Ayurveda

What is it?

Ayurveda is the traditional medicine of India and thousands of years old. The name means "knowledge of life." Ayurveda sees body, mind and soul as one and works with diet, herbs, yoga and meditation, oil massages and cleansing procedures (Panchakarma), tailored to a person's individual constitution.

What does the research say?

There are hardly any controlled studies on Ayurveda in Parkinson's. A finding that pleases me: at the Indian institute NIMHANS (National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences) in Bengaluru, a clinical trial was conducted with 80 Parkinson's patients who received Ayurvedic treatment with Panchakarma and herbal medicine alongside standard care. It is one of the larger controlled Ayurveda studies in Parkinson's and supports further research in this direction. The best-known Ayurvedic plant for Parkinson's is the velvet bean, more on that under Mucuna pruriens. Caution: Ayurvedic products from unreliable sources have repeatedly been found to be contaminated with heavy metals.

My experience

From November 13 to November 25, 2023, I did a retreat with Dr. Schachinger at the Praxis soma med in Austria. I learned a lot, and there I measured my lowest tremor score up to that point.

My conclusion

I consider the Ayurvedic healing art very valuable for Parkinson's, as long as you follow its rules. It should not be underestimated. A retreat is also a time of rest and recovery, and that is good for Parkinson's too. Only buy products from tested sources.