What to Expect
Ayurveda Potion Maker
According to Ayurveda, all disease is caused by an imbalance in dosha (constitutions). Determining which of the dosha is imbalanced and thus the root cause of disease requires extensive training and knowledge.
At your initial consultation especially, be prepared to talk about yourself. Ayurveda emphasises balance in all areas of life and so the physician will be using various diagnostic methods to examine your body as well as taking an extensive personal and medical history. This may include amongst other matters, an understanding of your diet, your professional life and working conditions, relationships, mental health and exercise routines.
In this way the Ayurvedic Physician is able to identify the potential causes of imbalance in the mind or body and can provide a bespoke treatment plan that will include dietary advice, herbal medicines and any other Ayurvedic treatments.
In general the Ayurvedic consultation consists of the following:
- Observation (Darshan): This is an evaluation of the patient by observing the patient. There are hundreds of key indicators that an Ayurvedic Physician may observe the patient’s movements and physical appearance to investigate the imbalance.
- Palpation or touch (Sparsha): Touch includes palpation (pressing down on parts of the body called sparshanam in Ayurveda), auscultation (listening to sounds made by the internal organs or shrvanaa in Ayurveda) and percussion or tapping (akotana in Ayurveda). There is a focus on pulse and tongue diagnosis and other diagnostic methods which include sound observation in which breathing and the function of the stomach and bowel can be observed.
- Questions (Prashna): This takes up the majority of the consultation and involves investigation of the main complaint, symptoms and pathogenesis of the disorder as well as personal history. Patients will be greatly assisted by providing psychological, physical and lifestyle and nutrition information to the doctor.
