Traditional Healing

Many Bhutanese villages have a rich tradition of healing practices which are practised by some elders and passed down informally in oral forms and through exposure and apprenticeship. In contrast to the organized and systemic medical tradition of biomedicine and Sowa Rigpa, the local informal healing practices have no formal training and standardisation. Villagers learn the knowledge and skills from their elders and practise without any training or licence. Their practice includes dietary, herbal, mineral and animal product medication, incision and surgeries, acupressure and bloodletting, massage and remedial treatment for dislocation, fractures and wounds. The range of local informal healing practices differ from region to region.