Discovered by James Parkinson in 1817, Parkinson's disease has been previously identified many thousands of years ago in ancient Ayurvedic texts as Kampavata (Kampa: tremor; Vata: the bodily humor governing movement). The Charaka Samhita, the most ancient and authoritative textbook of Ayurveda, gives the following description of the symptoms of Kampavata (Parkinson's): 'Tremors of hands and feet; difficulty with body movements'. Various signs and symptoms currently associated with the disease such as akinesia, drooling, reptilian stare, tremor, constant somnolence, rigidity and dementia are also described in the Caraka Samhita.
Ayurveda operates on the principle of achieving balance amongst the 3 main Doshas, or humors of the body, Vata, Pitta and Kapha. Vata governs all air and movement in the body. Ayurveda explains that the cause of Parkinson's disease, a disorder caused by imbalance of the Vata Dosha, is the presence of aggravated air in the brain. This aggravated air is formed as a result of poor digestion leading to disturbance of the stomach, and the stomach then sends aggravated, unhealthy air to the brain. Over time the aggravated air attacks and corrodes the area of the brain that controls involuntary movements. This corrosive effect on that area of the brain results in the Parkinson's symptoms. Therefore cure of Parkinson's disease is the process of exchanging the aggravated air in the brain for clean and nutritive air, generated by the now properly functioning stomach. The apparent long-term treatment of Parkinson's by Ayurveda is due to the delicacy of creating a climate in which the toxic airs can be eliminated while fresh and wholesome airs are re-introduced. The process of healing is accelerated by strictly following diet, abstinence from intoxicants and undesirable life practices, for the simple reason that these factors are what contributed to the Parkinson's patient being afflicted by the disease.
The Allopathic view, which has been developed with no knowledge whatsoever that Parkinson's disease is curable through the proper practice of Ayurveda, has been able to identify the symptoms of Parkinson's disease, but has neither been able to identify its cause, nor develop an effective curative treatment. The Allopathic view of the cause of Parkinson's disease is that it evolves as the concentration of dopamine in the substantia nigra decreases, and concludes that Parkinson’s symptoms become evident when the concentration of dopamine begins to drop below 20% of the normal level. As part of the decrease in dopamine concentration, the post-synaptic receptors within the caudate nucleus and the putamen develop hypersensitivity, therefore in Parkinson's disease, the dopamine receptors are hypersensitive simply because the concentration of dopamine has decreased. The basal ganglia control movement by two balance systems, one cholinergic and other dopanergic, in which the chemical transmitter is dopamine. In Parkinson's disease the dopanergic system is defective and the cholinergic system is dominant, and gradually the features of Parkinson's disease become visible. Given this as the Allopathic rationale for the cause of Parkinson's disease, it would seem that the proper re-introduction of dopamine to the brain would be an effective cure, which it is has not proven to be.