MARMA SHARIRA MYTHS AND FACTS: A CONCEPTUAL REVIEW

Dr. Pragati Chaudhary; Dr. Sonal Chaturvedi; Dr. Pankaj Katara

Volume : VIII, Issue : XII, December - 2019

MARMA SHARIRA MYTHS AND FACTS: A CONCEPTUAL REVIEW

Dr. Pragati Chaudhary, Dr. Sonal Chaturvedi, Dr. Pankaj Katara

Abstract :

With the rapid mainstreaming of Ayurveda as a system of medicine many treatment modalities like Panchkarma, leech therapy, Agnikarma, Kshara Sutra etc. have come to be known and accepted worldwide not only by the public in general but also by the experts of modern medicine and sciences. One such therapy is Marma Chikitsa which is widely, practiced as an effective therapeutic procedure in various painful disease conditions like lumbar pain, radiating leg pain, Lumbago, Rheumatoid Arthritis, knee joint pain, Cervical Spondylosis, headache, etc. This involves manipulation of marma points by direct pressure or during massage, to provide relief in pain. The concept of application of vital points in the management of diseases, seem to have originated from Varma Chikitsa in Siddha system of medicine and also Accupressure or Accupuncture therapy of Chinese Medicine. However, in Ayurvedic classics Marma are described as specific points or organs in the body wherein even a minor injury may prove to be fatal and hence, the classical description of Marma is quite different from what is practiced these days. This article thus deals with the understanding of concept of Marma as described in classical texts and its application in the field of Ayurveda