Abstract
The four most common method of treatment in traditional Thai medicine separate into interviewing the patient, physical examination, analytical diagnostics and astrological analysis. For treatement herbs as well as Thai-massage are used. In seldom cases, small surgical operations are undertaken.
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The procedure of diagnosis is complex and multilayered. First the primary symptoms and the biographical background are recorded.[1] Different levels of the cause of a sickness are considered as well as multiple etiologies and thus various specialists might be employed to cure a disease[2] or one practitioner might use several methods of curing simultaneously to address the different layers of the sickness.[3]
There are four basic methods of diagnosis in traditional Thai medicine. These are:
- Interviewing the patient about their ailments and their biography including their date of birth because this is necessary to determine the dominant element of a person.
- Physical examination like measuring blood pressure and temperature as well as the visual and manual exploration of the affected regions of the body as well as checking the mobility of the limbs.
- The analytical diagnostics. As every element of the body is controlling several organs and parts of the body the reason of an imbalance can be found by analyzing the symptoms as well as the body.
- Astrological analysis, which is used by some practitioners of traditional Thai medicine to find out disturbances arising from supernatural or cosmic influences.[4]
Traditional Thai medicine is a holistic science. The treatment centres on re-establishing the balance of the elements of the body.[5] This is why chants and magical elements are an integral part of the curing.[6] The most common method of treatment is by medicaments, based on herbs, but also Thai-massage is employed and, seldom also small surgical operations are undertaken.[7] Psychotherapy is mostly offered by Buddhist monks in urban monasteries.[8]
A comprehensive use of different curing methods is often to be seen as this can accelerate the healing process and also is a promising way to cure diseases with an unclear cause.[9]
© 2006 Thailin Thai Massage Berlin- Cf. Mulholland (1979b), p. 33
- Cf. Golomb (1988), p. 761
- Cf. Golomb (1988), p. 766
- Cf. Chokevivat / Chuthaputti (2005), p. 3
- Cf. Brun / Schumacher (1994), p. 12; Chokevivat / Chuthaputti (2005), p. 4
- Cf. Brun / Schumacher (1994), p. 4
- Cf. Mulholland (1979b), p. 33
- Cf. Golomb (1988), p. 76
- Cf. Golomb (1988), p. 766
Bibliography
Brun, V. / Schumacher, T. (1994): Traditional Herbal Medicine in Northern Thailand. Bangkok 1994.
Chokevivat, V. / Chuthaputti, A. (2005): The Role of Thai Traditional Medicine in Health Promotion. Working Paper. 6GCHP Bangkok Thailand 2005 7-11 August 2005 Bangkok, Thailand.
Golomb, L. (1988): The Interplay of Traditional Therapies in South Thailand. In: Soc. Sci. Med. 8/1988. P. 761-768.
Mulholland, J. (1979b): Thai Traditional Medicine – The Treatment of Diseases Caused by the Tridosa. In: The South East Asian Review 2/1979. P. 29-38.
