A thick cotton pad soaked in warm medicated oil is placed over one area and held there, keeping the oil and warmth on that spot for a sustained time.
Pichu is a sustained oil application using a thick pad of cotton. Pichu is Sanskrit for a swab or pad of cotton; it is soaked in warm medicated oil, laid over one area, and kept warm and wet with oil for the whole session. It is one of the specialised procedures, and a close relative of the Vasti therapies: the same idea of holding oil on one spot, without a dough ring.
A session runs about 30–45 minutes. Pichu is carried out at Sri Vinayaga Ayurvibe, a doctor-led Ayurveda hospital at Nookampalayam, Perumbakkam, Chennai 600131 — within reach of Medavakkam, Sholinganallur, OMR, Pallikaranai, Velachery and Tambaram.
What Pichu is traditionally used for
Pichu is traditionally used for localised pain, inflammation, tissue nourishment and degenerative joint complaints.
It is traditionally used for localised pain and stiffness in the lower back, the neck, a shoulder, a heel or a single joint, and for long-standing, degenerative joint complaints where the tissue is felt to be dry. It is often part of plans for back pain and neck pain.
The doctor typically chooses it when a dough ring is impractical: the area is curved or bony, such as a heel, shoulder or wrist; you cannot lie face down for Kati Vasti or Greeva Vasti; or you find a long session in one position hard. Pichu on the crown of the head is its own therapy, Shiro Pichu.
What happens in a session
The doctor chooses the oil and the position: face down for the lower back, on your side for a hip or shoulder, or seated for a knee or heel.
A pad of cotton several layers thick, cut to cover the area, is dipped in oil warmed to a comfortable temperature and squeezed lightly so it does not drip.
It is laid on the skin and covered with a cloth or a light bandage so it stays in place and holds its warmth.
Every few minutes warm oil is poured over the pad, or the pad is swapped for a freshly warmed one, so you feel a steady, mild warmth through the 30–45 minutes.
At the end the pad is lifted, the remaining oil is massaged in gently, and the area is covered.
Who should not have Pichu
Broken skin, a rash, a boil or an infection over the area.
A joint that is hot, red and swollen, or a recent injury with a possible fracture, which needs medical assessment first.
Fever, or a heavy, coated feeling with poor appetite, where the doctor may wait before using oil.
Reduced feeling in the skin from diabetes or nerve damage, where the warmth is checked more often or kept lower.
A known allergy to an oil ingredient; every ingredient is named, so you can check.
How many sessions?
Pichu is planned as a series of daily sessions, either on its own or alongside a kizhi or a Vasti therapy. The doctor sets the number from the examination and the complaint, and reviews it partway through.
Because it is simple and gentle, Pichu may continue for a few sessions after a more demanding therapy has finished, while internal medicines carry on.
Before you come
Tell us which area hurts most and what makes it worse, so the pad goes where it is needed.
Do not put shop-bought balms, pain gels or heat patches on the area that day. If a doctor prescribed a gel, tell us.
Bring any X-ray or scan of the area.
Afterwards
Leave the oil on for an hour or so before washing with warm water.
Keep the area covered and away from cold air, AC and cold water for the rest of the day.
Avoid straining the treated area, such as lifting with a treated shoulder or standing for long on a treated heel.
Call us if the skin becomes red, itchy, spotty or blistered.
Cost
Cost depends on the duration and whether the doctor plans a single session or a course. Call +91 81229 39197 and we will tell you before you book — there are no surprises at the counter.
Both hold warm oil on one area. Kati Vasti uses a dough ring to keep a pool of oil on a flat area while you lie face down; Pichu uses a soaked pad, so it works on curved areas and in other positions. The doctor chooses by the area and how you can lie.
Can Pichu be used for heel pain?
Heel pain is one of the places where a pad suits better than a ring. It is usually combined with advice on footwear and stretching. A heel that is suddenly swollen, red or very painful to touch should be checked medically first.
Can I have Pichu during my period or in pregnancy?
On the lower back the doctor usually pauses it during menstrual bleeding and in pregnancy. On a limb such as a knee or shoulder it can often continue, but the doctor decides, so tell us your dates and whether you might be pregnant.
What does Pichu cost in Chennai?
Cost depends on the duration and whether the doctor plans a single session or a course. Call +91 81229 39197 and we will tell you before you book — there are no surprises at the counter.
Sri Vinayaga Ayurvibe — 12/597, Main Road, Nethaji Nagar Main Rd,
Nookampalayam, Perumbakkam, Chennai 600131. Phone:
+91 81229 39197.
