall well-being.  I appear to have survived the daily herbal ingestions despite the real possibility of heavy metal poisoning.  I will not miss my twice daily doses of the powdered herbs which look and taste like cremation remains - dearly departed “old aunt Louise” I like to joke.  The dietary recommendations which include increased intake of fruit and veggies, avoiding processed foods, and limiting caffeine, all make sense for one’s overall health.

            While my personal anecdotes are fine, you may be wondering if there is any proof that Ayurveda is beneficial.  To answer this question, I hit the books (really, the computer because who really uses books for research any longer?).  I found research that shows certain Ayurvedic herbs can effectively lower both short and long term blood sugars in diabetics.  The use of Diabecon not only lowered blood sugars, but correspondingly led to increases in circulating insulin.  Another study compared Ayurvedic medicine to methotrexate, a commonly accepted therapy in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.  This was a small study, only 43 patients, but it was double-blinded and placebo-controlled (two critical components for a well done clinical study), and it showed equivalent benefit for the patients (J Clin Rheumatology, 2011).  In other work, varieties of the herb boswellia, otherwise known as frankincense, were found to produce a resin with anti-inflammatory effects in the lab.  Preliminary clinical trial results suggest it my benefit those with osteoarthritis (classic old age arthritis).  Despite these positive findings, the majority of research has been inconclusive, and definitive proof that Ayurveda is beneficial has remained elusive.  Proponents of Ayurveda will point out that a main tenet of Ayurveda is that it focuses on the individual with highly tailored regimens based on one’s particular needs.  Thus, the gold standard of double-blinded, placebo-controlled experimentation runs contrary to Ayurvedic principles and might not give accurate results.  Although this argument may have some merit, I find that for a discipline practiced by a majority of the Indian population for thousands of years, the proof is not convincing.

            In contrast to the lack of proof of benefit, the potential risk in taking Ayurvedic medicines derived from Indian sources is very real.  An analysis of Ayurvedic medicines published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in 2008 found 21% of Ayurvedic medications contained dangerous levels of lead, mercury, and/or arsenic.  A more recent report from the Center for Disease Control in 2012 described six cases of lead poisoning in pregnant women in New York City due to ingestion of Ayurvedic medications originating in India. They found lead concentrations as high as 2.4% of the total medication as well as mercury and arsenic.  Needless to say, lead exposure is bad for both mother and baby.  Fetal lead exposure increases the risk for low birth weight, reduced intelligence, and behavioral problems.  Furtonutley, muy inteluct wus knot hut.

            To sum it up - Ayurveda definitely promotes many beneficial habits - improved diet, massage, yoga, and relaxation – but, keep an eye on those herbs.  I will try to continue the diet, perhaps repeat the day spa, and do some more yoga, but I will leave the herbal ashes for the diehards (no pun intended).

Ayurvedic Medicine - Rasayana Day Spa

              After two weeks of dieting and taking Ayurvedic herbs, I am ready for some hands on therapy.  I arrange a Rasayana day spa appointment.  Getting the appointment is the hardest part. Apparently, Ayurvedic medicine, like other forms of alternative medicine, is quite popular in Asheville.  The first appointment I can arrange is two weeks away.  Finally, the day arrives.  Much to my delight, the Ayurvedic center is now located in North Asheville. As I pull up in my car, I appreciatively note the center is in a turn of the century home in an eclectic area of town.  I like it when my preconceived notions are realized.  This is much better than the yuppie section of town where it previously sat.  I arrive at 12:30 p.m. on the dot.  Despite my goal of relaxation, I hope I am not forced to wait - I am playing hooky from work, and I don’t want to be gone too long.  I toss my pager in the front console of my car and beseech it to remain silent for the next two hours.  I also turn off my phone.  Receiving pages and calls from the hospital will not help me relax.

            I sink into a comfortable couch in the front room.  The smell of incense wafts through the building.  A sign alerts me that a session is in progress.  After only a few minutes, the Ayurvedic doctor beckons me to follow him upstairs.  The Ayurvedic office is located in the front room of the house on the second floor.  There is a massage table in the center of the room and Indian art on the walls.  I also see the shelves of crushed herbs made the trip, as well as the three foot high elephant Buddha.  He asks how I feel and if I have been following the dietary prescription he suggested.  I say that I have.  I mention that the herbs are not so tasty.  He says their smell and texture are part of the therapy.  He is not opposed to my adding lemon juice to the mixture of hot water and herbs, as I have been doing, but says I should also experience the herbs on their own (no way in hell, I think to myself).  He then introduces me to his female assistant, and we get down to business.  They step out of the room while I fully undress and cover myself with a warm cover while lying on the massage table.

