Sitting on an annular tear

[puma]

Maria, thanks for your response.

I hope I didn't come across as a person not having respect for Allopathy or Western medicine because I do indeed have immense respect for them. It's just that I'm equally open to other modalities. In my experience, for some conditions, Allopathy is more suitable and for some, other systems.

I'm happy to answer your questions to the extent that I'm able to...

I am directly under the care of an Ayurvedic doctor (called a Vaidya for centuries in India). Nowadays, Ayurvedic doctors typically have go through a course spanning at least four years. I think they do have subjects that might overlap with Western medicine courses, such as Anatomy. Sometimes, heirs of bigger Ayurvedic institutions might also undergo a standard 4-year course in Western medicine, which equips them to suggest x-rays and other diagnostic tests and to also interpret their results but they don't prescribe Allopathic medication. Very often, they suggest that their medicines be considered as complementary to the main Allopathic treatment. Typically (probably all over the world), Allopaths don't recommend any modality other than Allopathy. Because Ayurvedic medication is considered to be less invasive and with fewer side effects, people who believe in them prefer to go to an Ayurvedic doctor first (after diagnosis) and then go to an Allopath.

Incidentally, medical tourism is big in India, particularly Kerala. It attracts Western tourists is huge numbers. They are able and willing to pay very well (way better than the average Indian) and Ayurveda is becoming more and more expensive now, especially the elaborate massage-based treatments.

The medicines I listed in my previous post have been suggested as part of a fairly strict regimen. A couple of them are to be had on an empty stomach twice a day and a couple after meals. I need to apply the oil mentioned at the end, warmed (not in a microwave oven but in a double-boiler or just poured into a heated metal vessel), on my spine half an hour before a bath.

I'd like to add that both the Ayurvedic doctor and the Allopath I met (who is quite conservative and whom I highly respect) had the same main advice for me - which is that I should strengthen my back through exercise, especially swimming.

I hope this helps.

Disclaimer: I am not an authority on Ayurveda, just an appreciative recipient of what it can offer.

[Maria]

I am surprised you could decipher what I was asking as I kept writing allopathy when I meant ayurvedic!

Thanks again for answering my questions (esp. when they must have sounded somewhat ridiculous if not confusing).

Do you have any books or references you would recommend on Ayurvedic practices/medicine? Perhaps something that you would read or use as a guide yourself? Some of the Ayurvedic medicine components you listed sounded like things I've seen in listed in some Homeopathic medicines (which I'm not very familiar with just may have seen in passing looking at labels somewhere).

Core strengthening exercises are generally recommended here to help build strength and support for the spine. Swimming is good and I used to do that on a regular basis for a number of years.

The oil you're using for your back sounds interesting. Again good luck and I hope the ayurvedic practices will work for you and you won't have to employ the use of pharmaceuticals and especially not have to consider surgery if at all possible.

[puma]

Please don't fret that you got some words mixed up! It wasn't really difficult to understand you. My mails also have typos.

I have never tried to study Ayurveda (it's a vast ocean) and don't really have a book that I can recommend. The Internet is full of great resources though for anybody who wants to understand some aspects. I found this site for you - https://www.ayurveda.com/online_resource/ It would probably help you get started. All the best! :-)

Thanks for your wishes. I do still have a while to go before I can say I'm fine but yes, I do feel lucky that I can most likely avoid surgery as of now. This was a good wake-up call for me to start exercising.