Eyes Healed by Ayurvedic Treatment - By: Ashok Puri
Published :
03/Oct/2023
Ayurvedic eye treatment helped heal my eyes, after Western
doctors declared my condition 'untreatable'. Some years ago,
I had a cataract operation. At the time, I was overly
anxious and excited to have my vision improved. Cataract
operations are so routine and quick that I couldn't wait for
the results. After the operation, I opened my right eye,
expecting 20/20 vision. Unfortunately, this was not the
case. My sight went unchanged and remained at 20/60. I was
diagnosed with idiopathic perifoveal telangiectasia shortly
after. This is a rare, irreversible condition in which there
is leakage of fluid from extra blood vessels around the
fovea, a part of the eye that allows sharp vision for
reading and watching television. The worst part was not just
that this condition can lead to blindness, but that there is
no known cure in the allopathic system of conventional
medicine. I was given one option, an expensive non
FDA-approved injection called Avastin, which had no
guaranteed results. While I was still contemplating whether
I should go for the injection or not, my job brought me to
India. I went door-to-door looking for answers, exploring
everything from homoeopathy, naturopathic doctors, eye
specialists, to mystic men with healing powers and quacks
with claims of magic cures. Finally, I ended up in an eye
clinic in Kerala, southern India. The clinic, called
Sreedhareeyam, practiced Ayurveda --a system ancient Indian
medicine, developed over thousands of years of trial and
error. The head ayurvedic doctor assured me with confidence
that the clinic could definitely arrest the leakage and
further deterioration of my eye, but could not guarantee
restoration of the already deleterious effects of the damage
already done. This news was very reassuring. After three
weeks of intense treatment in the clinic, I returned to
Vancouver. My total expenses, including lodging, fees,
treatments, a four-month supply of medicine and all meals,
was only $800 CAD. None of this, of course, was covered by
the Medical Service Plan (MSP). How did this ayurvedic
treatment work? My typical day started daily at 5:30 am,
with freshly prepared mixture of herbal extracts called
kashayam. At 7 am, I was off to the massage centre where two
strong masseurs were ready to tone me with specially
prepared oil mixtures. They work on you in the such
synchronized time that you would think only one person is
massaging you. At around 9:30 am, I would begin the netra
dhara, a special cleansing technique of pouring of herbal
extracts in a stream over the eyes for 15 – 20 minutes.
After receiving treatment, Ashok Puri and his fellow
patients enjoy their surroundings. After lunch, I went
through shirodhara, which involves gently pouring of liquids
over the forehead -- the third eye, in Hindu religion. Of
all the treatments, I loved the shirodhara the most, during
which I felt completely stress-free. I was also treated with
khizi, a massage given through heat which essentially
involves very hot oil being applied through a technique
similar to the energetic strokes of a wire brush. All the
above treatments are essentially preparing the patient for
the final treatment, which is performed for the last full
week. Tharpanam means retention of medicines over the eyes
for 30 minutes or more a day. Big wells of dough are put
onto your eyes, and are poured on with warm herbalated ghee
(clarified butter). The frequency and dosage depends on the
extent of the problem. You are kept blind folded for almost
three hours with the most refreshing bandage I have ever
felt. Imagine petals of cooling flowers being used, instead
of cotton. Evenings are free time, so people gather in the
front of the old home of the family to share their stories
and experiences. Some sing hymns, Bollywood songs, and
people from different regions tell a variety of jokes. Many
people go to the evening congregation at the temple. It is a
delightful sight to see all the walls of the temple lit with
thousands of diyas (oil filled lamps). The place is filled
with high energy. Everybody has a positive attitude and is
in good spirits. Dejected people who had previous failed
treatments feel once again full of hope after hearing the
success stories of others. Most of the medicines used in the
clinic are prepared from the herbs grown on-site.
Panchkarama, herbal massages, shirodhara, basti, netra dhara
and tharpanam are the main treatments. The most common
treatments are for near-sightedness, glaucoma, diabetic
retinitis, retinitis pigmentosa, age-related degeneration
and diseases related to the optic nerve. When I came back,
my ophthalmologist in Vancouver was surprised to find that
there was no leakage and that my eye site had become 20/20
in both eyes. He taunted me as to why I was still wearing
glasses. Since the appointment, I only wear glasses while
reading. The Sreedhareeyam eye clinic is operated by a team
of highly trained and experienced ayurveds (doctors). The
business has been running in the family for many
generations. The premises is set up in a resort-like
facility away from the hustle of big cities and located near
a small village. It has a capacity for over 300 patients and
escorts, and contains a gorgeous kitchen which prepares all
fresh vegetarian meals, as well as a canteen with internet
facilities. It has a large research and development
department and modern factories where the clinic's
medications are manufactured. About 10% of the patients are
from abroad, 35% are from the city of Kerala, and the rest
come from from all parts of India. The dedication, sincerity
of purpose, and a belief in the Hindu Goddess Badri Maa are
quoted as the main reasons for the successful treatments of
all the patients. Morning and evening prayers are performed
daily by most patients and the doctors. Ayurvedic
ophthalmology, or Netra Chikitsa, is a well-documented
branch of Ayurveda, the ancient holistic medical science.
Numerous Ayurvedic documents cover treatments for 70 to 90
eye ailments. Ophthalmology is taught up to the post
graduate level, which takes up to eight and a half years to
complete. Most eye-patients reach this treatment centre
after exhausting all other options available to them.
Presently, ayurvedic medicine is said to be the last hope
for people who suffer from blindness. The specialists and
doctors I have seen in Canada cannot believe that this
ayurvedic treatment is working, nor can they explain to me
why my condition is not worsening. Richard Dawkins, a
renowned British ethologist, once said "there is no
alternative medicine, there is only medicine that works and
medicine that doesn't work.” It makes me wonder why the
mainstream medical profession does not open its doors and
gain some insight into the magic of these so-called
alternatives, complementary systems. Most of these
alternatives practitioners are finding it hard to compete
with the mainstream system, as their treatment is not
recognized by our government. Regardless, I go to my clinic
in India for annual checkups and treatments. I do not know
what brings me back every year. It may be the faith in the
doctors, the medicines or the Goddess.
https://www.sfu.ca/diasporas/blogs_ayurvedic_treatment.htm
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