Panchakarma is an unique & special therapy of Ayurveda. Pancha means five & karma means procedures / therapies. This five-fold therapies is also known as detoxification / biopurification/ cleansing / shodhan karma.
Which are these five therapies?
1) Vaman
2) Virechan
3) Basti
4) Nasya
5) Raktamokshan
At the present time most of people think that massage & steam or shirodhara is panchakarma. But it’s not true, massage & steam are the pre procedures of panchakarma therapies. We have also seen several patients who have heard a lot of myth about Ayurvedic treatments.It’s due to untutored peoples or incomplete knowledge of Ayurveda. lets see the panchakarma
1) Vaman – it means therapeutic vomiting with the ayurvedic medicines, prior to that all necessary procedures were carried out like ghritapaan, massage & steam etc. actual vomiting continue for 10 to 20 minutes max. Vaman cleans the upper body especially stomach &respiratory system .it depends on age, dosha & several factors.
2) Virechan – in Virechan, after all pre procedures like ghritapaan & massage – steam. Ayurvedic medicines are given that starts loose motions? Purgation to clean the complete digestive system, liver, bile duct, etc.
3) Basti – its enema but in Ayurveda we use different decoction & medicated oils as per patients requirement instead of glycerin or soap enema. Basti controls the vata dosha which is responsible for all kind of joint pain & digestion problems & many more.
4) Nasya – its nasal administration of medicines after face & head massage & minimal steam medicated oil, ghritam is poured in nostrils. It’s beneficial to diseases related to ENT.
5) Raktamokshana – bloodletting, we withdraw 30 -50 ml of blood with the help of needle or jalauka (leech) as detox therapy in skin diseases & other diseases.
All these 5 therapies called as panchakarma. One cannot perform all 5 therapies together in 7 days. All need 7 days each with gap of minimum 15 days.