Sowa Rigpa Medicine, also known as Traditional Tibetan Medicine is an ancient holistic healing system that has flourished for centuries in the Himalayan region. Sowa Rigpa combines spiritual wisdom, astrological insights, and herbal remedies to enhance physical and mental well-being. Rooted in holistic philosophies, it focuses on achieving balance and tranquility within the body, mind, and environment. This system incorporates the theory of Five Elements (earth, water, fire, air, and space), Three Humors (wind, bile, phlegm), Seven bodily constituents (nutritional essence, blood, muscle tissue, fat, bone, marrow and regenerative fluids), and three excretions (feces, urine and perspiration) that govern bodily functions. The balance of the three humors or psychophysiological systems of an organism represents its healthy state, while a violation of their balance leads to a disorder.
Developed over generations, this Traditional Medical System contributes significantly to human health and stands as a valuable cultural heritage. It covers a wide range of health topics including internal and external ailments, women’s and children’s health, as well as preventive care and wellness practices. The comprehensive nature of traditional medicine’s diagnostic and therapeutic knowledge is a testament to its richness and effectiveness.
Diagnosis Methods:
Generally, diseases are diagnosed using three main techniques;
1. Visual Inspection: This involves a thorough assessment, including urine analysis, which is considered a key diagnostic tool, where doctor closely examine the color, smell, and other characteristics of a patient’s urine to identify imbalances in the body’s “three humors” (wind, bile, and phlegm), providing insight into their overall health and potential disease states. Other includes observing bodily symptoms, examining the tongue, and analyzing other bodily fluids like blood, pus, and sputum.
2. Palpation: This technique includes reading the pulse by feeling the pulsations in three points on the radial artery of each wrist, which can determine the state of three humors or psychophysiological systems and twelve internal organs of a patient. Pulsations are very sensitive to various factors of the outer and inner influences like the time of day and night, the season, the weather; as well as one’s physiological state that depends on what one has eaten or drunk, on the state of one’s sleep, etc. Different factors should be taken into account in order to differentiate the signals of a disease in a patient’s pulse.
3. Interrogation: Patients undergo in-depth interviews about their medical history and lifestyle, contributing to a holistic diagnosis.
Together, these techniques provide the basis for diagnosing illnesses in Sowa Rigpa.
Treatment Methods:
Sowa Rigpa medicine employs four remedial measures, which includes dietary recommendations, lifestyle recommendations, medicinal remedies, and external therapies.
1. Diet: In Sowa Rigpa Medicine practice, dietary changes are always the first recourse for treating and preventing disease. We have a saying in Sowa Rigpa Medicine, “Improper diet and lifestyle is the root of all disease”. So, before we resort to strong interventions such as invasive therapies or potent herbal medicines, we try to manage the situation by correcting the diet.To apply this method of treatment, we develop a personalized dietary regimen for each patient. We consider factors such as bodily constitution, humors, their signs and symptoms, their medical history, their age, the season and geographic location. Applying a personalized dietary plan can result in rapid improvement of many health conditions, prevention of diseases, and improvement in health overall.
2. Lifestyle or Behavioral Recommendations: Lifestyle recommendations primarily focus on balancing the three “humors” (wind, bile, and phlegm) through personalized dietary choices, appropriate exercise, sleep hygiene, stress management techniques, and mindful practices, all tailored to an individual’s unique constitution to achieve optimal health and wellbeing; this often includes specific advice on environmental factors like climate and exposure to elements depending on the imbalance present.
3. Medicinal Approaches: Formulations utilize natural components like herbs and minerals. Medicinal remedies are categorized as pacifying or evacuative. Pacifying medicines include decoctions, powders, pills, pastes, medicinal butters, ashes, extracts, and wines. Evacuative medicines involve methods such as purging, inducing vomiting, nasal administration, mild enemas, strong enemas, and channel purification. It’s important to note that pills are just one aspect of traditional medicinal formulations.
4. External Therapies: This category encompasses practices like traditional Ku-Nye massage, venesection (bloodletting), moxibustion, golden and silver needles, acupuncture, cupping, hormey therapy, compression, medicinal baths, topical applications, and previously, surgical techniques. However, surgical interventions are no longer practiced.
In essence, Sowa Rigpa Medicine employs a diverse approach to treat ailments, utilizing various methods tailored to therapeutic principles.
Dietary Restriction in Traditional Medicine
There is often confusion surrounding the advisability of consuming meat and alcohol while undergoing traditional medical treatment. While there are certain oral medicines that should not be at all combined with meat and alcohol, this precaution does not extend to all forms of oral medication. It is essential to recognize that various medicines require different methods of consumption. For instance, some medicines are best taken with hot water, while others require cold water, meat-based soup, jaggery, etc. The appropriate consumption instructions are typically provided by physicians (Amchi).
