This study explores the practice of alternative medicine among a group of senior, transnational Indian immigrants. I analyze how cross-cultural ideologies influence aging and immigrant experiences in healthcare. I explore the ways in which transnational networks nurture social relations and aid in acquiring healthcare resources. This study also examines the developments that alternative medicine underwent during the colonial rule and how those developments affected the trajectory of biomedicine. I focus on the practice of alternative medicine as a significant contributor to immigrant health. Finally, I argue that we need to strive for a symbiosis between alternative medicine and Western biomedicine based on multicultural sensibilities and socio-economic factors that call for a pluralistic medical system in a globalized world.

Every day, India sees the addition of 5,000 new cases of diabetes to its current diabetic population of 65 million people. This number is projected to cross the 100 million mark in 15 years. The emerging pandemic scale of diabetes growth is straining India's already-overburdened public healthcare resources. India is home to several well-established native and adapted foreign traditions of medicine that are widely practiced. These traditions include Ayurveda, yoga and naturopathy, unani, siddha, and homeopathy. The modern and traditional medicine approaches are extensively used as independent systems. The purpose of this qualitative research case study was to evaluate the use of an integrative approach to address the multiple challenges posed by diabetes in India. The research design for the case study was based on the theoretical framework of participatory action research. The research questions evaluated how the modern and traditional medicine systems can be jointly used to contain the spread, scale, and immensity of diabetes in India and examined the barriers and challenges in combining various systems of medicine. Data were collected from interviews with 30 modern and traditional medical practitioners and 6 policy makers identified through a stratified purposeful sampling process. The transcribed data were coded thematically and objectively analyzed. The trustworthiness of interpretations was bolstered with triangulation through records from notes and observations. In evaluating the feasibility of a synergistic and integrative approach, the study filled a gap in scholarly literature. The study contributes to social change by adding to the existing body of knowledge available to physicians and patients in preventing and containing the diabetes pandemic.

In der Arbeit werden die historischen Wurzeln der Mediation in der indischen traditionellen Medizin/Ayurveda und eigene Erfahrungen mit Meditation bei Patienten einer Hausarztpraxis dargestellt. Nach einer kurzen Einführung zur Rezeption der indischen traditionellen Medizin in der europäischen Medizingeschichte und zur Etablierung von Ayurveda seit den 70er Jahren des 20. Jahrhunderts in der komplementären Medizin Westeuropas wird ein Überblick über Ursprung, Effekte und Anwendungsmöglichkeiten der Meditation gegeben. Umfangreiche Metaanalysen klinischer Studien haben positive Effekte von Meditation bei zahlreichen, vor allem stressbedingten Krankheiten bewiesen; im Gehirn sind nach längerer Meditation anatomische und physiologische Veränderungen nachweisbar. Ergänzend werden in der Arbeit die positiven Erfahrungen mit Meditation bei ausgewählten Patienten der eigenen Praxis beschrieben.

In der Arbeit werden die historischen Wurzeln der Mediation in der indischen traditionellen Medizin/Ayurveda und eigene Erfahrungen mit Meditation bei Patienten einer Hausarztpraxis dargestellt. Nach einer kurzen Einführung zur Rezeption der indischen traditionellen Medizin in der europäischen Medizingeschichte und zur Etablierung von Ayurveda seit den 70er Jahren des 20. Jahrhunderts in der komplementären Medizin Westeuropas wird ein Überblick über Ursprung, Effekte und Anwendungsmöglichkeiten der Meditation gegeben. Umfangreiche Metaanalysen klinischer Studien haben positive Effekte von Meditation bei zahlreichen, vor allem stressbedingten Krankheiten bewiesen; im Gehirn sind nach längerer Meditation anatomische und physiologische Veränderungen nachweisbar. Ergänzend werden in der Arbeit die positiven Erfahrungen mit Meditation bei ausgewählten Patienten der eigenen Praxis beschrieben.

