FIFA World Cup 2014: Is Neymar coming to Kerala to receive Ayurveda treatment for his spinal injury?

About a few hours before Germany thrashed Brazil 7-1 in the World Cup semi-final match between the two teams, a story broke that sent the media in a frenzy which suggested that injured Brazilian footballer Neymar was going to come to Kerala to receive Ayurvedic treatment for his injured back.

The TV channels said the Brazilian Football Federation has got in touch with Chief Minister Oommen Chandy. However, Chandy told IANS nothing of that sort has happened. He said there was a request from football fans in Kerala, asking the government to put up a proposal for treating Neymar using ayurveda. 'I spoke to Health Minister V.S. Sivakumar, who called up leading doctors of the state-run ayurveda college here. They got details of Neymar's injury through the internet and (were) studying what sort of treatment should be adopted.'

'We were planning to tell the media about this tomorrow (Wednesday). But now that everything is out in the media, with distortions, the health minister will tell you all.' 'Please don't get it wrong, we are only going to decide whether to put up a proposal to Neymar whether he wants our treatment,' Chandy told IANS.

Will Neymar's spinal injury ruin his career?

It wouldn't be wrong to say that Neymar has been synonymous with the World Cup in Brazil so far. He was their star player who was anointed the heir to greats like Pele, Socrates, Ronaldo and Ronaldinho and now he's all set to the miss the rest of the World Cup because of one rash challenge. But will the injury result in us losing one of the most talented young players to grace football? Are the effects permanent?

While football is cruel in the sense that Neymar will miss the rest of the World Cup, we should take solace in knowing that Neymar's cracked vertebra won't have any everlasting damage. According to Brazil team doctor Jose Luiz Runco, he will be able to walk normally and even get back to playing soon. He said: 'He can walk. There's no neurological damage. There is nothing that will cause problems for him in the future as a player or as a human being,' team doctor Jose Luiz Runco told reporters at a news conference in Rio de Janeiro on Saturday. Runco confirmed that Neymar had suffered a transverse fracture of the left side of the third lumbar vertebra. According to the doc, the injury will take three to six weeks to heal and the player will rest and recuperate with his family. Read more about FIFA World Cup 2014: Will Neymar's spinal injury ruin his career?

What is Ayurveda?

Ayurveda is an ancient Hindu system of traditional medicine which uses diet, herbs and yoga to cure ailments. It is now considered a part of alternative medicine and has gained popularity all over the world. Ayurveda believes that when all our doshas are in a state of equilibrium, we arrive at a balanced state of the body, mind and spirit. Vata, pitta and kapha are the three doshas or constitutional types in Ayurveda.

With inputs from IANS

You may also like to read:

• Lionel Messi's fitness regime
• Neymar's fitness regime
• Wayne Rooney fitness regime
• FIFA World Cup 2014: Why football is so much more than a game
• Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney or Lionel Messi who's the fittest footballer at the World Cup?
• Cristiano Ronaldo's fitness regime

For more articles on FIFA World Cup 2014, check out our FIFA World Cup 2014 section.Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for all the latest updates! For daily free health tips, sign up for our newsletter. And to join discussions on health topics of your choice, visit our forum.