Allopathy, ayurveda combination make for healthy treatment

Recent study shows the combining of the two therapies could shrink cancer possibilities too

If it hadn't been for an acute case of sinusitis, Radhika Sharma, 38, would have remained allopathy faithful. But after suffering from severe side-effects of anti-inflammatory steroids, which kept her confined to her home for two months, she began exploring other options.

Ayurveda seemed to heal her, while yoga helped her fight allergies. Now, she wonders, "why don't allopathic doctors tell their patients try other options when they don't have a perfect cure"?

Is it possible to marry allopathy with another therapy such as Ayurveda, unani or homoeopathy? Doctors on both sides assert it is. Research has shown that ayurveda works wonderfully with allopathy in cases of cancer, tuberculosis, and even HIV/Aids. "We have found that it reduces the side-effects of chemotherapy and radiation," says Dr Sadanand Sardeshmukh, a vaid who runs a cancer clinic in Pune.

Studies conducted by the city-based RA Podar Ayurvedic Medical College show that combining the two therapies could shrink the duration of cancer treatment as well, says dean of the college, MA Wahid. "Ayurveda can be an effective supplement for TB cases as well. Ayurvedic drugs enable allopathy combat drug-resistant TB cases as well. Our research shows that in normal TB cases, the AFB sputum test becomes negative in 45 days with ayurvedic drugs as against a three months' average otherwise," he says.

The problem is not the efficacy of combined treatments, but in the fact that the allopathy and other disciplines don't talk to each other. "One can do both treatments at the same time. It's time we look at Ayurveda and unani as complementary sciences instead of alternatives," says Dr

Urmila Thatte, head of the Dahanukar Ayurveda research centre at Nair hospital.  "Modern hospitals should have ayurvedic wings with consultants," suggests Dr Thatte, who heads the clinical pharmacology department as well but as unusually devoted her career to researching ayurveda.

Some allopathic practitioners are open to the idea of allying with another science. "I am not averse to tapping another man's knowledge," says cardiologist Dr Kumar who took homoeopathic treatment to get rid of kidney stones.

But most allopathic practitioners are still risk-averse because of the supposedly unproven nature of alternative treatments. "There is a general attitude that western medical science is superior because it's empirically proven. Instead of being exclusivist, both can work together for the common good of patients,'' observes Dr Thatte.