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rELAXING RUB Regular oil massages help rid your muscles of those aches and pains

Our grandmothers had got it right when they regarded their weekly oil baths as something not to be missed. Actually, oil massages have been referred to as a positive health measure in all major ancient writings, ranging from the Egyptian, Chinese, and, of course, Indian texts.

But what seems to have survived are just the oil massages at beauty saloons and oil therapy. The fact that the good old bi-weekly oil massages actually promote positive health seems to have given us the slip.

“Application of oil is even more crucial in our tropical climate,” says Dr. V. R. Seshadri, superintendent, Indian Medical Practitioner’s Cooperative Pharmacy and Stores (IMPCOPS) Hospital.

The ayurveda treatise “Ashtanga Hridaya” recommends daily application of oil, stating that it postpones aging, removes muscular fatigue and pain, improves vision, increases stamina and lifespan, strengthens our nervous system, promotes sound sleep and improves complexion!

“Of course, daily oil application is not feasible what with the hectic lifestyles we lead, but at least, we need to stick to the bi-weekly or weekly oil application. This can go a long way in giving us positive health,” suggests Dr. Seshadri.

When we talk of oil application, we automatically connect it to oiling the hair. Actually, oil application and massage should be extended to the whole body.

“If not the entire body, at least, the head and the inner soles of the feet need to be anointed with oil to make a massage fully effective,” says Dr. Seshadri. Since the nerve endings are spread over the soles of our feet, an oil massage in this area stimulates the entire nervous system, including the optic nerve, which, to our casual attention seems quite unconnected to the feet.

And you don’t really need to go in for fancy oils. Good old gingelly oil will do to promote positive health. “Not just its Tamil name nalla ennai, take any Indian language and you will find gingelly oil being referred to in it as a ‘good oil’,” says Dr. Seshadri. Castor oil is also good for applying on the as it helps prevent constipation, cools the body, and relieves the burning sensation in the eyes, but it is sticky and difficult to wash off.

Some people also catch a cold when they apply castor oil as it is believed to cool the body very quickly. Hence, for the body, gingelly oil remains the best option. Besides, there are medicated and cosmetic oils which can be applied for specific purposes such as hair darkening and arresting hair fall. For instance, Neelibringathi taila (Indigofera tinctora) is a natural blackening agent, Bringaraja oil (Eclipta alba) promotes hair growth, Bringammaleka oil arrests hair fall, Jabapathrathi taila (Hibiscus) controls dandruff. Be it the head or the body, the general rule for oil application is to warm the oil a little before applying it, says Dr. Seshadri. Contemporary phyans are now beginning to appreciate oil application as a health measure.

“It can have an effect on various organ systems (heart, lungs, etc.), on the bioelectric aspects of the body, its structural components, on the endocrine glands and also on neuro-psychological functions,” says Dr. Rama Jayasundar, associate professor and scientist at AIIMS.

It can play a crucial role in reversing skeletal disorders too, she adds. “If you avoid oil, diseases such as arthritis, spondylitis and sciatica are likely to raise their head,” says Dr. P.L.T. Girija, Sanjeevani Ayurveda Vaidyasala.

The analogy is explicit. Perhaps like the superior functioning of a well-oiled engine, we need to oil our bodies for all the parts to function to their maximum potential.

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