Ayurveda, the ancient Hindu system of medicine that's been lying low for centuries, seems well set on a revival path. The reasons for these are not far to seek.

The system has demonstrated in the recent past that it has greater alleviating and curative effect than other medical systems in the case of diseases such as rheumatism, arthritis, skin diseases, greying of hair, jaundice, peptic ulcer and various digestive problems.

And in the case of other maladies such as malaria, the ancient science is as effective as allopathic treatment, say its proponents.

Says Dr Santha Lakshmi, who holds a bachelor of ayurvedic medicine & surgery degree and runs her clinic in Thrissur, "Some other areas where ayurveda is considered better than allopathy is in treating obesity, pregnancy-related diseases and gynecological disorders."

Ayurveda offers the Panchkarma therapy that is good not only for reducing weight healthily and toning up muscles without side effects, it is a great detoxification therapy.

Ayurveda has traditionally been more successful in treating chronic illnesses. The reason for that, says Dr P M Surendran, who is the in-charge of The Ayurveda Centre, Taj Garden Retreat at Kumarakom, is that allopathy depends heavily on symptoms, the evidence of the disease and is scientific in nature.

In this fast-paced world many diseases are stress related and sometimes allopathy fails to recognise the psychosomatic factors influencing health.

In ayurveda all the parameters that can affect a person's health including his lifestyle, diet, personal habits, environment factors, mental, emotional and physiological aspects are taken into consideration before starting treatment.

Because of these, ayurveda has been more successful in treating chronic illnesses, he says. Another major advantage that ayurveda has is there is almost no side effect.

"Many people have started switching over to ayurveda and homeopathy after realising this," Dr Surendran said.

Dr V Sukumaran, who has been trained in both allopathic and traditional ayurvedic medicine, says, "The allopathic medicinal system is primarily based on scientific research and adopts a scientific method of diagnosis.

"It is geared towards providing quick relief to the patient. So gradually allopathy became the popular form of cure and slowly it emerged as the main system of medicine even in India."

According to Dr Surendran, another reason why ayurveda has not kept pace with the allopathic system is because of the lack of standardisation of drugs.

Many people also prefer allopathy as it has an edge over ayurveda in treating emergencies such as accidents, heart attacks and strokes.

Ayurveda is not a quick fix. It takes its own course and its own time.

As ayurveda gives slow results, accident victims and patients having chronic asthma and heart ailments as well as those suffering severe pain due to fractures, brain tumours etc would prefer to undergo allopathic treatment.

Over and above these, what might prevent many patients from taking up ayurvedic treatment are the many kind of food restrictions and the insistence on observing other discipline.

For example, all patients undergoing ayurveda treatment are advised by their doctors to totally avoid non-vegetarian food, alcohol and smoking. Many patients are also advised to avoid sleeping during day-time and keep away from direct sunlight.

One prominent drawback of this medicinal system is that it does not afford surgical intervention, which is inevitable for correcting certain diseases. For example, someone wanting to undergo bypass surgery has to take the help of the allopathic system of medicine.

Dr Sukumaran, however, believes that harmoniously combining allopathy and ayurveda can do wonders.

Realising this, lately many ayurvedic practitioners have started adopting allopathic methods for diagnostic purposes. They are sending their patients for blood tests, CT scan and MRIs and are taking help of scientific methods of diagnosis.

The production of medicines is also becoming more patient friendly. More and more ayurvedic medicines are now available in the form of syrups and easy-to-swallow capsules and tablets.

The managing trustee and chief physical of the world-renowned Kottakkal Arya Vaidya Sala, Dr P K Warrier, is confident that ayurveda has a great future.

Emphasising that it is a comprehensive healthcare method that is no way inferior to other systems, Dr Warrier said, "The ayurvedic system is still alive even after centuries of vicissitudes and non-recognition. This proves the vigour, vitality and power of the system. It can never become extinct."

Warrier says ayurveda is becoming more and more popular not only in India but also abroad.

The popularity of Kottakkal, situated in the Malappuram district of Kerala, can be judged from the fact that in the normal course it takes about 10-12 months to get accommodation for treatment at this famed institution.

Dr Warrier attributes the success to the farsightedness of Vaidyaratnam P S Warrier, who founded the institution in 1902. "Dr Warrier could recognise the potential of ayurveda decades ago.

"His sustained efforts to uplift this ancient Indian science with appropriate modifications so as to suit the contemporary needs brought rich dividends over a period of time. The followers of Vaidyaratnam also are dedicated to the cause of this tradition," said Dr Warrier.

Ashtavaidyan Thaikkattu Moos's Vaidyaraj Oushadhasala located in Thrissur and the Idukki-based Dhanwanthari Vaidyasala are some other well-known healing centres in Kerala doing wonderful work in the field of ayurveda.