Traditional Medicine

Science & Tradition of Bone setting

by Ashok Kumar Panda

Bones are the highest number and hardest structure in our body. The tensile strength of bone is 3000 kg per cm2 more... more Bones are the highest number and hardest structure in our body. The tensile strength of bone is 3000 kg per cm2 more than cast iron (2450kg per cm2) with only one third of its weight. Bones does not break more often considering the amount of forces it is subjected to every day by the muscle action, load transmission etc. But only when the force is too high and occurs suddenly as in road accident, fall, violent blow, trauma etc or when a force is chronic or repetitive as the prolonged standing in case of Policeman, nurses etc or when the natural resistance of bone is eroded by a disease process (tumor, infection), that bone succumbs to insult and break. Bone healing consists of several overlapping phase- Inflammation, soft callus formation, hard callus formation and remodeling. Father of Indian Surgery- Susruta classified twelve types of Kanda bhagna(Fractures) and six types of Sandhi mukta ( dislocations) in Susruta Samhita. He describes all joints, moveable or fixed in the body, bone should be set to their normal position by these setting procedures- traction, compression, bandage and immobilization. The traditional bonesetter has gained such practical experience from their ancestors in a traditional basic. Traditional bone setting (TBS) is quite popular in India.

The paper is Published in Hritage Amruth, Vol-1, Issue-5 December 2005

А Shift in Ethics : Serb/Albanian Conflict in the Vernacular Discourse of a Conjurer from Kosovo

by Marija Ilic

Published in: Zeitschrift für Balkanologie 43/2. Wiesbaden, 145–167.

Kau Faito'o: Traditional Healers of Tonga. Review of Film by Melinda Ostroff.

by Heather Young-Leslie

published in: The Contemporary Pacific 16(1) :219-223, 2004

Effectiveness of Leech therapy in Gambhira Vata-rakta (Acute Gout): a pilot Study

by Ashok Kumar Panda

Bloodletting is a mainstay of Panchakarma therapy as per Susruta . Leech therapy has been indicated as means of... more Bloodletting is a mainstay of Panchakarma therapy as per Susruta . Leech therapy has been indicated as means of bloodletting for both types of Vata-rakta where pain, burning and    redness found as per Charaka chikitsa. Medical science has enormous leaps in terms of diagnosis and treatment yet there is renewed interest in leech therapy among modern as well as traditional medicine practitioners. Most of studies of leech therapy are found for plastic surgery and pain reduction in osteo- arthritis. US, FDA also approves leech therapy as tool of skin graft.  Therefore, we conducted a non randomized controlled pilot study in between June 2011 to Sep 2011 to assess the efficacy of leech therapy in Gambhira Vatarakta as diagnosed as acute Gout. Twelve patients (eight male and four female) with a mean age of 47(9) years were treated with two - four leeches for seven days with a follow up to four weeks. Another 10 patents those were not willing for leech therapy was treated with tropical Diclofenac sodium  gel for 7 days as control. The mean length of blood socking is 32(5) minute. The mean quantity of blood sucked by Individual leech per suck is 6(2) ml. In comparison with control, leech application led to rapid relief of pain and swelling immediate after the detachment of leech. Most significant clinical improvement was noted after 14 days and slightly reduction of serum uric acid were also noted after three weeks of treatment.  90% Patient described the initial leech therapy as a painless and two patients had mild to moderate itching but no local infection was noted in treated group. Our study was limited to small sample size but it had remarkable treatment effect. Larger randomized control trial should be undertaken to study the safety and efficacy of leech therapy in acute  gout.

An Ancient Medicine in a New World: A Tibetan Medicine Doctor’s Reflection from ‘Inside"

by Eliot Tokar

Tokar, Eliot 2008, "An Ancient Medicine in a New World: A Tibetan Medicine Doctor’s Reflection from ‘Inside’." Tibetan Medicine in the Contemporary World: Global Politics of Medical Knowledge and Practice, Ed. Pordié, Laurent. London: Routledge. 229-248

FROM: “Tibetan Medicine in the Contemporary World" (pub. Routledge)
Edited by Dr. Laurent Pordié.
Awarded the International Convention of Asia Scholars 2009 Book Prize Award

Based on his own Tibetan medicine practice, the author analyzes the rapprochement between Tibetan medicine and the... more Based on his own Tibetan medicine practice, the author analyzes the rapprochement between Tibetan medicine and the industry of complementary and alternative medicine/integrative medicine. Discussed in depth are the social, ethical and medical significance of the transformation of traditional Tibetan medicine in the context of Western (esp. American) normative public health policies. The author shows how in that context, a neo-traditional medical practice can be constructed, that advances the translation of traditional Asian medical concepts and terminology in a way that is intended to be both faithful to traditional theory, and that makes it accessible and useful to the wide spectrum of patients of diverse cultural, language and economic backgrounds found in New York City.

A Tibetan Medical Perspective on Irritable Bowel Syndrome

by Eliot Tokar

Tokar, Eliot 1998, A Tibetan medical perspective on irritable bowel syndrome: building a means of discourse for integrative medicine, Alternative and Complementary Therapies, 4(5): 343-349

This article will compare the diagnostic approaches of Western biomedicine and Tibetan medicine. The biomedical... more This article will compare the diagnostic approaches of Western biomedicine and Tibetan medicine. The biomedical disease irritable bowel syndrome will be used as a case study. It will be contrasted with the multiple nosological categories that could be used in TIbetan medicine to achieve a differential diagnosis for patients with symptoms that are typical of this biomedical disease.

As a result of the grassroots alternative medicine movement, for four decades Americans have increasingly used a wide diversity of natural medical approaches. Among these are ancient systems of traditional natural medicine such as Tibetan medicine. As the use of such medical alternatives expand it is important to consider how they can be best utilized within our society.

