Classical Ayurvedic approach to Cancer Care - Dr. Jayarajan Kodikannath
Dr. Jayarajan Kodikannath is the Academy Director of Kerala Ayurveda (USA) responsible for all academic programs conducted internationally by Kerala Ayurveda with a focus on bringing quality education on authentic Ayurveda across the globe. He is an accomplished teacher for the advanced courses in Ayurveda and the resource person for various training programs conducted in traditional Ayurvedic therapies and medicine. His corporate sessions and workshops on Application of Ayurveda in daily life, Stress management and BMS are immensely popular. Suffused with expertise in traditional Ayurvedic health care practices especially Panchakarma (Ayurvedic detoxification) and Ksharasoothra (medicated thread therapy) a specialty of Kerala Ayurveda tradition, Dr Jayarajan took charge as the Chief Medical Officer of an exclusive Ayurvedic wellness center - Ayurvedagram. Ayurvedagram is a heritage wellness center in Bangalore catering to the authentic practice of Ayurveda in pristine surroundings for the treatment of chronic diseases and rejuvenative therapies. He played a significant role in making Ayurvedagram of international repute with extremely satisfied clients across the globe. Dr Jay, as he is fondly referred, is actively involved in various research projects of Kerala Ayurveda. He is currently the principal investigator of a research on integrated approach of Ayurveda and Stem cell in Duchene Muscular Dystrophy. Dr Jay ran a hugely successful “Ayurveda Summer Makeover” program in Slovenia in the spring of 2008. A program sponsored by a fashion magazine selected 5 women from several applicants to be given a Summer Makeover with Ayurvedic treatments and therapies. A winner in all ways the program received wide attention in the press and media alike. Dr Jay has presented several papers on Ayurveda in national and international seminars. He writes articles on wellness an health regularly in periodicals and responds to the readers’ health queries in the Health issue of The New Indian Express. Dr. Jay has served in the curriculum committee of Bastyr University to create the Masters in Ayurveda program and he is also a founding member of Council for Ayurveda Credentialing (CAC). An affable person Dr Jay is always enthusiastic and innovative.
Classical Ayurvedic approach to Cancer Care – Case Presentations
There are elaborated descriptions in Ayurvedic classics on the cause, clinical features and management of tumors and cancer, with the names such as Apachi, Gulma, Granthi, and Arbuda. There are specific protocols mentioned on curative aspects of cancers that have resemblance with clinical entities of arbuda and granthi. Arbuda is considered as condition involving multiple doshas (often Tridoshaja), multiple dhatus and associated with multiple complications. Abuse of nature’s law upsets the human system and ends up in disease like cancer. It is again the nature, the foremost physician who brings the cure. Ayurveda is the first system to emphasize health as the perfect state of physical, psychological, social and spiritual component of a human being. The therapeutic approach of Ayurveda in the management of Cancer is multipronged with maintenance of health, cure of disease and rejuvenation or restoration of health. Sodhana chikitsa (purification process), which eliminates vitiated doshas, followed by a course of Rasayana therapy have been primarily used for medical management of cancer. In some cases Shamana chikitsa, which pacifies dosha and gradually relieves the disease, is adopted. However, Shamana treatment is prescribed only to weaker patients for whom sodana chikitsa is contraindicated. I would like to share some case studies in which we have successfully incorporated classical Ayurvedic protocols for the management of different types of Cancers. Ayurveda can be helpful in the management of cancer in many ways such as—preventive, palliative, curative and supportive. Ayurvedic protocols also help to improve the quality of life of the patients as an adjuvant or a co-therapy along with chemotherapy or radiotherapy or as post-surgery rehabilitation. Many of the rejuvenative and cell-protective activity of herbs and formulations prescribed in Rasayana therapy helps to improve the quality of life of individuals with Cancer.