3 STEPS IN PANCHAKARMA PROCEDURE

1. Purvakarma (Preparatory procedures) – They are

a) Digestive therapy – Pachana karma (Ama-Pachana)
b) Oleation therapy – Snehana karma
c) Fomentation therapy – Swedhena karma

Before any purificatory procedure, purvakarmas must be carried out properly. Due to dietary, behavioural and various other factors the doshas get accumulated, aggravated, overflows from its site, moves to neighbouring areas, gets embedded there and because of Ama, obstruction takes place in the Srothas and return of the vitiated doshas become impossible. By performing purvakarma and Deepanapachana, the Ama is removed and thereby the obstruction of srothas is removed. Later, by making the individual to undergo Snehana therapy the doshas get loosened up (increased sliminess/pichilathuvam) in the shakas. By means of fomentation, the doshas gets liquefied and they move back from the shakas to the koshtas through the opened up srothases.

2. Pradhanakarma (Main therapies)
They are 5 in number and are performed only after purvakarma.
a. Vamanam (Emesis) : Inducing vomiting by administering various drugs. By this generally, Excessive aggravated Kapha dosha gets eliminated through the nearest outlet from its sthanam.

b. Virechanam (Purgation): Inducing purgation by administering various drugs, and by this procedure excessive aggravated Pitta dosha gets eliminated through the nearest outlet from its sthanam.

c. Vasti (Enema): By administering both oil and kashaya medications, in suitable order, through the anus, the excessive aggravated vata dosham is eliminated from its pradhana sthanam.

d. Nasiyam (Errhines) : By administering various medications through the nostrils, excessive aggravated doshas located above the clavicle bone (i.e. head) are eliminated.

e. Rakta Mokshana (Blood letting) (as per Acharya Sushruta) : Using leech, by venesection etc., unwanted impure blood is let out from the body.

3. Pashchat Karma: (Post operative therapy) :

Because of various pradhana karmas, the individual becomes very weak, the Jataragini and other 12 agnis also become weak, hence the post operative therapy includes administration of various food preparations in stages so as to enhance the power of Jataragni and other agnis and thereby the general health of the individual who has undergone panchakarma also improves.