Omnia Lifestyle, is a new pain relief and management centre, now open in the heart of Guildford town centre. Situated on Chertsey Street, a ten-minute walk from Guildford station, the centre provides a comprehensive approach to the management and relief of pain, whether brought about by injury, illness or long-term health issues.
The clinic offers clients a wide array of clinically proven pain relief treatments, ranging from the use of state-of-the-art technology such as photo biomodulation and compression therapy, to traditional healing methods such as Ayurveda. The centre also provides lifestyle services offering diet and nutrition advice, mindfulness programmes and exercise and fitness classes featuring yoga. This holistic approach to pain relief and management based on individual preferences is often touted as the ultimate panacea by medical professionals and for the first time, the technology and expertise involved has been brought together under one roof in Omnia Lifestyle.
Dr Palitha Serasinghe is a consultant Ayurveda physician who also has a doctorate in medicine and pharmacology who was responsible for setting up the Ayurveda clinic and also oversees Omnia’s lifestyle services. He says that traditional and modern medicine can complement each other when used effectively. Having spent the last 18 years in the UK first, as a Visiting Research Fellow at Kings College, London and then as a senior lecturer at the College of Ayurveda at Middlesex University, Dr Serasinghe is exceptionally equipped to explain to us the benefits of ancient medicinal treatments.
Ayurvedic medicine, practiced for over 5,000 years, is one of the world’s oldest medical systems and remains one of India’s traditional health care systems. The literal translation of Ayurveda from Sanskrit is ‘The science of life’ and it is often referred to as the ‘mother of all healing’.
Dr Palitha Serasinghe said, “Ayurvedic medicine encompasses a range of practices, from massage therapy to diet, lifestyle, aromatherapy and nutritional supplements. Our experienced practitioners perform relaxing and strengthening massages using medicated herbal oils to improve circulation and soothe stiff muscles. An ayurvedic diet is not necessarily restrictive or purely vegetarian. We provide clients with a personalised list of ingredients and guidance to incorporate into their everyday diet.
“What’s exciting is that the University of Southampton has just announced new trials of a South Asian herbal remedy called Andrographis paniculata, which is widely used in Ayurvedic practices. NHS GPs will prescribe the remedy to patients with colds and flu, as a potential replacement for antibiotics. A total of 20 surgeries in South East England will offer Andrographis, or a placebo, to discover if the plant can soothe symptoms such as sore throats, coughs and sinusitis in the first NHS intervention of its kind.”
“A key component of Omnia’s approach to pain is to recognise the influence of the mind on the body during the healing process. To this end, we have introduced lifestyle programmes featuring Yoga for health and wellbeing as valuable adjuncts to our pain relief solutions. As you may be aware, there is increasing research evidence on the vast mental and physical health benefits associated with Yoga.
Ayurveda and Yoga are two complementary sciences that have their provenance in the sacred Vedas, sharing the same philosophy in addressing the physical, mental and emotional well-being of the individual. One such study featuring the benefits of introducing Yoga into the clinical treatment of certain neurological and psychosocial disorders is included .”
The lecturer, urologist, GP and medical commentator Dr Milind Jani, another Ayurvedic specialist based at the clinic said, “Dame Sally Davies, the Chief Medical Officer, has warned that without action to deal with antibiotic resistance, common infections could one day kill. The overuse of antibiotics allows bacteria to evolve new ways to beat the drugs. Medicine is looking for low-cost solutions and Andrographis could have a significant effect in tackling this problem. We are very much looking forward to discovering the outcome of the trials.
“It’s exciting that the National Health Service and Western medicine is waking up to the benefits of well-established traditional herbal medicine, such as Ayurvedic medicine, in addressing the serious issues of antibiotic resistance and infection. I have a word of caution though, because Ayurveda takes a more holistic approach to mind, body, spirit and the environment. We at Omnia Lifestyle work with sophisticated, multiple herb and mineral combinations and would never rely on a single herb for a particular outcome. Also, we aim to additionally enhance the body’s own healing abilities rather than just focusing on killing bacteria. Our approach to helping the human body remain healthy is to firstly eliminate the external pathogen, secondly enhance the inner resistance and finally to improve the environment.”
