Documentation of the different approaches of Varman by Varman practitioners in Tamilnadu for Azhalkeel Vaayu (Knee Joint pain)

Abstract

Varmam is a unique therapeutic technique discovered by Siddhars. Immediate pain relief is possible by manipulating Varmam points. Various schools of thought exist among Siddha practitioners. This treatment methodology is taught by the Guru Disciple method (Gurukulamkalvi). Each guru had some uniqueness in their treatment methodology. There is no standard compilation and documentation available about these treatment methodologies. Many cases were treated with the complaint of knee joint pain in Varmam OPD, GSMC, Chennai. This study aims to find the differences and similarities between the treatment methodologies practiced by Varmam practitioners and to document the uniqueness of Varmam points for Knee joint pain. Methodology: The study was conducted in three zones of Tamil Nadu. The response rate for this study is 66.67%. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews using a semi-structured questionnaire. The questionnaire consists of 20 questions which took 20 minutes for the practitioner to fill and the written consent form was obtained from the Varmam practitioners. Result: This study indicates that each Varmam practitioner who trained under different guru-disciple methods had different approaches to treating knee joint pain. Overall 45 different Varmam names were collected from the practitioners. Some of these points share the same anatomical location. Some Varmam point names are more common among many practitioners but their anatomical location varies. Many controversies arise among the Varmam practitioners on locating the Varmam points. Compiling and documenting these points used by Varmam practitioners of different guru-disciple methods will pave way for future studies on standardizing the location of Varmam points.