            Upon their return, gentle music is turned on - piano playing, followed by various reed instruments - quite soothing.  Over the next hour, I experience the Abhyanga (warm herbal oil massage).  The two practitioners work in unison - one starting on my head and face and the other on my feet.  I am very squeamish about anyone touching the bottoms of my feet.  Usually, the experience is anything but relaxing.  Amazingly, I tolerate it and even like it.  Perhaps having one person kneading my scalp while the soles of my feet are massaged provides the necessary tactile distraction.  He even massages my ears.  He places mint drops (or something similar) in my nose to open my sinuses.  The next hour is decadent:  two sets of hands rubbing me from stem to stern, front and back with warm herbal oil.  I have never received such attention.  I later read the oil is a liquid form of fat that is well absorbed through the skin.  Purportedly, it enters my circulation and binds to toxins which are eliminated through normal processes.  This form of detoxification sure beats the heck out of the UltraSimple Diet I did last month.  The hour rapidly passes.  When it is over, I reluctantly move on to the next stage of my day spa package, the Basha Swedana, or herbal steam bath.

            The doctor leads me, still fully disrobed except for a small hand towel, to a single person sauna in the corner of the room.  The front of the steam bath swings open to reveal a small bench.  The door is closed, and my whole body is enveloped, except for an opening for my head.  Slowly, steam emanates from the floor of the chamber.  It feels nice and warm.  I wish I had one of these at home.  It is a bit strange though:  while my body is bathed in steam, my head is out in the room just hanging out.  It reminds me of the Halloween gag of the talking head poking through a table as if it is the main course for dinner.  Meanwhile, the Ayurvedic doctor and his helper are milling around the room setting up for the next stage of my experience.  It gives me a chance to ask some questions.  I ask “Where do you get the jars of powdered herbs?” and “Have you traveled to India?”  He replies some of the herbs are purchased from U.S. based companies, while he acquires others through his sources in India (my fears are realized . . . Indian herbs . . . toxic metals - I try not to show my concern).  He has spent time in India, and his mentors are native Indians who trained him here in the United States.

I then ask about the other Ayurvedic methods of cleansing I read about - bleeding, emetics, and laxatives.  He says he uses all of these methods, but primarily for special cases.  He explains that in India, leeches are often used, but here in the U.S., he just encourages patients to donate blood and follow this with a diet of cleansing herbs.  He says that dermatologic conditions respond particularly well to bleeding while emetics, or herbs that induce vomiting, are useful for treating conditions such as gastric reflux disease.  He also uses laxatives.  The goal of all of these therapies is to help remove toxins, or alma, from one’s system. He mostly focuses on dietary changes, herbal meds, and day spa treatments, such as I have been receiving.  It appears I have been receiving “Panchakarma – lite.”  This is fine with me, but it is fascinating that the more “alternative” aspects of Ayurvedic medicine are fully embraced locally.  After about twenty minutes in the steam bath, I am ready for my final treatment of the day, a Shirodhara.

            Shirodhara involves slowly pouring liquid over one’s head - shiro (head) and dhara (flow).  I return to the massage table, and the assistant dims the lights and places a small wet towel over my eyes.  The soothing music is resumed, and over the next 30 minutes, warm sesame seed oil is slowly poured over my forehead.  The oil is released from a suspended pot that resembles a honeypot with a nozzle on the bottom.  The oil runs over my forehead and then oozes through my hair and is collected in a basin below my head and recycled.  The doctor says  most people find it very relaxing and are able to enter a meditative state.  He is not kidding.  Here I am, lying naked on a table with only a thin sheet covering me while a stranger pours oil over my head, and I actually fall asleep - unprecedented.  Eventually, the music stops, and I wake up.  I sit up, wrap myself in the sheet, and walk to a shower.  I look in the mirror, and I appear ready to audition for the movie Grease.

            After a quick shower, I pay my bill, a cool $199, but well worth it, and I drive back to work.  Fortunately, the rest of the afternoon is not too taxing.  I don’t think I could have handled it if it had been really busy.  I have completed my Rasayana Day Spa.  This spa treatment combined with one more week of herbs, and my special diet and my self-determined panchakarma will be complete.

