Why Ayurveda is not Licensed in the United States?

National Ayurveda Medical Association is the committee representing Ayurveda in the United States of America. NAMA has been tirelessly working for over a decade now. They are helping to create and implement standards for the Ayurveda practice in the United States. These regulations improve the safety, efficiency, and legitimacy of Ayurveda. They intend to serve as a framework for state licensing of Ayurveda practice. They recognize the following professional practice categories. These are Health counselors, Ayurveda practitioners, and Ayurvedic doctors. These categories represent the current state of Ayurveda in the US. This blog addresses legal and practical issues as to why Ayurveda has not received the license in the United States. 

Scope of practice 

Scope of practice has been defined for each category. These are as follows: 

1. Ayurvedic Health Counselor: Ayurvedic professionals are trained extensively about Ayurvedic medicine. They are trained to focus on preventive healthcare. They also pay attention to health promotion, with a specific focus on diet and lifestyle. 
2. Ayurvedic Practitioner: Ayurvedic professionals are additionally trained in pathology and disease management. This is beyond that of an Ayurvedic Health Counselor. They also practice preventive healthcare. They promote health using diet and lifestyle. 
3. Ayurvedic Doctor: Ayurvedic doctors receive additional training and knowledge beyond the Ayurvedic Practitioner. They are not permitted to diagnose a western disease but they can refer out appropriately. The doctors interfere with Western medicine and appropriately learn all branches of Ayurveda. They have more clinical experience based on proper internships. 

The Ayurvedic doctor 

The Ayurvedic Doctor designation is the highest level of professional practice. They require rigorous training and education. It is beyond the level of Ayurvedic Health Counselors and Ayurvedic Practitioners. Ayurvedic doctors have deep knowledge and extensive education on the subject. They have relevant clinical experience in all branches of Ayurvedic medicine.  So, they also have the necessary experience in demonstrations, panchakarma, teaching, and research methods. Also, Ayurvedic Doctors possess clinical experience of one year of supervised hospital practice. It includes a minimum of 250 documented patient encounters. Ayurvedic doctors try to understand disease from an Ayurvedic perspective. They also know Western pathology, pharmacology, diagnoses, and treatment. All this knowledge is sufficient to correlate with the practice of Ayurveda. Ayurvedic Doctors do not need to order western diagnostic tests or prescribe western medicines. 

Side effects of ayurvedic medicine 

Adulteration of ayurvedic merchandise has been a significant issue. We see many people with arthritis and allergies. They have advised steroid utilization. Continual steroid utilization may cause high blood pressure, osteoporosis, ocular consequences, muscle weak point, electrolyte imbalance, and gastrointestinal outcomes. A potential problem is an Adrenal hassle while you try to prevent these tablets. Each compound in the Ayurvedic practice, whether it is natural or chemical, should be indexed. It should be filled with a produced label along with the appropriate quantity. This will also help in proper dosing which reduces the damaging events. Fitness experts and Practitioners should do proper counseling with the right advice. These should specifically concern unfavorable activities. This will play a critical position in reducing the harm. Any herb or drug can cause unwanted side effects. Hence you need to be aware whilst interacting with conventional medicines. 

Side effects of some widely used drugs 

1. Triphala: High dose of Triphala may cause diarrhea and abdominal discomfort. 
2. Guggul: Guggul leads to various alimentary tract disorders which include upset stomach, diarrhea, headaches, vomiting, loose stools, nausea, belching, and hiccups 
3. Boswellia: It may cause stomach pain, nausea, diarrhea. It can also lead to rashes when applied to the skin 
4. Gotu kola: It also leads to digestive problems such as upset stomach, nausea, sensitivity to light. It can cause rashes when applied to the skin. 

The FDA Warning 

The FDA issued a safety alert that an Ayurvedic medicine called Balguti Kesaria causes lead poisoning. Balguti treats rickets, cough and cold, worm infections, and teething among infants. It is also called Kesaria Balguti. Balguti is an herbal remedy. The FDA has not also approved the medicine for safety and efficiency. A variety of companies in India manufacture this product instead. These companies sell these products online in the United States. Exposure to lead can cause severe damage to the brain, the kidneys and can potentially harm the immunity of the body. In children, chronic exposure to lead can cause impaired cognitive function. It can also lead to other potential problems including reduced IQ and behavioral difficulties. 

Ayurveda has a long way to go 

Ayurveda is flourishing in the United States for a long time now. People gained interest in Ayurveda in the 1970s. This is mainly because of the efforts of the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi Organization of Transcendental Meditation. The progress of Ayurveda has been comparatively slow. But the Ayurvedic profession is growing steadily in the United States. So, societies are setting up educational institutions. Also, associations are working ridiculously hard to give the profession a voice. They also help to address the regulatory issues. Ayurveda will continue to grow in the United States. Eventually, it will take its place among other health care professions.