Helping young athletes recover through Ayurveda

The students who push their body to its limits in the quest for athletic supremacy now have a place to heal, rest, relax and rejuvenate.  

The Ayurveda treatment centre at University Stadium, the main venue of the 56th state school athletics meet,  has been doing a yeoman’s service to help the little stars recover their bruised and battered bodies. 

‘’Most of the students who approached the centre were participants of jump events,’’ said centre coordinator and professor at the clinical department of Government Ayurveda College here Dr V K Ajithkumar.

Jumpers Devu and Jennymol Joy, who came first in the  boys and senior girls long jumps respectively, were the sportspersons who came to the centre on Day One after a hard day on the field.

 Ajithkumar said muscle cramps, minor injuries and sprain of soft tissue were the ailments found common among the athletes.

‘’We apply ‘murivenna’ for minor injuries and sprain. Massage and trigger point release are given for easy pain relief,’’ he said.

Ajithkumar, who was part of the Ayurveda treatment team which attended to the athletes at the recently held Commonwealth Games, said Ayurveda treatment has become a much sought-after therapy among sportspersons. He is also the coordinator of the Sports Ayurveda Project under the Indian Systems of Medicine Department of the state government.

‘’The treatment we offer to the students of a couple of sports institutions is showing a positive result,’’ said Ajithkumar.

‘’The sports hostel at Panampilly Nagar, Kochi, benefited much from the scheme. The hostel authorities told us that the centre’s role was significant in a drastic improvement in the athletes’ performance,’’ he added.

Celebrity athlete Preeja Sreedharan too benefited from the project when she underwent a treatment at the project unit at District Hospital, Thodupuzha, Ajithkumar said.