 

Next week -  Ayurveda - Is there evidence to back it up?

Ayurvedic Medicine - Putting Principles into Practice

              It is time to tackle my dosha imbalance. Dosha is another name for one’s life force.  The Ayurvedic doctor told me both my Pitta and Vata doshas are out of whack.  With such an imbalance, one might expect I would have a hard time functioning, but somehow I have managed.  After taking a week off to recover from my UltraSimple cleanse, I am ready to follow the Ayurvedic recommendations.  According to WebMd, “A main goal of Ayurvedic medicine is to cleanse your body of undigested food . . . which can stick inside your body and make you sick.”  Now I understand why the doctor was so pleased by my regular bowel movements:  I don’t think anything sticks to my intestines.  Nevertheless, I am to embark on a panchakarma, or cleansing process.  Hopefully, this will correct my imbalance and create harmony among my doshas. 

              There are many methods to a successful panchakarma.  Methods include bleeding, massage, cathartics, and enemas.  I vote no to the bleeding.  Fortunately, I didn’t see any leeches in the doctor’s office.  A good massage, however, I might be willing to endure.  Other treatments may include:  aromatherapy, dietary modifications, herbs, lifestyle changes, yoga, and meditation. My doctor has chosen diet and herbs for the first go around.  This will be followed by an Ayurvedic Rasayan Day Spa package to complete my panchakarma.
          In accordance with the doctor’s advice, I once again eliminate caffeine from my diet.  He suggested green tea as an alternative, but I now associate green tea with my recently completed UltraSimple Diet and even the thought of it brings on a wave of nausea.  Besides, I will be drinking hot water with a teaspoon of crushed Ayurvedic herbs mixed in twice a day.  Surely this will be better than green tea.  In addition to the crushed herbal concoction, I once again cut out the “empty sweets” which I so adore - not an easy feat in the wake of Halloween.  I am loading up on veggies, nuts, and fruits - boy, this feels familiar.  I can certainly appreciate the logic behind this diet.  I am eating a healthier version of my regular diet.  I do cheat a bit, but on the balance, I am eating pretty healthy.  I have no complaints, except for those herbs.
            Do the powdered herbs mixed in a cup of hot water really taste better than green tea?  No, they do not.  The crushed herbs have the appearance of a grey powder.  They remind me of ashes from someone’s cremation - perhaps this is where crematoriums sell their unclaimed bodies.  I mix one teaspoon of the herbal concoction in a cup of steaming water.  With vigorous stirring, I can almost get the herbs to dissolve.  On its own, it is undrinkable; once I add freshly squeezed lemon, it is just bearable.  The result is a grey, slightly noxious, gritty drink.  I managed to force it down twice a day for the past week.
           If the appearance and taste of this gritty herbal drink is not enough to discourage me from taking the herbs, then perhaps an article published in the Journal of the American Medical Society (JAMA) in 2007 should do the trick.  The authors found that several Indian manufactured Ayurvedic products might result in lead and/or mercury ingestions 100-100,000 times acceptable limits.  In case you are unfamiliar with lead and mercury, they are heavy metals whose ingestion can cause life-threatening illnesses. The Federal Drug Administration has warned that 20% of Ayurvedic medicines contain toxic metals, including lead, mercury, and arsenic.  Yes, that is right, arsenic - the poison young wives use to murder their rich husbands.
           Despite the above admonitions, I stick to the diet and take my herbal remedy.  My son, Connor, is very worried about the potential heavy metal poisoning that seems to be looming. He has reviewed the symptoms of lead poisoning (abdominal pain, constipation, headache, confusion, irritability), mercury poisoning (tremors, inflamed gums, increased salivation, psychiatric symptoms), and arsenic poisoning (nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, hair loss, rash).  He is monitoring me closely.  Other than going bald and acting a bit crazy, I haven’t changed a bit.  Connor is struggling with determining which symptoms he should attribute to the herbs and which ones are typical for his father. 
           One week into the diet, I feel pretty good.  The herbs do scare me a bit, but I am hoping that the herbs I got fall in the 80% which are not full of heavy metals.  I am feeling healthier by the day.  I am sure that my doshas are smiling.

 Next Friday . . . Rasayana Day Spa - Completing the Panchakarma

Ebola - Is there a Silver Lining?

            The tragedy which is striking the West African countries of Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Guinea is likely to spawn sporadic cases of Ebola in the United States for years to come.  Amidst the hysteria which the handful of cases in the United States has wrought, I can see some potential good.  Over the past few weeks, I have seen health care workers and the public health system mobilized unlike any other time in my career.  Sometimes it takes fear, real or imagined, to get things done. 

