Medicine Health

Ayurveda, meaning the knowledge of life, refers to Ayurvedic medicine, which is an ancient form of Indian health care. The western world has started to embrace this ancient form of medicine. Ayurvedic medicine revolves around the concept of balance. It entails the balancing of the body including what foods we eat. The medicine is comprised of using herbs in different forms to produce healing results. The ailments of the body can be treated with the correct herbs and the body can be balanced with a change in diet.

Westerners are embracing this new alternative form of medicine of herbal remedies and yoga exercises. But Ayurveda is more than just herbs and yoga, it is the form of balance. As a whole, Ayurveda is divided into eight branches which together create Ayurvedic medicine.
The eight branches include:

1. Internal medicine

2. Surgery

3. Ears, eyes, nose and throat

4. Pediatrics

5. Toxicology

6. Purification of the genetic organs

7. Health and Longevity

8. Spiritual Healing/Psychiatry

Although the western world has begun to uses these methods of medicine, it has still not mixed into main stream health care with respect to provincial health care system in Canada. It has also not become a widely used form of health care in private health institutions in the United States. Ayurvedic medicine is not covered by provincial health care in Canada as it is not widely enough used. This unfortunately, does not give any patients the option to use Ayurvedic medicine without a cost. There are some health care insurance companies that will cover some expenses of Ayurvedic medicine but their approval of claims are very stringent.

It is easy to find information on the Internet regarding this alternative form of medicine, as well as books can be purchased on the subject from most local bookstores. If this medicine has been around for hundreds of thousands of years, is it now about time that we learn to adopt this method more widely, or at least make it more readily available? If we are so health conscious as a society, then why are we not turning to our own health care system and improving it instead of developing new drugs to help with our ailments? There is a cure out there for our ailments, so why as a society are we stuck on covering it up, or taking the risk of producing more problems in the future because we choose to use chemicals instead of herbs. This is a question I presume will be answered in the near future, but I have to wonder if it the answer will come soon enough.