In Ayurvedic medicine, illness is defined as the absence of physical, emotional, and spiritual harmony. Over the centuries, Ayurvedic concepts have been broadened somewhat, but today's practitioners rely on the basic ideas and treatments that were developed thousands of years ago. These include a belief in a life force and the goal of finding balance between body, mind, and nature. These beliefs are much like those of ancient Chinese medicine. Practitioners spend a great deal of time looking at how patients live, and seek to restore the body's balance of metabolic forces on the basis of that knowledge.
Treatment begins with internal cleansing and other purification procedures.
Then the patient is given a special diet, breathing exercises, yoga, meditation, herbal tonics, and massage. Treatment is designed to fit each person's special needs. Those who practice Ayurvedic medicine may be doctors, chiropractors, nutritionists, or other healers. Responsible Ayurvedic practitioners encourage clients with serious illnesses to be seen by conventional doctors. However, some claim that they can treat cancer and other serious illnesses better than mainstream medicine, and with no toxicity.