            The likelihood of you or one of your loved ones contracting Ebola is remote.   Despite appearances to the contrary, we know how to handle this.  Just look at Nigeria, a country that few would mistake for having a world class health system, which was able to stem the Ebola tide and is now Ebola free.  The reason Ebola has run rampant in Sierra Leone and Liberia is that these two countries entered this crisis with fractured public health and medical systems due to years of civil war.  These factors, combined with local customs and the slow initial recognition of Ebola, have led to the current epidemic.   It is truly unfortunate that the United States and Europe showed little interest in this epidemic until it was on our doorsteps.  Ebola will plague West Africa for the foreseeable future, but it is highly unlikely, neigh impossible, that Ebola will cause a similar outbreak here in the United States.  Hysteria should not rule the day.  We need to harness the energy and awareness wrought by this terrible disease and enact change for the better.  I know we can do this.

            As an infectious disease physician and head of my hospital’s infection control at the Charles George Veterans Medical Center, I have spent countless hours in meetings, developing protocols, giving lectures, and taking part in simulated drills in response to the Ebola outbreak.  I have become intimately familiar with some of the more mundane aspects of healthcare.  I have sought answers to the following questions - What does one wear while caring for a patient infected with Ebola?  How does one clean up blood or vomit for an Ebola patient? Will the waste management company we contract with handle the waste?  Can we even flush the toilet?  I get over a hundred emails a day regarding Ebola.  Guidance seems to change by the minute depending on whether it is the CDC, the North Carolina public health department, or our hospital system giving it.  Everyone is scared.  What if a person with Ebola walks into our emergency room?

            I have tried to convey a simple message:  the likelihood of our hospital caring for a patient infected with Ebola is small, but if it happens, we are ready.  My hope is, despite the fact that we may never care for an Ebola patient, we will have benefited from our preparation.  According to the CDC, there are over 75,000 deaths in the United States each year due to hospital acquired infections.   I have little doubt this number dwarfs the Ebola-related deaths we will ever see in the United States.  As a result of the Ebola scare, my own hospital, and all the hospitals I have contacted, is spending thousands of dollars purchasing the necessary supplies to be Ebola ready.  In addition, we are spending hundreds of hours retraining our staff in the proper use of personal protective equipment.  Hopefully, the time spent focusing on properly putting on and taking off protective gear, hand hygiene, and improving communication between staff will reap benefits that extend well beyond Ebola preparedness.  

            We should all look to the current Ebola crisis as a wake-up call.  America needs to step up to the plate and provide the leadership and resources to resolve the crisis in West Africa.  Never again should we wait for Americans to be affected before we act - the world is too small.  On a local level, we have an obligation to make sure we provide the best care possible.   I see the current crisis as an opportunity to strengthen our health system and reduce preventable complications.  Ebola is the current crisis, but it won’t be the last.

 

Next week...Ayurvedic Medicine- Following the Doctor's Orders

Ayurvedic Medicine- A visit to the Doctor

          A week has passed since I completed the UltraSimple diet detoxification.  I have gained back five of the twelve pounds I lost, and as a result, my clothes are no longer hanging off me.  Now, it is time to give Ayurvedic medicine a try.  I may be jumping from the frying pan into the fire.  Nevertheless, I manage to carve out a couple of hours from my busy work schedule to see the Ayurvedic doctor for an initial consultation.  Ayurveda sounds like pure Asheville.  If you know Asheville, you know that it is a town of cool retro-spots, good restaurants, and home of all things alternative.  I expect the Ayurveda center will be located downtown in a trendy area, but no, it is located in a modern office space on Hendersonville Road.  Imagine big box stores, Bennigans, excessive signage, and traffic congestion and you have Hendersonville Road - the least appealing area of Asheville.  Surprisingly the Ayurvedic center is not the only alternative option in this area.  The very same office building also houses an integrative medicine clinic - just one more sign that alternative medicine has gone mainstream.

            I expect this visit might be expensive.  I harken back to my visit to the Naturopath:  the initial consultation cost over $100 yet paled in comparison to the cost of the recommended herbs and homeopathic remedies. Blue Cross and Shield is not taken here.  I know that herbal remedies are a big part of Ayurveda.  I can only imagine the price tag.  Herbs purchased in a grocery store are expensive enough, but import them from India and prescribe them as a remedy, and I am sure the cost skyrockets.  We will see.

