Therapies and Regimen

According to Sowa-Rigpa a healthy body is defined as a state of balance of three humors (Nespa-sum), seven physical constituents (Luszungs- ldun) and three excretions (Trima-sum) in the body with complete harmony of five aggregates (five senses). Humors are the biological representative of five elements, physical constituents are the basic tissue elements of the body and excretions are the waste product of the body whose proper elimination is essential for good health.

A physician of Sowa-Rigpa employs three main tools to diagnose a patient i.e. visual diagnosis, diagnosis by touch and diagnosis by questioning. Visual diagnosis comprises of two main methods:  tongue examination and Urinalysis. Various diseases can be diagnosed by checking the nature, color and smoothness etc. of the tongue; urine can be analyzed on three different stages of fresh urine, while it is cooling down and when it is cold by looking at its color, speed of discoloration, vapor, odor, bubbles, sediments etc.

Diagnosis by touch is represented by the advanced technique of pulse examination, followed by touching the body for temperature and smoothness etc. Pulse is the most important and major diagnostic tool in Sowa-Rigpa, which is explained under thirteen general topics like   preparatory conduct, proper time for examination, place, pressure of physician's fingers, technique, constitutional pulse, astonishing pulse, general and specific pulse, death pulse etc. Questioning is another mode of diagnosing a patient: History of case, present condition, family background and changes in body etc. are main questions to be asked.

The methods of treatments have four major sections: Diet, behavior, medicine and accessory/external therapies. The correct administration of these four sections is very important for treating a patient in an appropriate manner. Minor ailments can be treated with proper regulation of diet and behavior.  Only a patient with medium state of condition can be treated with medicines like decoction,  powder,  pills, purgatives, emetics etc. and in advanced stages disease can be cured by the application of accessory/external therapies like moxabustion, venesection, fomentation, massage, surgery etc.

It has been already mentioned above in the outline of disease that all  disorders can be condensed into three humors, accordingly the treatment of diseases is also possible under the three humor basis. Buddhist rituals and mantras also play a very important role in the treatment of disease and in pharmaceutical processes etc.

It is a known fact that the role of a physician is very important in treatment of a patient; therefore special emphasis is given on this aspect in this system of medicine.