South Africa hosts a plural healthcare system that includes an allopathic sector and a complementary and alternative healthcare sector. This research report seeks to understand the motivations behind why people use the complementary system of Ayurveda, in South Africa and how they decide on its use through processes governing their decision making methods. The literature review summarises the key theoretical framework which moulded the study. The themes incorporated in the review include medicine’s evolution, Ayurveda, medical pluralism and complementary and alternative medicine, the illness experience and help seeking behaviour, the sick role and its relation to help seeking behaviour, and the Health Belief Model. The research was qualitative in nature and entailed semi structured interviews that were conducted with twenty seven Ayurveda users and three Ayurvedic doctors. The findings and analysis draw on the literature review, and when analysed, are developed into three coherent themes namely Ayurveda in South Africa (sets the scene of Ayurveda within the country), Reasons for using Ayurveda (the motivations behind people’s help seeking behaviours toward the system), and the use of Ayurveda in relation to other healing systems. The research found that Ayurveda is currently undergoing resurgence in South African society and in the process links itself to the wider global context that Ayurveda has situated itself. We also discover that participant’s decisions on the use of Ayurveda were decided upon through a multitude of factors and often Ayurveda was also utilised in many different situations rather than for a single case. Such interconnecting factors include their socialisation, lay referrals, interest in alternative systems, a sense of Indian pride and a cynical perception of Western medicine. Alternative or complementary system use was decided upon through factors that linked to people’s access of the alternative services and its affordability. Decisions ultimately were made to use Ayurveda as a complementary system to allopathy. Finally the conclusions of the study indicate that Ayurveda was transferred to South Africa, from India, through the country’s system of indentured labour where knowledge of the practice was passed down along generations. The research also deduces that it is primarily the Indian race that uses Ayurveda in South Africa and as such the healing system is more prominent in Indian areas. In addition, Ayurveda was not found to be a viable health or healing option for the wider South African population for whom its affordability and accessibility pose barriers.

碩士 / 南華大學 / 自然生物科技學系自然療癒碩士班 / 104 / Background and Purpose: Both China and India have thousands of years history and widsome from great ancient civilizations. With the passage of time, these two medical systems are more improved and still in practice today. What these two medical systems are not just a subject of science, but also the healthy life style. From ancient times to the present, it is saying that the prosperity of a country depends on the healthy women and children. During the process of menstruation, leucorrhea, pregnancy and delivery of women, they might have suffer some other gynecological disorders as years go on. In this study on the theory of diagnosis and treatment of the gynecological disorders in TCM and Ayurvedic medicine, we can see how these two traditional medical systems prevent, make a diagnosis and give treatment in gynecological disorders. 　　Materials and Methods: The thesis is majorly based on the Traditional Chinese and Indian Medicine references, with recent medical literature about the diagnosis and treatment of gynecological disorders in Ayurveda examined. In addition, the proper English terms of TCM disorders are based on “The bilingual dictionary of Chinese and western medicine disease” by Dr. Lin J. G (chief editor), a Chinese-English bilingual textbook, as well as the cross-reference from Ayurveda medicine disease. 　　Results and Discussion: The Yin, Yang and five elements theory of TCM and five elements (bhutas) of Ayurveda, their thoughts are both generated from the philosophy of harmony. During the practice of these two medicine systems, they both use four ways of diagnosis - look, listen, question and feel the pulse, however Ayurveda medical system is more concerned about the psychological, personality, dreamland and mood. When it comes to the etiology and pathogenesis, they both determinate the etiologic factors based on examination of sydromes and the search of rooth causes. The diagnosis and treatment of the gynecological disorders of Ayurveda uses three aspects from “Tridoṣa” to evaluate the imbalance of human body, hence providing the treatment according to the condition. However, the etiology and pathogenesis of TCM are more sophisticated as it contains many theories such as eight principles, Zang-Fu, Qi-Blood, Meridian differentiation of TCM, combined with the physiological property of woman (menstruation, leucorrhea, pregnancy and delivery). In addition, both TCM and Ayurveda mainly focus on herb medication treatment, TCM shares many monographs about Gynecology with clear instruction of prescriptions, where the application of Ayurveda medicine are variable such as herb oil massage, enema, bath and diaphoresis methods which are rare in TCM. In summary, The fundamental philosophy of health preservation in TCM and Ayurvedic medicine are both “prevention is better than cure ”. 　　Conclusions: The thesis is an exploratory study on the diagnosis and treatment of the gynecological disorders in TCM and Ayurvedic medicine. Comparing with the explanation in physiological and pathological of modern medicine, then summarized the characteristics of diagnosis and treatment in TCM and Ayurvedic medicine. These two medical systems are both generated from great ancient civilizations, looking forward to have more researches and books for the further discussion. With the further practical study of these two living traditional medicines, the better future and development will be applied.

