Sri Lankan Ayurveda and Deshiya Chikitsa

Several traditions, one island

Sri Lanka does not have a single "traditional medicine." Sri Lankan academic sources describe the traditional medical system as made up of Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani and Deshiya Chikitsa. [1][2] This page explains each in plain terms, how they are regulated, and what research and product surveys show. It describes traditional ideas as traditional ideas, gives no treatment instructions, and does not list or recommend practitioners.

The four named systems

• Ayurveda. The Indian-origin tradition described on our Ayurveda overview. In Sri Lanka it is listed as one of the four practiced systems. [2]
• Siddha (Tamil medicine). A Tamil-language tradition practiced mostly in the Eastern and Northern Provinces. [2] India's Ministry of AYUSH dossier says one Siddha department affiliated with Jaffna University and another institute in Trincomalee, affiliated with Eastern University, teach Siddha at undergraduate level. [3] See Siddha Medicine and Siddha and Ayurveda compared.
• Unani. A tradition with Greek and Muslim-world roots; see Unani Medicine and Unani and Ayurveda compared. The Sri Lankan sources we read name Unani as practiced but say little else about it.
• Deshiya Chikitsa. The island's native tradition. See the next section.

Deshiya Chikitsa, Sinhala Vedakama and Hela Vedakama

A 2018 study from Sri Lanka says the island's indigenous medical system is called Deshiya Chikitsa, Sinhala Vedakama or Hela Vedakama, and that it includes ritual healing practices, astrology, religious observances and spiritual powers. [4] A 2021 abstract from the University of Colombo's Faculty of Indigenous Medicine calls Deshiya Chikitsa a purely native kind of medicine that has been practiced since the prehistoric period. [1] That is the authors' own description; we cannot independently date it.

Be careful with the names. The sources we read use the terms differently. One treats Deshiya Chikitsa, Sinhala Vedakama and Hela Vedakama as names for the island's indigenous system. [4] Another lists Deshiya Chikitsa as one of four systems alongside Ayurveda, Siddha and Unani. [1] A third uses "hela wedakama" for a specific branch, called hand medicine (see below). [5] We found no source that settles exactly how Sri Lankan Ayurveda and the native tradition overlap, so when you see a clinic or product using one of these names, ask what it means by it.

Branches the sources describe

A study in the Moneragala District identified eighteen medical genealogies (family or teacher lines) and 325 indigenous physicians, and named branches such as stray-dog bite treatment, abscess and sore, general ailments, eye disease, psychiatric disorders and skin disease. [1] The study counted and described practitioners. It did not test whether any treatment works. For any bite, injury, eye problem or mental health crisis, please seek medical care.

Hand medicine. A 2023 study in the Devinuwara area of the Southern Province describes hand medicine, or "hela wedakama," as a branch that analyzes the pulse, hand shape, lines and other features of the hands to diagnose and treat illness. Practitioners believe different points on the hand correspond to different organs and parts of the body. [5] This is a traditional belief. Its findings came from in-depth interviews with 34 people, not from clinical testing. [5] Label: traditional use only. We offer no hand-reading or self-diagnostic guide, and no source we read shows that hand features can diagnose disease.

How common is it?

One study reports that around 60 to 70% of the rural population, which it says makes up 77.3% of the total population, relies on indigenous medicine. [4] It gathered data by a documentary survey and interviews, so treat the figure as an estimate. [4] The same paper reports communities trusting indigenous medicine as a primary or secondary option for care. [4]

What research shows

Judge treatments one at a time. We found no source that tests Sri Lankan traditional medicine as a whole, and a belief system cannot be tested that way.

• Siddha healers and diabetes. A 2018 study interviewed 27 Siddha healers in the Eastern Province and recorded 88 plant species used in diabetes preparations. [2] Authors then checked the published literature. Most species had been studied only at the animal (in vivo) level; for 27% no evidence of anti-diabetic activity was found, 10% had clinical evidence and 2% had been studied in the lab only. [2] The authors also noted that inorganic substances and animal parts used in historical preparations are no longer used in the Eastern Province. [2] Label: insufficient evidence for the practice, and preclinical for most plants. The authors called for diabetes patients to be aware of herb-drug interactions. [2]
• Other uses. Proper evidence not found. We searched PubMed and the web for trials of Deshiya Chikitsa or Hela Vedakama treatments and found studies of practice and surveys, not clinical trials we could read.

Practitioner training and checking credentials

The Siddha dossier describes university-level Siddha teaching in Sri Lanka. [3] The Moneragala study found many practitioners are unregistered, so registration status needs asking about directly. [1] We do not list practitioners, clinics or retreats. Licensed or certified does not always mean qualified, so ask about training and registration where you live. [10] For a visit to Sri Lanka, check with the relevant Sri Lankan health authority. For general steps, see choosing an Ayurvedic practitioner.

Who should see a clinician first

Get conventional care first for serious, sudden or worsening symptoms, pregnancy, children, long-term conditions such as diabetes or kidney disease, or if you take prescription medicines. Tell all your providers about every approach you use. [11]

Related pages

Ayurveda overview, Siddha Medicine, Unani Medicine and Traditional Healing Systems.