Have you booked an appointment at an Ayurvedic health center? Or are you considering scheduling your first Ayurvedic consultation? Let’s face it: you might be wondering what to expect during the first appointment. So, if you feel apprehensive about consulting an Ayurvedic practitioner, you are not alone. Many people feel the same way, and most of us don’t know what to expect. You may have a lot of questions running in your mind, right? Let us help you clear the concerns and share some insight.
First things, you don’t have to be a patient or sick to visit an Ayurvedic clinic. You can consult an Ayurvedic practitioner to know better about yourself – body and mind. They can help you understand your body constitution (dosha), which helps determine the right diet modifications and lifestyle changes. On the other hand, if you are suffering from any illness, then a personal consultation with a qualified Ayurvedic doctor could prove beneficial. They can give you a new, different point of view and natural treatment options that can relieve your symptoms.
So, now you have decided to opt for the holistic approach and visit an Ayurvedic herbal health center, it is time to discuss the things that you can look forward to.
The Initial Examination:
The initial examination with the Ayurvedic practitioner is similar to your regular doctor visits. However, this might be longer, and you have to be prepared to spend about half an hour to one hour with the practitioner.
In Ayurveda, the initial examination includes three parts:
1. Observation (Darshan):
As the name implies, this part mainly includes the doctor evaluating your overall health by taking in your general appearance. The doctor will observe your movements, body contour, skin colour, eyes, facial lines, lips, hair, and nails.
2. Touch (Sparsha):
This is the tactile perception part where the doctor will examine your pulse tongue, nails, and skin. Examination of the pulse, termed ‘Nadi pariksha’, is the foremost step in the Ayurvedic diagnostic procedure. It offers deep insights into health conditions, pathological states, energy imbalances, and more. Similarly, examination of nails, tongue (jivha pariksha), and skin (sparsha pariksha) also provides a better idea about your physical and physiological conditions.
3. Questions (Prashna):
The final part of the Ayurvedic examination is the questions – where the doctor will ask you a number of questions. They will enquire about your symptoms, disease progression, duration of discomfort, medical history, daily diet, profession, working conditions, mental health, exercise, sleep patterns, and food habits. Make sure you are prepared to talk about yourself.
Ayurvedic Treatments:
There is no concept of a one-size-fits-all approach in Ayurveda as it combines disease analysis with deep examination of each individual. As you may already know, Western medicine follows the same diagnostic procedure, medications, and treatments for multiple people battling with the same illness. But when it comes to Ayurveda, it is different. Even you and your friend suffering from back pain might be receiving two different treatments and herbal body treatments. Ayurveda focuses on devising unique treatment protocols based on each individual’s physical, emotional, and spiritual challenges.
What makes Ayurvedic consultation different from Western medicine is its approach to disease management. An Ayurvedic doctor would consider the whole human being while recommending a treatment instead of just focusing on a specific organ or ailment. Moreover, Ayurvedic treatments are rooted in the belief that our body itself has the power and energy to heal ourselves and restore its balanced state. So, rather than focusing on medicines to heal the illness, an Ayurvedic doctor will devise personalized treatments to strengthen the healthy elements inherent in every human body. That is why Ayurvedic treatments mainly include massage therapies, herbal concoctions, dietary modifications, meditation, yoga, and lifestyle practices.
Now that you have a better idea of what to expect during your first consultation with an Ayurvedic doctor, it is time to book your appointment with a reputed Ayurvedic herbal health center like Swasthya Ayurveda. We have a dedicated team of doctors headed by Dr. Divya Menon – a highly skilled Vaidya with rich experience in managing a broad spectrum of disorders. Setting up a consultation with our experienced doctors would help you understand yourself, and your imbalances and prevent and manage diseases efficiently.
