AyurvedaAyurveda (Devanāgarī: आयुर्वेद, the 'science of life') is a system of traditional medicine native to India[1] and practiced in other parts of the world as a form of alternative medicine.[2] In Sanskrit, the word Ayurveda[3] consists of the words āyus, meaning 'life', and veda, meaning 'related to knowledge' or 'science'.[1] Evolving throughout its history, Ayurveda remains an influential system of medicine in South Asia.[4] The earliest literature of Ayurveda appeared during the Vedic period in India.[2] The Sushruta Samhita and the Charaka Samhita were influential works on traditional medicine during this era.[2] Ayurvedic practitioners also claim to have identified a number of medicinal preparations and surgical procedures for curing various ailments and diseases.[5]

As per Indian heritage and science, "Ayurveda" is an Upa Veda or annexure of four main vedas (Knowledge Systems). The famous treaties of Ayurveda are "Charaka Samhita" by Sage "Charakan", which details the prevention and treatment of disease, and "Sushruta Samhita" of Sage "Sushruta", which deals with Ayurvedic surgical procedures. In the Ayurvedic system, the prevention of all types of disease has a prominent place in treatment, including restructuring a patient's lifestyle to align with the course of nature and the four seasons to guarantee complete wellness.

Ayurveda is considered to be a form of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) within the western world, where several of its methods, such as the use of herbs, massage, and Yoga as exercise or alternative medicine, are applied on their own as a form of CAM treatment.[6] However, such alternative therapy approaches are not unique to Ayurveda because they are also available under the systems of Unani Medicine, Greek Medicine and Islamic Medicine.

from wikipedia