The normal bone-setters in Kashmir shouldn’t have any formal qualification, nonetheless, the treatments and remedy they provide have earned them fairly a little bit of fame.
Conventional bone-setters, or ‘wattan gor‘ within the Kashmiri language, are indigenous specialists who’ve by no means studied medical science or attended any medical institute, and but deal with a whole bunch of sufferers a day. This apply to many of the bone-setters has come down from their ancestors.
Regardless of the development in trendy medication and know-how, many in Kashmir depend on this centuries-old typical orthopaedic remedy for illnesses comparable to muscle spasms, dislocation of bones and joints, and even fractures. These bone-setters not solely therapeutic massage the affected physique half, but in addition cowl it with material and recite the holy verses. In lots of instances, they prescribe medicines — principally ayurvedic —as effectively to their sufferers.
The pattern is extra frequent in rural areas of the valley, the place these bone-setters are revered. Individuals imagine they’ve the non secular contact of their palms which helps in therapeutic. These bone-setters practise from their properties and witness big inflows with individuals coming from far-away areas. The remedy is financially nominal for the sufferers with no additional medical examination nor a keep on the hospital. Many sufferers with whom this reporter spoke had been glad with this “immediate” remedy. And particularly through the COVID-19 pandemic, these bone-setters had loads of sufferers to take care of as ostensibly individuals concern contracting the virus in a hospital or within the absence of correct public transportation.
Alternatively, allopathic medical doctors together with a few of the educated youth in Kashmir denounce this remedy. They are saying these bone-setters neither use any exams nor X-Rays; and imagine that with out medical examination the precise ailment can’t be detected. Allopathic medical doctors say this type of remedy is filled with issues and have by no means been fruitful.
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