An Introduction to Keraliya Panchakarma – A Systematic Review

Abstract

Background: Panchakarma is an ancient Ayurvedic healing system that has been practiced in India for thousands of years. It is a holistic approach to wellness that focuses on balancing the body, mind, and spirit through a combination of procedures. In Keraliya Panchakarma, the Ayurvedic scholars in Kerala have adjusted some approaches and found them to be highly efficient based on Ayurvedic principles. While the treatment principles remain rooted in the ancient textual tradition of Ayurveda, their distinctive treatment techniques have been enhanced over centuries through an intimate interaction with Keralan folk medicine. The traditional Panchakarma procedures are Vamana (therapeutic emesis), Virechana (therapeutic purgation), Basti (medicated enema), Nasya (errhine therapy), and Raktamokshana (bloodletting). Keraliya Panchakarma is a more simplified process that includes Navarakizhi, Annalepana, Pizhichil, Dhara, and Thalapotichil. Objectives: This article lists the different types of Keraliya Panchakarma in detail and further goes on to describe how and when to perform each procedure, the materials required, the benefits, the indications, and contraindications. Materials and Methods: Inclusion criteria include books that focus on Keraliya Panchakarma and its various aspects. Exclusion criteria are those studies not written in the English language, studies with inadequate methodological quality, and those that do not meet the defined objectives of the review. Discussion: A detailed description of the following five Keraliya Panchakarma procedures was collected and presented. These are Navarakizhi, Annalepana, Pizhichil, Dhara, and Thalapotichil. The conciseness and simplicity of the procedures mentioned here can be reproduced and performed by any Ayurveda practitioner with a desire to do so. Some limitations of the study may be the limited availability of high-quality studies on the topic, language differences, and differences in the interpretation of cultural practices. Conclusion: Keraliya Panchakarma is recognized to be a highly efficient treatment modality based on Ayurveda principles of Panchakarma procedures developed and perfected by the Vaidyas of Kerala and it can be adopted by Ayurveda practitioners everywhere.