Malignant tumor or Cancer is not a new disease anymore. Now-a-days we have many patients in our acquaintance / relatives / friends who have or are suffering from Cancer of some tissue. The management of Cancer usually involves various treatments including Chemotherapy; Radiotherapy; Surgical Treatment etc depending upon their condition. These treatments are exhibiting good efficacy in some cases even though they are causing tissue depletion elsewhere leading to general weakening.
Ayurveda – the science of life, is beneficial in prevention as well as treatment of many diseases including Cancer. Ayurveda understands every disease in terms of dosha, dhatu (tissues) and mala (wastes) primarily. These Ayurvedic concepts of diagnosis and treatment are usually out of the paradigm of Western Medicine. While diagnosing a disease in Ayurvedic System of Medicine, causative factors along with other details of the disease are studied and the treatment is planned. The causative factors could be certain dietary or behavioral habits and in some cases previous illnesses as well. These causative factors have potential to influence the homeostasis of the body in either way. Certain unhealthy causative factors can disturb the equilibrium of dosha, dhatu (tissues) and mala (wastes) leading to various subclinical conditions. Such subclinical conditions are the conditions that do not produce any significant symptoms and also get easily escaped from the radar of Medical Investigations.
Such environment inside the body makes the body susceptible for various kinds of ill health. Cancer is one of the many diseases that gets emerged out of such environment. When the Cancer gets manifested, the complete focus of the treatment is always on the malignant tissue and the subclinical conditions usually remain untreated due to lack of awareness.
In other words, consistently unhealthy physiology can cause certain tissues to behave abnormally which may lay the foundation for certain diseases including Cancer.
Understanding the subclinical conditions; going to the root cause helps to prevent and also to treat such conditions. Our habits; traits have such an influence on us that they can either make us healthy or create a disease. With unhealthy habits of diet and lifestyle, body starts to accumulate doshas causing hindrance to normal body physiology. Such status of the body can lead to various defects in the tissues making them vulnerable. This vulnerability or impaired immunity in tissues leads to diseases. Hence treating such subclinical status is very crucial in terms of preventing many disorders and maintaining a healthy status of mind body complex.
In Cancer specifically, it becomes necessary to find out why abnormal growth in tissues has happened and which doshas are responsible for that. Doshas along with weakened dhatus manifest such pathology. This accumulation of doshas needs to be reduced along with strengthening of the tissues. This can be supported with Ayurvedic herbs that will specifically improve the inner environment and also recuperate the tissues. For this purpose along with the herbs & Panchakarma; a proper change in lifestyle and eating pattern becomes a crucial link.
Recurrent ailments affecting same organ or tissues of the body make that organ vulnerable causing few abnormalities there. Liver disorder is a common example. Liver is the organ which is a strong organ responsible for various prime functions of the body. With excessive alcohol; excessive hot & pungent foods, this organ loses its immunity making it susceptible for many disorders.
Similarly a health status of an individual that exhibits recurrent episodes of hepatitis; being carrier of hepatitis B; chronic alcoholism; fatty liver for many months makes the liver weak. Overlooking such conditions and continuing an unhealthy lifestyle keeps worsening the health of the liver. Following proper daily regimen (Dinacharya) and seasonal regimen (Rutucharya) along with few herbs, helps to keep doshas under control. It also helps to regain the strength of the organs back developing their resistance capacity for the diseases.
In general in any Cancer along with the surgical treatment and / or chemotherapy / radiotherapy, starting Ayurvedic treatment becomes helpful for the organ to improve its immunity and to clear the accumulation of doshas. This helps to strengthen the afflicted organs and thus the chances of recurrence are minimized.
About the author
He is MD (Ayurveda) with a specialization in Panchakarma from Tilak Ayurveda, Pune. Presently working as Ayurveda Practitioner, researcher, speaker and author for last 20+ years; Honorary Ayurveda Consultant to SP Pune University -Students’ Health Centre; associated as a founding member and consultant at TanMan Ayurveda, Vedika Global, SINCE and a few other organizations.