The integration of such systems into the existing medical industrial complex is an approach sponsored by powerful voices within the government, academia and the medical industry. Alternatively, many laypeople and health professionals advocate for medical pluralism in order to provide a means for promoting the greatest possible healthcare diversity and freedom. In analyzing the debate between integration and pluralism it is vital to consider how they will each effect the actual practice of traditional natural medical systems as well as the indigenous cultures from which such disciplines originate. This article will draw upon the history of Tibetan medicine to inform the debate between integration and pluralism. Finally, it will pose some critical questions regarding medical reform.

Seeing to the distant mountain: diagnosis in Tibetan medicine.

by Eliot Tokar

Tokar, Eliot, 1999, Seeing to the distant mountain: Diagnosis in Tibetan medicine, Alternative Therapies In Health And Medicine, 5(2): 50-58

To make use of an ancient traditional medical system we must first be able to comprehend the singular concepts and... more To make use of an ancient traditional medical system we must first be able to comprehend the singular concepts and language it utilizes to understand and describe health and illness. The diagnostic procedure is the method by which a person's medical condition is interpreted into the epistemological categories and language of medical science. This article provides a description of traditional Tibetan medical diagnosis, and explains how a Tibetan physician perceives and analyzes a presenting illness. It discusses the spiritual, psychological and physical aspects of the Tibetan medical approach to diagnosis. By addressing these issues we can understand what is unique about this system of alternative medicine and how it can inform other models of medical practice.

Preservation and Progress: Using Tibetan Medicine as a Model to Define a Progressive Role for Traditional Asian Medicine in Modern Healthcare

by Eliot Tokar

Tokar, Eliot. 2007, Preservation And Progress: Using Tibetan Medicine As A Model To Define A Progressive Role For Traditional Asian Medicine In Modern Healthcare, Asian Medicine: Tradition and Modernity, 2(2): 303-314.

The history of Tibetan medicine's development provides an excellent model for planning the appropriate utilization of... more The history of Tibetan medicine's development provides an excellent model for planning the appropriate utilization of 'foreign' medical systems and traditions within a new culture that incorporates progressive approaches for the use of both medical pluralism and integration. This history takes on increasing relevance in the modern world as the practice of Tibetan medicine and other forms of traditional Asian medicine have been spreading in the West where they have been faced with commoditization and the hegemony of biomedicine. In the face of modern globalization, certain key questions have yet to be sufficiently addressed. How can systems of traditional Asian medicine be incorporated into western cultures in a manner that permits them to contribute to our understanding of health and disease while allowing them to retain their own integrity? How can they be utilized to aid in the solution of public health problems that exist in the West? What should be the proper interaction between traditional Asian medical systems (e.g., Tibetan medicine) and biomedicine? To determine the answer to these and other vital questions, we must take into account the many cultural, political, economic and scientific issues that affect the state of both public health and individual healthcare.

A Tibetan medicine doctor's view: Interview with Eliot Tokar

by Eliot Tokar

Laughlin, Matt 2006, Transformation and balance: The principles of Tibetan medicine in the context of American healthcare, Unified Energetics; 1:2, 19-25

This interview explores the nature of the study and the clinical practice of Tibetan medicine. Also included are... more This interview explores the nature of the study and the clinical practice of Tibetan medicine. Also included are topics such as the issues involved in the preservation of ancient forms of medicine in the modern world, medical integration, biopiracy, and the application of intellectual property rights to traditional culture. Eliot Tokar is a traditional Tibetan medicine doctor and internationally experienced writer and lecturer. He practices Tibetan medicine in NYC and is one of the first Westerners to have received extensive textual and clinical training in this field.

Cultural Conservation of Medicinal Plant Use In the Ozarks

by Justin Nolan

Cultural conservation of medicinal plant use in the Ozarks

by Justin Nolan

Stvarnost kosovske enklave: autopercepcija tradicionalnog lečenja

by Svetlana Cirkovic

S. Ćirković: Stvarnost kosovske enklave: autopercepcija tradicionalnog lečenja, Savremena kultura Srba na Kosovu i Metohiji (ur. Saša Nedeljković), Kruševac, 2008, 147–181.

Из народне медицине Ибарског Колашина

by Svetlana Cirkovic

С. Ћирковић: Из народне медицине Ибарског Колашина, Ибарски Колашин. Природа и традицијска култура, Крагујевац, 2008, 151–160.

Bože me oprosti šta ću pričam pred tebom

by Svetlana Cirkovic

S. Ćirković: Bože me oprosti šta ću pričam pred tebom, Petničke sveske 62. Zbornik radova odeljenja društvenih nauka Istraživačke stanice Petnica, Valjevo 2007, 159–168.

Devils, parasites, and fierce needles: Healing and the politics of translation in Southern Tanzania

by Stacey Langwick

Articulate (d) bodies: Traditional medicine in a Tanzanian hospital

by Stacey Langwick

From Non-Aligned Medicines to Market-Based Herbals: China's Relationship to the Shifting Politics of Traditional Medicine in Tanzania

by Stacey Langwick

Healers and Scientists: The Epistemological Politics of Research about Medicinal Plants in Tanzania, or “Moving Away from Traditional Medicine

by Stacey Langwick

Natural Medicine for Common Ailments

by Poppy Valentine

This is a collection of non-synthetic health tips for common illnesses. This is a collection of non-synthetic health tips for common illnesses.

Lee-Treweek G. 2010. "Born to it and then pushed out of it": folk healers in the new medical marketplace

by Geraldine Lee-Treweek

in: S. Maclean and R. Moore (eds) The Root, The Wand and The Crystal: folk healing and change in the UK. London: Berghahn.