Abstract

AYURVEDIC UNDERSTANDING OF GERIATRICS AND ITS RESEARCH PERSPECTIVE

*Hemanta Panigrahi and Srinibash Sahoo

Abstract

Almost all the Ayurvedic classical texts described 8 branches of Ayurveda. Among them Jara Chikitsa is one and is comes under Geriatric Department. According to an estimation the number of elderly people will be around 113 million in India. The chief causes of death among geriatric groups encompass respiratory diseases, cardiac diseases, cancer, stroke, chronic inflammatory and degenerative disease such as arthritis, diabetes, osteoporosis, Alzheimer’s disease, depression, psychiatric disorders, parkinson’s disease and age associated urinary problems. Ayurveda has a crucial branch of medicine called Rasayana Chikitsha (Rejuvenation Therapy) which exclusively deals with the issues associated to aging and methods to contravene the same. In this article we have described single Rasayana drugs for some specific disease conditions, Compound formulations for geriatric groups and Vayasthapana drugs for delayed ageing process. So there is ample of opportunities to research in content areas cognate to clinical and population- predicated aging. There is ample of opportunities to research in content areas cognate to clinical and population- predicated aging. Those content areas are the risk factors, and aversion of chronic diseases, frailty, disability, falls, comorbidity, cognition, and dementia. Promotive and preventive health in geriatric population, social and behavioural study, randomised clinical trial in pharmacological therapies in Ayurveda like rasayan, bayasthapana dravyas etc. to obviate physical and cognitive disabilities and ameliorates the quality of life. This paper high lightens the role of Panchkarma and Rasayana therapy in Geriatric age groups for promotive and curative health.

Keywords: Rasayana, Jarachikitsa, Immunomodulatory, Medhya, Panchkarma, Kutiprabesika.