In Ayurvedic pulse diagnosis, the left hand is used for females and the right, for males.

After a few minutes, Vidhyaa notes that his metabolic rate is not very good. She says this shows that he is prone to hypertension and diabetes. She proceeds to take his blood pressure and true enough, the reading is dangerously high, confirming her earlier deductions.

After reading his pulse, Vidhyaa tells the patient he is a heavy meat-eater and often has trouble with his bowel movement, both of which he confirms.

“Usually for an accurate pulse reading, you need to get it done first thing in the morning or three hours after a meal. Not right after you have eaten your breakfast or when you’re hungry.

“A pulse reading must be taken when one is in the calmest of states which is usually in the morning,” explains Vidhyaa, who holds a degree in Ayurvedic medicine.

One of the key diagnostic tools in Ayurveda (the science of life in Sanskrit) or traditional Indian medicine is pulse diagnosis, she explains.

Through the use of this diagnostic method, Ayurvedic practitioners gain information about the physical constitution and health of their patients.

This information is used to form the basis for sensitive and personalised therapy in accordance with Ayurvedic principles of treatment.

“We basically look at the ‘nadi pariksha’. ‘Nadi’ means tube or channel and ‘pariksha’ means examination or diagnosis,” Vidhyaa explains.

“We believe that our body is governed by five elements – air, water, earth, fire and space. Through these elements that reside in you, I can tell what your digestion is like as well as how you fare academically,” explains Vidhyaa, who is also the director of Traditional and Complementary Medicine at Maju Healthcare.

There are three types of pulses in the science of Ayurveda.

The Vata pulse is felt under the index finger. The Pitta pulse is taken under the middle finger, and the Kapha pulse is located under the ring finger.

Therefore, during a pulse reading, the Ayurvedic physician will place all three fingers below the wrist to monitor the characteristics of the pulse under each finger.

Pulse diagnosis takes roughly five to ten minutes and allows the practitioner to determine your constitutional type.

“The person taking the pulse is supposed to feel a certain pulse in every finger. If there is a Pitta type pulse in a patient’s Vata area, this means the patient may have a problem.”

“We can compare one’s pulse to the movement of an animal. The Vata pulse is often compared to the slithering movement of a snake.

“The Pitta pulse is similar to the movement of a hopping frog, very jumpy and the Kapha pulse feels slow, regular and faint. It is similar to a swan gliding on water.”

While getting your pulse read, the practitioner will also enquire about your diet and digestion as well as your sleep patterns and the kind of lifestyle you keep.

All this information forms the basis of an Ayurvedic treatment plan which includes a diet and nutrition programme and Ayurvedic healing methods such as herbal medications and oil massages.

Vidhya notes however that there is a distinct lack of awareness about the effectiveness of Ayurvedic treatments, with many thinking it is overrated and expensive.

She says there are also many who are sceptical about traditional treatments of any kind and simply feel safer in the hands of doctors who practise Western medicine.

The many quacks in the field of Ayurveda, who do not have the necessary training but consult with patients anyway, have unfortunately sullied the good name of Ayurveda in the industry, Vidhya says.

There is also the issue of cost. Many complain that Ayurvedic treatments and medicines are overpriced but Vidhya explains that this is only because the equipment and medicines are sourced directly from India.

“The herbs are made in-house and the oils are made from scratch. Even when it comes to oils, we only use cold-pressed oils which are not easily obtained,” she explains.

Ultimately however, no one can tell an individual whether an ailment they have is best treated with Ayurveda or conventional medicine.

The decision is a personal one that will require a decent amount of research about existing treatments – traditional or otherwise – before an informed decision can be made.