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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Sivarama Prasad Vinjamury, MD, Research Division, Southern California University of Health Sciences, 16200 E. Amber Valley, Whittier, CA 90604, 562-947-8755 Ext: 7364, sivaramavinjamury@scuhs.edu and Manjusha Vinjamury, MD(Ayurveda), Graduate Student (MAOM), Southern California University of Health Sciences, 16200 Amber Valley Dr, Whittier, CA 90604.

Throughout the world, just about everybody, men, women, and children suffer from stress. It is the number one problem for working people, particularly those who are juggling work, home, and the care of children and aging parents. Chronic stress signals the body to store more fat, impairs the immune system and increases our susceptibility to colds and infections. It is also an indirect contributor for obesity, diabetes and heart disease, which are the biggest challenges of public health. At the psychological level it alters our behavior at work and at home. Stress makes us more jittery and irritable, causes us to lose focus. Thus it is a complex phenomenon that affects both physical and psychological health of a person. Management of stress needs identification of personal stressors that cause stress followed by holistic individualized treatments that address the concerns.

Ayurveda, the traditional medicine of India, defines health as the balanced state of mind, body, spirit, and emotions. This definition of health goes beyond the “absence of disease” and therefore is considered comprehensive. According to ayurveda, diseases manifest due to imbalances (attributed to stress) in this healthy state of body and mind. Ayurvedic treatment modalities are directed towards correcting this imbalance and focus on enhancing the digestion and eliminate toxins out of the body.

This paper attempts to describe and evaluate the healing herbs, diet, daily and seasonal routines, and behaviors that are considered important in restoring balance as per ayurveda. Theoretical knowledge will be substantiated with available scientific evidence.

Learning Objectives:

• 1.Create awareness about Ayurveda and Ayurvedic treatment principles
• 2.Describe the line of treatments that are available to overcome stress and stress related disorders
• 3.Evaluate the treatment methods with available scientific evidence
• 4.Demonstrate their usefulness to address public health issues.

Keywords: Stress, Alternative Medicine/Therapies

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Not Answered