Traditional therapeutic practices in the Himalayan heartland of Kinnaur, Himachal Pradesh, India - A qualitative exploration.

BACKGROUND: Traditional medicine systems have been essential components of health systems in rural areas, and areas with rich cultures and geographical isolation such as district Kinnaur. Derived from centuries of practice, these systems understand health and illness in terms of physical, mental, and socio-cultural well-being. OBJECTIVES: This study documents the structural and functional aspects of the traditional medicine system prevalent in district Kinnaur, Himachal Pradesh, India, with a focus on understanding how traditional healers understand health, how they diagnose illness, and how they treat illnesses using traditional methods. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The present research was conducted in district Kinnaur, in the western Himalayas of Himachal Pradesh, India. This study is an exploratory qualitative research utilizing a thematic analysis approach (Braun and Clarke, 2006) to explore the traditional medicine system. The researcher collected data from all practicing traditional healers using an in-depth interview guide for the sessions. RESULTS: The traditional medicine system of district Kinnaur provides a holistic assessment of health and treatment of illness, incorporating all the aspects of the individual (physical, psychological, and socio-cultural). Structural and functional aspects of the traditional medicine system are documented under 6 major themes and sub-themes, which are 1) Concept of health, 2) Aetiology of Illness, 3) Diagnostic techniques, 4) Treatment methods, 5) Training and Learning process, 6) Production of medicine. CONCLUSION: Traditional healers of Kinnaur have long classified, examined, and applied natural resource knowledge to develop therapeutic remedies. Understanding sociocultural patterns will aid policymakers in framing policies that would help sustain the age-old traditional knowledge of medicine, and it will also inform and sensitize healthcare providers to the beliefs and practices of their patients. In-depth interdisciplinary studies on the area's natural resources should be undertaken to understand active compounds of herbal plants used by traditional healers, which can validate traditional medicine through biomedical research.