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.