            I enter the Ayurveda center, and no one is there to greet me.  I can tell by the Indian pictures on the wall, the dim lights, and the wicker furniture that I am in the right place.  A sign on a table says someone will be out shortly.  I take a seat and try to channel my inner Buddha.  That is me - Mister Low Key, not in a hurry.  In truth, I am analyzing everything.  I can only aspire to be Type B.  Fifteen minutes after my consultation is scheduled to begin, a customer emerges from the back room followed by Jesus. Not actually Jesus, but certainly a reasonable modern-day imitation. The doctor has long hair pulled back into a pony tail, a loose fitting shirt, jeans, and no shoes.  He is clearly in his element.  He is Asheville while I am just an imposter. He invites me to the back room.  We sit across from one another in two upright chairs.  His office combines modernity with Ancient India. There is a table top with a computer, books, and his scribblings juxtaposed with pictures of India, a waist-high, golden, elephant Buddha, and shelves stocked with large jars of crushed herbs.  This is a far cry from the sterile dispensary with which I am familiar.

            After casually introducing himself, the doctor launches into the usual questions that begin any visit:  “What brings you here?”  “What do you hope to gain?”  He then begins a fairly detailed inquisition into my dietary habits, lifestyle, and my general constitution.  I am expecting this line of questioning.  Of course, what he really wants to discover is my dosha.  Should I save him the effort and just blurt out that “I am a Pitta.”  I suppress the urge and answer his questions faithfully.  “Yes, I sweat a lot. No, I am not prone to constipation. In fact, I have frequent loose stools.  Yes, I would describe myself as high stress.  I suffer from insomnia, heartburn, and headaches.”  These last two admissions pique his interest.  He does not seem surprised that I get heartburn.  He asks further questions to better define my headaches - “How frequent are they? What triggers them?  How do you relieve them?”

            Next, he takes a very detailed history of my dietary habits.  I tell him about the cleanse that I just recently completed, and he nods approvingly.  In fact, I think the cleanse has stolen much of his thunder.  He recommends avoiding empty sweets - done, caffeine -done, processed foods -done.  I am becoming worried.  It appears that if I follow his dietary recommendations, the cleanse, which I am so relieved is over, will live on minus the dreaded UltraBroth.  Fortunately, he doesn’t mention cutting out alcohol.  I am not sure if this is an oversight, but I don’t ask.  I can drink my evening glass of wine or beer.  Hallelujah!

            Now that history taking is completed, we come to the physical examination.  Where will he probe? What bodily samples will I have to produce?  He pulls up his chair until we are directly across from one another, and our knees are nearly touching.  He places a square pillow as a bridge across our laps.  First he stares deeply into my eyes.  Then, he has me stick out my tongue while he studies its furrows and ridges.  I wonder if the cleft I have from biting through my tongue as an infant gives him any insight.  Then, he has me place my arms on the pillows, and he uses three fingers to check the pulses on both my wrists.  Apparently, he is much more adept at reading one’s pulse than me.  I remember reading about Ayurvedic doctors being able to appreciate three components of one’s pulse and thereby being able to derive inferences regarding overall well-being.  After a few more seconds of pulse reading, he is done.  The exam is done. No urine or blood sample required.

            He declares my constitution is Pitta.  I am amazed.  He also says my “imbalanced state” is also Pitta, but with a bit of Vata.  Now that my dosha is revealed, he can tailor a specific therapeutic plan for me.

            First, he returns his focus to my diet.  We spend extensive time going over foods I should avoid and foods I should load up on.  He encourages me to double my water intake to two liters a day.  (It seems that every discipline, including western medicine, is convinced that we are continually at risk for dehydration).  I am to avoid drinking milk in close proximity to when I drink orange juice.  Most of his dietary recommendations are fairly standard - avoid processed foods and increase my intake of natural fruits and veggies.

            He says that Pittas have a lot of heat; therefore, I need to avoid heat producing foods which will only feed my fire.  He is pleased by my frequent bowel movements, but remains concerned about my headaches and heartburn.  He says heartburn is a symptom rather than a disease itself.  When I express an openness to try herbal remedies, he smiles.  He leaps up, stares at his shelves, and contemplates out loud which jars hold the right herbs for me.  He grabs a zip lock baggie and starts adding a scoop or two of various herbal powders.  After a few moments of indecision, followed by a few clarifying questions regarding my sleep habits and bowel movements, he completes the herbal concoction and hands me the bag. He tells me to take two teaspoons twice daily mixed with hot water. 

