Kaya Chikitsa - First branch of Ayurveda
Kaya Chikitsa is the first branch of Ayurveda
Kaya means body and chikitsa means treatment.
Kaya chikitsa also called internal medicine that deals with general medicine.
Kaya Chikitsa is described in details in Charak Samhita the important scripture
on Ayurveda.
In charak Samhita it discussed the basic principles of treatment,
Various types of therapies and purification or detoxification methods.
According to Kaya Chikitsa the body of a person is the product of
the constant psychosomatic interactions and diseases caused are
due to imbalance of three doshas called Vata-Pitta-Kapha and also
sometime by the mind and occasionally by the body’s dhatu (Tissues)
and mala (Toxins deposits).
Kaya Chikitsa mainly deals with the diagnosis and treatment of
various general diseases like Skin disorders, diabetes, tuberculosis,
Rheumatoid arthritis and many other disorders.
Kaya Chikitsa is the branch of herbal medicine which deeply involved
to find out root cause of illness.
The entire Ayurvedic therapies are based on concepts of Agni.
Kaya is called the Agni which is responsible for bio-transformation of food
into energy.
In human body Kaya provides the necessary energy for all the bodily
activities. The energy provided by Kaya is derived from the food we eat
and the air we breathe.
The biological system of the body transforms this energy to one
which is utilized by the cell.
There are six stages of the development of diseases are enumerated as
aggravation, accumulation, overflow, relocation, build up in new site and
manifested as recognizable disease
In Kaya Chikitsa there is always opportunity to stop the disease at each
stage so it prevent its full manifestation.
The most famous and widely used treatment in Kaya Chikitsa is Panchakarma.
In Panchakarma the body is purified and cleansed from the vitiated dosha
to achieve the state of harmonized and happiness.
Another therapies in Kaya Chikitsa is Kaya Kalpa that is Rejuvenation.
Kaya Kalpa defined as the renewal of body.
According to Ayurveda The human body is made up of seven types of dhatu or tissues that's are Rasa (plasma), Rakta (blood), Mamsa (muscle) ,Meda (fat), Asthi (bone),Majja ( marrow) and Shukra (reproductive fluids).
Our body is supported and sustained by these seven Dhatus.
Dhatus and Dosha have relation with each other as health and disease.
In pathogenesis of disease these both play key role.
Kaya Chikitsa helps to prolong the youthfulness of the body by several
physical, mental disciplinary methods and with special medicinal preparations
to rebuild the body’s cells and tissues after the initial process of detoxification by Panchakarma Therapies.