Ayurveda is a Sanskrit word which means Science of Life. Ayur means Life and Veda means Science. More than a medicinal system, it is a system of moral and physical culture in India. Ayurveda and its relation to Indian philosophy are derived from the Vedas, the divine books of knowledge. The first glimpse of Ayurveda is seen in Rigveda which is the oldest available literary work in South Asia, which is considered to be written around 2500 B.C. It took hundreds of decades to form itself into a disciplined medical system. It's gradual and steady development can be seen if we go through Rig Veda, Yajur Veda, Sama Veda, Atharva Veda and other vedic literature and epics of Mahabharata and Ramayana. together to specific illnesses The Pancha Karma, the cleaning therapy, which detoxifies the body,

Ayurveda is based on two important theories, Thridosha siddhanta and Panchabhoota siddhanta. According to Thridosha siddanta, life is the manifestation of three basic aspects named Vatha, Pitha and Kapha. As long as these three doshas are in balance, health prevails. When these doshas falls into imbalance, ill health occurs. According to the Panchabhoota siddhanta , Universe is made of five basic factors named bhootas. They are Prithwi, Jal, Vayu, Akasa and Agni. Though it is impossible to define these Bhootas perfectly, we can equate Prithwi as Earth and Jal as water, Agni as fire, Vayu as air and Akasa as space.

Pancha bhoota siddhanta says that all the living and non-living things in the universe contain only these five factors, but the quantity of different bhootas differ in different materials. Everything in the universe including human body are made of five bhootas.

Ayurveda makes use of the relation between three dhoshas of VATHA, PITTHA, KAPHA and five bhoothas of Prithvi, Jal, Agni, Vayu and Akasa. Bhootas of Vayu and Akasa activate Vatha, bhootas of Agni activate Pitha and Bhoothas of Prithvi and Jal activate Kapha. Ayurveda has proved through the centuries of experience and research that every material in the universe can be used as drugs, provided that they are processed and used rationally, according to these DHOSHA-BHOOTA relation.

There are also many other theories like Shadrasa Sidhandha and Vimsathi guna Sidhandha, which Ayurveda makes use in its service to the mankind. Shadrasa Sidhandha says that each material in the universe is tasty. There are infinite number of tastes as there are infinite number of materials. Shadrasa Sidhandha categorise the tastes into six basic tastes. They are Madhura, Amla, Lavana, Thiktha, Kadu and Kashaya. Madhura is sweet, Amla is sour, Lavana is salt, Thiktha is bitter, Kadu is Pungent (the taste of spices like pepper, turmeric) and Katie is astringent (the taste of tender mango, gooseberry, pearl, soil, lotus and flower). Generally taste of Madhura , Amla and Lavana aggravate Kapha and reduce Vata. Taste of Thiktha, Quad and Katie aggravates Vat and reduces Kapha Tastes of Amla, Havana and Quad aggravate Pith. Taste of Madhura, Thiktha and Katie reduce Pith. This relation is also used in Ayurveda to bring back the patient to health using different natural drugs.

According to the Vimsathi guna sidhandha every substance in the universe have got individuality due to special characters they possess. These characters are called Gunas. All the special characters of the substances are short listed into twenty basic characters or Vimsathi gunas. Guru, Mandha, Seetha, Snigtha, Slekshna, Sandhra, Mridhu, Sthira, Sookshma, Visadha, Lekhu, Theekshna, Ushna, Rooksha, Khara, Dhrava, Katina, Chala, Sthoola, Pichila, are Vimgathi gunas. Ayurveda makes use of relation between gunas and three dhoshas in the treatment of diseases. Vatha, Pitha and Kapha are concerned with whole body including mind. But when special focus is given on mind, Ayurveda uses another theory, in which it interprets human mind with three aspects named Sathwa, Rajas and Thamas. In a body of Vatha dominance, the mind will be of Thamas character. When body is dominated by Pitha, the mind will manifest as having Rajas character. When the body is dominated by Kapha, the mind will be having Sathwa Characters. So also, the properties of the drugs have almost the same effect on three characters of mind namely Satwa, Rajas and Thamas as on Kapha, Pitha and Vatha.

Ayurveda is one of the noble and ancient traditions of healing. It is not merely curative but also a preventive system. It is a holistic means for health through the ancient Indian science of Ayurveda. Literally meaning Knowledge of Life, Ayurveda provides an integrated approach to mind,

Diseases in the body can be traced to the mind. Manage your mind and you can manage your body is the message of Ayurveda. Mind is linked to body care. Ailments crop up when stress, tension or some malfunction puts the body mechanism out of alignment. That is the root of diseases showing up in the body.

Stress affects the nervous system. If it affects the spinal chord, it causes spondylitis and backache. Nervous system also affects digestion, appetite and even sleeplessness. In turn, it causes other complications, like weakness, tiredness and exhaustion. Once digestion is affected, it directly hits the blood purification process. Blood impurities result in skin diseases. It also opens the gateway for almost all diseases.

Metabolic changes in the body and toxic intake through the food consumed can also cause some complications in the health system. Ayurveda offers special cures for even the seemingly intractable ailments like spondylitis, arthritis, skin diseases, polio and post-polio syndrome and paralysis.

Aim of Ayurveda is to keep the inner balance intact, which ensures the health of a person. It seeks to restore the balance in the body, by toning up the general health. Kerala physicians have developed a perfect system of treatment enhancing the massage therapy. The medicinal and herbal oils used in the massages help revive the damaged cells in the various parts of the body. The basic approach is rejuvenation.

On certain diseases Ayurveda treatment is more effective than any other system of medicine. All rheumatic ailments including arthritis, spondilitis, paralysis, sciatica, slip disc, lower back pain etc., sinusitis, migraine, depression to mention some of them. Problems of the patients are diagnosed on the basis of symptoms and the results of the the medical tests with the help of modern devises like MRI, X-ray, Ultra Sonography , CT Scan, Haematologic examination etc. Ayurveda treatments are in courses of 7 days; ie 7 days, 14 days, 221 days and so on depending on the severity of the problem. Treatment include oral medicines, Ayurvedic Massages with herbal medicinal oils and direction on restrictions in food and life style.