Naturopathy

Naturopathy experts are concern over number of unprofessionally managed herbal centres.

Naturopathy experts in Tamil Nadu and Kerala, particularly in Coimbatore, are expressing concern over the mushrooming of a number of unprofessionally managed herbal massage centres.

Most of them have sprung up around tourist spots with tall claims of providing Ayurvedic treatment for all kinds of physical ailments.

"There are some crude methods of practice done in some picnic spots like Kutralam and Okanakkal. Actually when it is done without any physician's supervision or when it is done by an untrained messeur, it increases the invertebral disprolapse, pain or it also proves very harmful for cervical spondylitis patients," said Dr. Uma, an Ayurvedic specialist based in Coimbatore.

Haunted by the toxic side effects of modern drugs, people from across the world flock to India looking for succour from alternative medicinal therapies. Experts, however, caution that there are only a few selective people who understand Ayurveda and the impact of its treatment.

In India, Ayurveda evolved as a system of medicine around 600 B.C. Though it was found in Himalayas, it developed in southern Kerala due to favourable climatic conditions.