Beyond herbs: How siddha medicine is transforming lives

IT IS DAWN on a Sunday, and a yawn seldom escapes from the bunch of men and women, some accompanied by children, making a beeline for the sprawling National Institute of Siddha (NIS) at Tambaram Sanatorium in Chennai. The guard at the gate directs them to the buildings, surrounded by neem and tamarind trees, that house the inpatient and outpatient departments. Among that motley bunch is Murugan, 56, and his friend Vinayagamoorthy, 48. They are at the NIS for their varicose ulcer treatment. Vinayagamoorthy, who runs a grocery store at Thiruninravur, a locality off Chennai, was unable to walk even 100m a few months after his open heart surgery. A wound on his right leg slowly turned black, and his legs began swelling, affecting his mobility. That is when Murugan suggested NIS. He was speaking from experience. He has been undergoing treatment for varicose ulcer for the past four years and has found relief. It has been a few weeks since Vinayagamoorthy started treatment and he, too, can feel the difference. He visits NIS once a week for wound dressing, mostly on Sundays. “We cannot afford allopathy treatment. Siddha is natural. Even if the results are slow, there are no side effects,” says Murugan.

The 220-bed Ayothidoss Pandithar hospital, attached to the NIS, goes beyond herbs, powders and potions. While the internal treatments are a cornerstone of the siddha system, they represent only half of a sophisticated medical equation, says Dr M.V. Mahadevan, professor and head of external therapy. He says the true depth of siddha lies in a dual-track approach to healing that most modern treatments overlook.

The siddha way of treatment has 32 types of internal medicines and 32 types of external therapies. While the external therapies are often treated as limited adjuncts or guarded family secrets, the establishment of the NIS has catalysed a monumental shift in the way the treatment is offered, according to Dr G. Senthilvel, director of NIS. What were once “very limited” applications have become extensive, standardised hospital protocols. The NIS has about 80 doctors and more than 150 supporting staff, including specialised therapists and nurses.

And at the heart of treatment in siddha medicine are external interventions called varma—the science of stimulating vital points. There are 108 such points across the human body, and their clinical application is remarkably broad, spanning from migraines and cervical spondylosis to periarthritis (frozen shoulder).

Other popular treatments include thokkanam—massage to release tension and improve circulation; ottradam—fomentation using heat or medicated bundles, patru—application of herbal pastes to reduce inflammation and enhance the curing rate in conditions like lumbar and cervical spondylosis; ennai kattu—pooling of medicated oils on specific areas to manage acute pain and inflammatory conditions; and steam therapy to conclude the treatment and enhance the body’s receptivity.

While these treatments come under the art of physical manipulation, the most surprising aspect of siddha is its reach through heat and chemical interventions. Suttigai, also known as agni karma (heat cautery), involves the application of targeted heat to treat abnormal growths like warts or as a potent last resort for chronic pain. The system also employs kshara sutra (chemical cauterisation) for anorectal conditions. This involves the use of medicated threads to manage piles and fissures.

The external therapy department handles bone setting for simple fractures and dislocations. Mahadevan says that a rigorous ethical stance is followed regarding the limits of siddha. If a stroke or paralysis patient is in the acute phase, they are referred to allopathy to ensure the best immediate outcome. Siddha then manages the recovery phase, typically 15 days to a month after the event.

Senthilvel, meanwhile, maintains that “the world of siddha external therapies is an expanding frontier of ancient technology that challenges our modern reliance on pills. By integrating physical manipulation, chemical cautery, vital point stimulation and biological tools, siddha offers a comprehensive toolkit for health that addresses the root of chronic pain and lifestyle diseases”.