Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homeopathy are different types of alternative medicine systems. In its endeavour to promote and legalize the alternative medicine systems and allow the richness and goodness of these systems to reach the masses, the Indian government has started a ministry of AYUSH.
Many of us know about this ministry and must have heard the different types of medicine systems too, but let’s examine the major characteristics of each system and how they differ from one another.
Ayurvedic medicine, a holistic healing system meant for the whole body is one of the world’s oldest healing systems. Developed in India around 3,000 years ago, it has a belief that wellness depends on balancing the mind, body, and spirit. This medical system is based on maintaining good health, which automatically keeps the body away from all types of diseases. There are Ayurvedic research centres offering yoga education and yoga practices.
The system maintains a balance between Vata, Pitta, and Kapha and believes that a good balance keeps the body healthy. It also promotes ancient herbs and different foods along with yogic exercises especially breathing exercises as the panacea of good health.
Yoga & Naturopathy has various drugless treatments at its core. Systems like Acupuncture, acupressure, yoga and meditation, diet and nutrition, exercise, reflexology, counselling, and a lot more things are part of this system. This is also a non-invasive therapy. This medicine system tells the human body to ‘return to nature and not to forget what the primitive man was doing to keep himself healthy.
Under this system, eating right and exercising are the main emphasis points. Keeping the mind healthy is an important part to have a disciplined life, thus the system talks about various other natural drugless and non-invasive practices for curing the human body.
Unani System of medicine follows the theory that the human body is made of seven components known as Umoor-e-Tabiya. There are four main elements i.e. Earth, Air, Water, and Fire which have different temperaments i.e. cold, hot, wet and dry respectively; describing how the nourishment is received by the body and how imbalances can cause various diseases. Putting all these basic elements in balance helps cure the disease and provides a healthy body.
Unani medicines are made keeping in mind the balancing of all the elements. Besides Ayurveda, this is the only other alternative medicine system allowed to have invasive treatment type.
Siddha originated from South India. It is also considered as one of the oldest systems of medicine that believe in treating the mind and soul along with the body. Ayurveda uses herbs and exercises to prevent illness whereas Siddha uses methods and medication, such as intense yogic practices, periodic fasting, and meditation to achieve supernatural powers and immortality.
‘Like cures like’ is the principle behind Homeopathy which originated in Germany around 200 years back. This medicine system advocates that a disease can be cured by a substance that produces similar symptoms in healthy people. This system of medicine is absolutely against the allopathic system and believes in curing the disease.
Under this system, it is believed that chronic and old diseases can also be treated. The medicine claims to have treated problems like allergies, alopecia, pains, cough, cold, skin erosions, etc These are generally not curable under a conventional allopathy system and are just supposed to be suppressed.
These are basic concepts on which each medicine system works. All these medicine systems fall under alternative medicines but have their own uniqueness. They all treat the human body and aim at keeping it disease-free, some work on curing diseases, and some work on the principle of holistic health. To know this system at a glance, one can refer to the following table:
| Ayurveda | Yoga & Naturopathy | Unani | Siddha | Homoeopathy |
| Ancient system – deals with mind, body, and spirit | Promotes back to nature’s philosophy. | Based on the four elements in the body- Earth, Air, Water, and Fire | The ancient system originated in Southern India. Emphasizes on mind, soul with the body. | Opposes allopathic treatment. Based on the theory of ‘Like cure like’. |
| Has the principle of Vata, Pita, and Kapha | Believes in food and lifestyle changes and exercises. | Works on temperaments of hot, wet, dry and cold. | This uses medication and different methods to cure the person. | Has its own medicines and believes in curing diseases. |
| Uses herbs and exercises to balance the doshas. | Uses food and different natural methods and therapies | Has its own medicines and believes in balancing the elements. | Has its own methods and medication. | A different system of medicine cures through small doses of diseases forming elements. |
| Admission to become an ayurvedic doctor requires clearing the NEET examination. | Basic education in medical subjects is required. | Basic education in medical subjects is required. | Basic education in medical subjects is required. | Basic education in medical subjects is required. |
| Interest and good knowledge of herbs are required. | Understanding nature, food, and exercise are the basics of this system. | The body’s division in different elements and knowledge of Unani herbs is needed. | Medicine is mainly herbal and the methods containing massages, exercises etc. are to be learned. | The composition of medicines and their suitability on the human body is to be studied. |
| This system uses herbal and ayurvedic medicines. | This system does not use any medicines. | This system has its own Unani drugs. | This system has its own herbal medications. | This system has its own homeopathic medicines. |
| It can be invasive. | It is non-invasive. | It can be invasive. | It is non-invasive. | It is non-invasive. |
| Careers in this are lucrative and growing, having a variety of ranges to find employment. | Careers in this are also available at various places and it is in high demand currently. | Careers in it are limited to believers of the Unani system and limited employment scope is there. | The system is not very popular and has limited employment opportunities. | The system is very popular and there is no dearth of opportunities or private practitioners. |
Mainly all these medicine systems are claimed to be safe and without any side effects. This is believed that alternative medicines are effective but require time to act and heal or cure the disease. Wherever the human body requires emergency treatment, these systems are not able to provide an immediate response.
On the other hand, it is believed that people following any of these medicine systems do not encounter emergency health conditions and live a healthy life for their entire life span without facing any major issue.
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