About
Tibetan Medicine
The Hisroty of Tibetan Medicine
The Tibetan system of medicine
has a long and honored history. Our forefathers have met the challenge
of combating diseases by developing a medical system, which is of
an equal standing with all the traditional systems of medicine.
It is one of the oldest medical traditions which still enjoy an
unbroken lineage of practice. There are a number of medical systems
in the world, which are categorized as traditional, like a few,
the Indian Ayurveda system, the Siddha, the Chinese, the Native
American, the African, the Greek with which the Tibetan system,
apparently, has a close relation. Although they have differences
among them in terms of practice, due to diverse social and religious
environment, they share many similarities.
Primitive inhabitants of Tibet, like other ancient people throughout
the world, devised their own natural remedies. Applying residual
barley from Chang (Tibetan beer made from barley) on swollen muscles
or parts, drinking hot water in case of indigestion and using molten
butter to stop bleeding and hemorrhoids are some of the practical
experiences that gradually formed the basis for the development
of Tibetan healing science.
The origins of goSowa Rigpa for dates back to a time immemorial.
When the prominence of the Bon, the indigenous religion of Tibet,
at its peak, gSowa Rigpa, one of the five major fields of traditional
Tibetan sciences, was born. Here extensive historical records of
the practice of gSowa Rigpa including the gSo-rig Bhoomshi, a complete
reference on Tibetan medicine. The gSo Rig Bhoomshi documents and
summarizes centuries of experiential knowledge utilizing Tibetan
Medicine’s healing methods. However, “the
Four Tantras” (rgyud-bzhi), remain the foundation
of Tibetan medicine today.
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Introductions on Tibetan Medicine
The major goals of Tibetan Medicine are maintaining
a healthy constitution through balance as an overall preventative
approach, providing treatment methods for sick people, aiding in
longevity, and assisting those who want to be successful in their
physical body and spiritual fields. Tibetan medicine laid high emphasis
on the importance of having love and compassion. The fact that,
many illnesses can be cured by the one medicine of love and compassion.
These qualities are the ultimate source of human happiness, and
our need for them lies at the very core of our being.
Tibetan medicine is much deeper than what it appears to be. Beyond
treating symptoms, Tibetan Medicine concentrates on treating the
patient as a whole to promote peace and healing through diet, physical
exercise, herbal formulas, and spiritual practice. When Tibetan
physicians treat a patient, they focus equally on both the mental
and physical states because they believe that the mind and body
are inseparable. They address the three poisons as the fundamental
cause of emotional disturbances and mental disorders. Tibetan physicians
also consider how diet, behavior, and daily habits affect each individual
patient. Therefore, Tibetan Medicine can be best described as a
Holistic approach to tackle illness because it is designed to prevent
and treat all diseases of our living being.
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What is Tibetan Medicine?
Tibetan Medicine is one of the world's oldest
healing traditions that have been practiced for more than five thousand
years in Tibet and the Himalayan region. It is a unique medical
science that provides holistic health care to the body, mind and
soul. Tibetan medicine is commonly known as "gSowa Rigpa"
in Tibetan. "gSowa" means to heal or restore and "Rigpa"
means the knowledge or science. Tibetan medicine is also a science,
art and philosophy that provide a holistic health care to mankind.
It is a science because its principles are enumerated in a systematic
and logical framework based on an understanding of the body and
the mind’s relationship to the environment. It is an art because
the Tibetan healers use diagnostic techniques based on the creativity,
insight, subtlety, love and compassion of the medical practitioner.
And it is a philosophy because it explains the key Buddhist principles
of impermanence, altruism, karma and ethics.
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The Fundamental principle of Tibetan Medicine
The fundamental principle of Tibetan medicine is that the body,
the disease, and treatment, all share common principles and are
comprised of the five elements, earth, fire, water, air, and space.
This approach recognizes that every thing in the universe - plants,
animals, and human beings including all our body tissues, internal
organs, skin, skeletal system and even emotions, are composed of
these five elements. Each one of them plays a major role, both individually
and in combination as aspects of all matter. The five elements in
a balance state, results in a healthy body, speech, and mind. Whereas,
if any one of these elements falls out of the harmonious balance,
excess or deficient, it, results in the bad health condition.
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Health and Disease
Tibetan medicine shares many ideas with the Buddhist tradition.
For instance, "cause and effect" is one of the major concepts
that Tibetan medicine shares with Buddhism. Within Tibetan medicine,
there are two major divisions of the causes of all illnesses: distant
causative factors and immediate causative factors. The distant causative
factors are results of the three mental poisons: desire, hatred,
and ignorance at work in our physical, emotional, and mental levels.
