A Kalari therapist working on a patient's back on the wooden treatment table at Athma Kalari

Kalari Chikitsa

Treatment for back pain

Lower back pain, sciatica, lumbar spondylosis and disc problems are among the most common reasons people come to us. Ashan Vipin Das examines you first, then plans the treatment.

Describe your condition Book a stay

The treatments

What is usually prescribed

These are the treatments most often used for back pain and disc problems. Ashan decides after examining you, so your plan may differ.

Medicated oil massage

Uzhichil

Warm medicated oil worked in with the palms or feet in rhythmic strokes, over the marma points. Usually prescribed first, because other treatments work better once the body has loosened.

Retained oil therapy

Vasti

A ring of dough is built on the body and filled with warm medicated oil, which is held there for 30 minutes. Kati Vasti is for the lower back, Greeva Vasti for the neck and Urovasti for the chest.

Vital point therapy

Marma Chikitsa

Precise work on the marma, the points where flesh, vein, bone and joint meet. Kalari masters learned these points for fighting. The same knowledge is used to relieve pain.

Herbal poultice therapy

Kizhi

Heated cloth bundles of herbs, powders or medicated rice, tapped over the body. Ela Kizhi uses leaves, Podi Kizhi uses powders, and Njavara Kizhi uses rice cooked in milk and herbs.

Manual spinal alignment

Traction

Hands-on decompression and realignment of the spine, after the muscles around it have been softened with oil. Prescribed sparingly and never as a first step.

All 12 Kalari treatments

How treatment works

How a course of treatment runs

01

Consultation

Ashan Vipin Das examines you, takes your history and reads your pulse. Nothing is prescribed before this.
02

Preparation

Most treatments begin with oil and heat, so the tissue is soft and deeper work can be done safely.
03

Treatment

You come for your therapies every day, usually for a week or more.
04

Aftercare

Before you go home, we give you advice on diet and routine, and a few simple Kalari practices to keep up.

Before you come

Common questions

Tell us what is wrong and for how long. We usually reply the same day.

A disc problem usually needs 7 to 21 days of daily treatment. Ashan will tell you at the consultation.

We cannot promise that. Many people come to us after other treatment has not helped, and we will tell you honestly if we cannot help. Kalari Chikitsa is not a replacement for emergency or surgical care.

Yes, bring anything you have. They help Ashan at the consultation.

Yes. You can book a room for the length of your treatment, with 3 vegetarian meals a day. The booking page shows the price for your dates.

The therapies are prescribed after the examination, so the cost depends on your plan. Message us with what is wrong and for how long, and we will tell you the cost.

We do not give refunds. Anything you have paid and not used stays with us as credit, and you can use it on a future visit.

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