5 Key Differences between Ayurveda and Modern Medicine

Although most people in Melbourne may not be aware of it, ayurveda is a form of alternative treatment that has been practiced for thousands of years. Modern medicine, which is more familiar to most of the city’s residents has only been around for a couple of centuries but ayurveda was practiced in places like India since 5000 years ago. Today if you visit a good Melbourne natural medicine clinic you will find that the ayurvedic principles applied there are not quite the same as what you would expect from a modern hospital or clinic. Below is a discussion of 5 key differences between modern medicine and ayurveda.

1. Approach to treatment

Modern medicine believes in addressing any ailment or disease at the place where it is manifested. It is more about treating specific organs that have been affected by disease. So if, for instance, you have a heart condition or a skin disease ten you will need a cardiologist who will only focus on treating the heart condition or you will need a dermatologist whose only focus will be the treatment of the skin disease. Ayurveda, on the other hand takes a very different approach to treatment. Ayurveda is about treating the body as a whole and not just the affected organs since the underlying principle is that any ailment is a manifestation of imbalance in the body and can be treated by restoring that balance. So if you go for, say, ayurvedic skin care or natural remedies for hair loss at a naturopath Melbourne clinic then you don’t expect them to focus on just specific areas of your body.

2. Side effects

It is a known fact that practically all forms of modern medication carry some risk of side effects and the only reason why people take them is because the potential benefits outweigh the risks. Ayurvedic treatments, on the other hand, are 100% safe and do not come with risk of any side effects whatsoever.

3. Chemical ingestion

In recent years there has been a lot of talk about ingesting various chemicals, either directly or indirectly, and the potential harm that the chemicals can cause to the human body. But most people fail to realize that modern medications also contain plenty of chemicals which could be dangerous to the body in the long run. Ayurvedic treatments are natural and use only natural herbs and physical therapy meaning that there are absolutely no chemicals ingested into the body.

4. Diet and nutrition

Except in cases where malnutrition or obesity are the main problems or where the disease originates from poor lifestyle choices, modern medicine does not take diet and nutrition into account when treating unrelated problems. However, in ayurveda it is understood that most health problems can be prevented or cured through proper diet and nutrition hence lays a lot of emphasis on the same.

5. Detoxification

In ayurveda, it is believed that all health problems are caused by imbalance in the body and this is usually caused by the presence of unwanted substances within the body. Thus the body can be treated through detoxification to remove the toxins. Modern medicine does not subscribe to any such principles at all.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dr Gurnam Saini and Pooja Saini are certified practitioners and propagators of Ayurvedic medicine and practice. They have been in Australia for medical practice in Ayurveda for over five years. They both strongly recommend Pureherbalayurved.com.au as the preferred destination for natural treatments for your bodily ailments