January 2009

Chiropractic and Ayurveda: A compatible combo

Chiropractic is chiropractic. Period. It isn't medicine, homeopathy, acupuncture, or even nutritional counseling. It's a unique wellness approach with its own individual history, philosophy and science.

Yet, for many doctors of chiropractic, it need not be offered in isolation from other compatible approaches and many DCs have found that the ancient health system called Ayurveda is a particularly well-suited complement to chiropractic's subluxation correction services.

Ayurveda is as ancient as chiropractic is modern. Born in India some 5,000 years ago, Ayurveda, which in Sanskrit means the "Science of Life," recognizes what chiropractors call "innate intelligence," and seeks to create a balanced system capable of healing from within.

Although originally intertwined with religion and mythology, Ayurveda evolved to become a respected health science and has recently gained a large following in the United States, thanks in great part to the work of Deepak Chopra, MD.

Dr. Chopra has explained: "One guiding principle of Ayurveda is that mind and body are connected and that the mind has a profound influence over our health and well-being. While conventional Western medicine is still grounded in the paradigm of mind-body separation, Ayurveda holds that "health is more than the absence of disease; it is a dynamic state of balance and integration of body, mind, and spirit."

Naturally, given their scientific bent, chiropractors tend to be swayed more by current research than by ancient philosophies alone. They're more apt to seek information from sources such as the Central Council for Research in Ayurveda & Siddha, a department of India's Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

The Council has conducted or overseen extensive research programs on all aspects of Ayurveda, including pharmacognostic studies on more than 175 medicinal plants as well as numerous clinical studies such as the current project on the "Feasibility of integrating Ayurveda with allopathic system in a tertiary health care hospital in the management of Osteo-arthritis."

While Ayurveda is not a replacement for chiropractic, many chiropractors are using it for selected patients, particularly those who are slow to respond to chiropractic adjustments.

Ayurveda, however, is a complex and challenging discipline to master. The two-level Ayurvedic Studies Program at the Ayurvedic Institute, for example, requires more than a thousand hours of classroom time. Such intense training is nearly impossible for most DCs in practice.

For these doctors, a simpler way to incorporate Ayurvedic health systems into their practice is to offer patients a product such as Zrii, the Ayurvedic nutritional supplement endorsed by the Chopra Center for Wellbeing. The Center has stated that it "endorses Zrii as a high quality, reliable formulation of the rejuvenative fruit Amalaki (Emblica officinalis). Over 100 scientific studies suggest that this fruit, which has been held in high esteem by Ayurvedic doctors for millennia, has measurable health benefits. The Chopra Center has been encouraging a daily dose of Amalaki for over a decade. Zrii provides a balanced, pleasing, and concentrated source of this nutritive food."

(To learn more about Zrii visit http://oneworld.myzrii.com, e-mail oneworld@zriioffice.com, or call toll-free 1-877-411-6560 ext. 2934.)