            The visit is coming to an end.  He suggests I contact him via email in a week or two to report on my progress and possibly to schedule a visit to the Ayruvedic day spa for an Abhynanga (warm oil message) or perhaps a Shirodhara (Ayurvedic Bliss Therapy).  He says these treatments are part of the process to restore balance and promote relaxation.  The next question - cash or credit card?  Alas, my bliss is coming to an end.  The total bill is $150 for the consultation and a mere $20 for the herbs.  Compared to my naturopathic visit, I feel like I am making out like a bandit.

Ayurvedic Medicine - Hello Ancient India

            For my next foray into alternative medicine, I will travel back in time and give Ayurvedic medicine a try.  Ayurveda is one of the world’s oldest forms of holistic healing.  Ayurveda traces its origins back thousands of years to ancient India.  The first obstacle I come across in my plans to sample this discipline is how do I pronounce Ayurvedic?  Is it Aaroovadick?  Ayorveedak?  Fortunately, I don’t have to look far to find clarification from a native of India.  Do all Indians aspire to be doctors?  I share my office with a Dr. Gupta, not the world famous Sanjay Gupta, but Vinnie Gupta.  Dr. Gupta informs me the correct pronunciation is “Eye yur vaydick.”  Now that I can pronounce Ayurvedic, I am ready to find a local practitioner.  Fortunately, I now live in Asheville, North Carolina, home of all things alternative.  San Francisco has nothing on my little mountain town when it comes to non-traditional forms of medicine. Had I searched for an Ayurvedic doctor in Cleveland, Ohio, two years ago when I started this quest, I would have been out of luck.  Asheville not only has Ayurveda, but it boasts one of the few Ayurvedic centers in the United States.  Don’t lose heart Clevelanders - a University Hospitals affiliate just added Ayurveda as a wellness option - further proof that alternative medicine is not really so “alternative” any longer.

            What is Ayurveda?  Does a form of wellness therapy invented thousands of years ago still have relevance in modern times?  To answer these questions, I turn to my usual sources: my bible, Alternative Medicine - The Definitive Guide, and WebMd.  These two sources provide opposite sides of the spectrum - alternative medicine devotees versus western-trained doctors like me.  According to Dr. Deepak Chopra, Ayurvedic physicians ask “Who is my patient?” rather than “What disease does my patient have?”  The focus of Ayurveda is to promote good health rather than to treat disease.  Ayurveda believes in the connectedness of everything in the universe (Connectedness is a key buzzword for many “alternative” beliefs.  I often think my traditionally trained colleagues worry too much about the “connectedness” of their coding for procedures and billing).  Ayurveda says everything is composed of the five basic elements - space, air, water, fire, and earth (a bit simpler than the 118 elements that make up the Periodic Table).  These basic elements combine to form a person’s metabolic type or dosha.  If your dosha gets out of balance, you are prone to illness.

            I check out the three doshas - Vata, Pitta, and Kapha.  Which one am I?  Persons typically are of one predominant dosha, but may express the other doshas to a lesser degree. There are certain characteristics associated with each dosha.  My bible, Alternative Medicine, lists traits associated with each dosha.  As I read the list of general traits, I am reminded of a bad horoscope which gives general predictions that could apply to everyone.  Despite my initial cynicism, I am clearly a Pitta:  medium build; fair-thin hair (thinner than I would like); warm-perspiring skin; doesn’t miss a meal; lives by the clock; intelligent and articulate (of course); orderly-efficient; warm and loving (maybe); short-tempered (nope); heartburn (yep); hemorrhoids (yes, how embarrassing); and, acne (my friends definitely remember my pizza-faced youth).  Wow!  I am a Pitta through and through.

            According to WebMd, those with Pitta as their primary life force are more likely to develop anger and negative emotions (bullshit! I hate this website!), Crohn’s disease (I do have bowel issues), heart disease, heartburn, high blood pressure, and infections.  Fortunately, I am an infectious diseases doctor so I should be able to handle the last of these.  Based on my overwhelming Pitta-ness, I should have had a least one cardiac bypass surgery by now.  I don’t dare wait any longer.  I need to find guidance before I croak.  I will set up my first Ayurvedic consultation right away. 

 Next week . . . a visit to the Ayurvedic doctor.