My mornings have a purpose now - at least till the end of this week. Between 8 and 9 am, I have the services of three pretty girls trying to set my spine, suffering from a lumbar disc prolapse, in order! Since it is an Ayurvedic clinic, the treatment involves massaging the lower back and the legs using a kizhi (it looks like miniature moneybag, only difference is that this cloth bag tied with a string has a lot of herbs and roots and stuff) dipped in moderately hot oil. My only problem is having to lie near-naked before them during the procedure, though I am getting pretty thick-skinned now.
The procedure begins with the girls placing a big lump of chapati dough (wheat) on the lower back, making a hole in it like in a doughnut and pouring warm oil into the centre. once in a while the kizhi scalds your skin and the girls go apologetic. They are all 20-somethings as are the boys, who I assume act as masseuses for the male clients.
The doctor, on his part, is a young and energetic person who is familiar with allopathy. Next week, the session will be in the evenings since I am expected to take rest after the pizhichil and kicks and what not they have planned for me. Anyway I am feeling a little better, and the pain radiating from my back to the right leg has diminished.
The diet restrictions - no potato/banana/yam/ stuff from the fridge - are pretty mild, but I have quite a few pills (in place of the kashayams) to swallow. They are pretty huge and formidable, and I think I will choke on them one of these days.
5 comments:
Good luck. enjoy the massages. sounds relaxing.take care
Hope you feel better fast!
Ruth from California
Feel better. Wow, chapatti dough on the back--I might have to try that :)
All the best. JEN
Under other circumstances I would have said enjoy the massage - but guess the treatment isn't always comfortable. Hope you feel better soon.
Not when it involves hot oil :) Otherwise I could have caught some sleep during the process.
The pizhichil involves a lot more massaging than the kizhi round, and there is so much oil involved -2.5 litres - that you are floating and slipping on the special bed. And you need two rounds of bathing in hot water to get all that oil out. I have always hated oil on myself.
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