Editorial TRENDS OF INTEGRATIVE PRACTICE OF AYURVEDIC MEDICINE

Inclusive approach to the development of knowledge and its utilization is the prime strategy today in all fields. As regards the medical and health care sector, the current scenario exhibits the following three emerging trends of integrative practice: 1. Systems-neutral Integrative practice of medicine, 2. Integrated practice of medicine. 3. Symbiosis of systems of medicine. Integrative practice of medicine refers to the systems neutral practice of any system of medicine by any practitioner irrespective of a system where the health care practice is pursued taking into consideration the body-mind-spirit as a continuum. In contrast the integrated practice of medicine is the one where a doctor integrates the principles and therapies of more than one system particularly traditional medicine being integrated with allopathic medicine. In case of symbiosis of systems there is really no integration with each other rather the systems flourish independently but are proactively ready to help the management of the health and disease situations as per their own expertise independently as per need. The terms like ‘Alternative medicine’, ‘Complementary medicine’ or ‘Complementary Alternative Medicine’ (CAM) are often used to refer to the roles of different systems of medicine in health care and therapy. In majority of situations modern medicine is treated as the main stream while the traditional systems of medicine like Ayurveda and TCM are treated as alternative or complementary. But in many situations such as rural health care in India Ayurveda or folk healing practices are the main stream and modern medicine is available as a complementary help. The experiences of last Fifty years have obviously revealed that no one single system of medicine including Allopathy has solutions for all problems of human health. Hence ‘Medical Pluralism’ has emerged as a reality and is now the prime need of the people all over the world.