This thesis deals theoretically and practically with the relationship between the physical, especially constitutional, characteristics and temperament. Constitutional approaches, especially theories of Ernst Kretschmer and Wiliam Sheldon, belong to the oldest approaches in psychology that link these two aspects and perceive them as two sides of the same coin. Holistic approach linking psychological and physical aspects of personality can be found also in non-European medical systems. One of the oldest medical teaching in the world is Ayurveda. It integrates physique and temperament and uses them for therapeutical purposes. The subject of the theoretical part was to present these theories, guidelines and other areas, that strived for interconnection of the physical and psychological aspects of human individual. In the practical part the goal was to empirically assess the substantiation of somatic types used in Kretschmer's theory and Ayurveda. The next goal was to focus on the relationship of selected physical aspects and temperament. For these purposes we used a questionnaire 4 Elements Inventory which applies the metaphor of elements, that appears also in Ayurveda. Further we created Questionnaire of Physical Characteristics that consists of three parts: the first part inquires about the...

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Introduction/background: Ayurveda is an ancient holistic medical system largely used in India. Complementary and alternative forms of medicine (CAM) like Ayurveda is starting to spread to the western parts of the world. In Sweden, there is an ongoing project of integrating CAM methods in Swedish health care. Research has shown that this has been beneficial for patients and can reduce care costs. Despite the popularity of CAM methods, knowledge of the methods might be deficient among Swedish healthcare staff. Aim: The aim of this study was to examine registered nurses’ perception of the use of ayurvedic medicine compared to western medicine in a hospital in Kerala, India. Method: A qualitative method was used with an inductive design. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews with five registered nurses. A thematic analysis was used to analyze the data. Result: The analysis resulted in three themes: Pros and cons, To combine or not? and Negotiating the use of Ayurveda. Conclusion: Ayurveda can be helpful in treating less critical conditions. Western medicine was seen as more relevant when treating more serious illnesses. Ayurvedic treatments was perceived to take longer and have more side effects. A combination of the two medical approaches was not recommended, however, Ayurveda could work as a complement to western medicine in terms of less acute conditions.

碩士 / 南台科技大學 / 資訊管理系 / 94 / Yoga has been spread for thousands of years and has proved its effective healing for various diseases by researches with scientific methods in the East and the West. Therefore, a system called Yoga Asana Decision Support System, YADSS, based on Ayurveda constitution judging method of Indian medical science and symptoms is proposed in this thesis. The YADSS serves the individuals in need of it, such as doctors, patients and regular persons for the purpose of personal health care. While operated through the internet, the system will offer appropriate Yoga asana exercises proposals for users in pursuant to their own symptoms. The features of YADSS are providing online questionnaires based on Indian medical science to judge the users’ constitutions; providing three proposals of different degrees of difficulty of Yoga asana exercises based on constitutions and symptoms and then to deliver the effects of exercises with a minimum combination of Yoga asanas. The results of substantial online usage and collected questionnaires show that YADSS can offer users the appropriate proposals to deliver the effect of improving symptoms.