The desire is the root cause of rlung, hatred causes Tripa, and
Ignorance generates Badkan. Tibetan healers work to free patients
not only from physical sickness but also from mental sickness.
In short, the three poisons are the causes and three Nyepa (rlung,
mkhris-pa and bad-kan) are the effects. On the other hand, the immediate
causative factor is due to seasonal factors, harmful evil spirits,
improper eating and behavior, that result in increase, decrease
or disturbance of the three humors that eventually rules the body
and mind.
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Diagnosis in Tibetan Medicine
Tibetan medicine uses three diagnostic methods when examining
a patient - visual observation, touch and interrogation. One of
the most unique aspects of the Tibetan observation method is to
perform a urine analysis during consultation, by which the doctor
is able to analyze the disease immediately without sending the sample
to a lab. The most common method of palpation is to feel both wrist
arteries of patients. The doctors’ index, middle, and ring
finger do palpation because each finger is able to detect characteristics
of different internal organs. Detailed inquiry into a patient's
health, symptoms and history is also a valuable diagnostic tool,
which gives the doctor a greater context for the analysis of current
health issues.
1. Visual Observation
This involves checking a patient's skin complexion, the colour
and texture of his/her blood, nails, sputum, feces, and other
general conditions. Special attention is paid to the condition
of the patient's tongue and urine.
2. Touch
Pulse reading forms the most important method employed in Tibetan
medicine. After ensuring an important set of preconditions, the
physician proceeds with a pulse diagnosis. This involves placing
the index finger, middle finger and ring finger of a doctor on
patient's radial arteries. The fingers must be held in a line
close to one another yet not touching each other. The index finger
must not put too much pressure on the skin; the middle and ring
fingers should apply more pressure.
3. Interrogation
Interrogation forms the most important clinical aspect of the
diagnosis. There are three main elements to a medical interrogation:
a. Determining the causative factors
b. Determining the site of the illness
c. Studying the signs and symptoms
The interrogation involves the doctor asking the patient about
the dietary regulations she/he has been following, and what the
physical and mental behavior she/he has been experiencing etc.
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Treatments
Tibetan medicine considers diet, nutrition, behavior and life-style
as essential elements of successful treatment. Apart from these
methods, Tibetan medicine also applies many other therapies to secure
positive results. These therapies may include Golden needle treatment,
bloodletting, moxabustion, acupuncture, heat or cold external therapies,
natural hot springs or medicinal baths, enemas, vomiting, purgatives,
and massage. In addition, spiritual practice, five-element color
therapy, and astrological configuration are treatment methods unique
in Tibetan medicine.
Dietary and Lifestyle Factors
Improper diet and/or lifestyle primarily cause a disorder. In fact,
a majority of health problems, both in developing and developed
countries, can be either directly or indirectly attributed to poor
diet or lifestyle. Examples of this include alcoholism, diabetes,
hypertension and heart disease. The first form of treatment in Tibetan
medicine is thus not medicines but changing a patient's diet and
lifestyle. Only if this fails to remedy an ailment is the use of
medicines considered.
Tibetan Medicines
Tibetan medicines take various forms, decoctions, powders, general
pills, precious pills, and syrups, and are prescribed in small doses
-- a fact that reflects the emphasis Tibetan medicine places on
gentle treatment.
Moxibustion and Other treatments
Many disorders, caused by proliferation of bad blood and mKhris-pa
are also treated by bloodletting from one of the body's major seventy-seven
bloodletting points. For cold disorders, nerve malfunction and non-malignant
tumors, moxibustion or golden-needle therapy may be used to stimulate
the energy channels of the body. Many diseases of the nerves and
muscles, as well as pain and insomnia related to rLung, are treated
with gentle massage using various medicinal oils. Medicinal bath
and natural spring bath are used to treat an assortment of skin
disorders as well as chronic arthritis, gout and cold types of rheumatism,
and rigid and stiffness of the extremities.
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Mail Consultation
Drungtso Healing Centre provides also postal as well as online
consultation for patients who are not able to visit the centre and
get examined in-person by Dr. Drungtso. To use this service, you
are requested to furnish your name, address, telephone number, a
detailed case history and your present complaints either in English
or Tibetan.
Dr. Drungtso will personally review each case in detail and the
prescribed herbal pills will be sent to you - after receipt of payment
- through Registered Parcel or courier. One can also discuss with
our resident doctor about specific cases over the phone through
appointment. Regular responses are expected from the patients for
a successful treatment.
Please use the Contact us page for
send us the details for consultations.
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