What is Puttur Kattu? History and how the treatment works
For many people, a broken bone means surgery or a plaster cast. But across Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh there is another path that families have trusted for generations: Puttur Kattu.
Where Puttur Kattu comes from
The name comes from Puttur, a town in the Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh. Traditional healer families there passed the art of bone setting from one generation to the next. Over time the method spread across South India, including Chennai.
The core idea
The body has a natural ability to heal bone. When a broken bone is held in the right position and kept still, the body builds new bone and joins the pieces. Puttur Kattu supports this natural process.
How the treatment works
- Assessment: The healer asks how the injury happened, gently examines the area, and reviews an X-ray if you have one.
- Hands-on realignment: The bone or joint is eased back into position by experienced hands.
- Herbal paste: A paste of traditional herbs is applied over the injured area.
- Bark splint: Thin strips of bark are placed around the limb and held firmly with cotton cloth. The splint is light and lets the skin breathe.
- Follow-up: The splint is opened and re-dressed on set days while progress is checked.
Who may it help?
Puttur Kattu may help with closed fractures (where the skin is not broken), dislocations, sprains and ligament injuries. Every injury is different, so the right decision can only be made after an examination.
When you must go to a hospital
If a bone has come through the skin, there is heavy bleeding, a head injury, fainting, or a limb becomes numb or turns blue, go to a hospital immediately. Telling you this honestly is part of our responsibility.
Puttur Kattu in Chromepet
Since 2006, Dr. Suresh Raja has offered this traditional method near MIT Bridge, Chromepet. If you are unsure about an injury, call us or simply walk in.
Want to talk about your injury?
Call or WhatsApp us today. We are near MIT Bridge, Chromepet.
Medical note: this article is for general awareness only and is not a substitute for an in-person consultation. For severe or open fractures, heavy bleeding or a head injury, go to a hospital immediately.
