Shalakyatantra deals with understanding the pathophysiology, diagnosis and management of diseases occurring above the clavicle. Viz. Diseases of eyes, ears, nose, throat, head and neck. Since this branch of ayurveda deals with the most vulnerable and minute parts various specialized instruments and techniques are used for diagnosis and treatment. These structures are vulnerable to diseases which are progressive with complication by nature. So preserving the structure and functional integrity of parts above the clavicle is given prime importance in Ayurveda with daily routine, seasonal routine and seasonal cleansing for its sustainability.
One out of the eight branches of Ayurveda, Shalakya Tantra deals with the etiology, diagnosis, prognosis, prevention and treatment of diseases that are located above the neck region such as the head, ear, nose, eye and throat. It is responsible for all types of problems in and around the me of the branch is so called because of its excessive use of 'Shalaka', which means probe. In South India, the branch is also known by the name - Urdhwangchikitsa. The word can be broken into two parts - Urdhwang which means the body parts above the shoulder and Chikitsa which signifies treatment. In Shalakya Tantra, there are different types of probe that are included. Some of them are probe of the eye (netra shalaka), probe of the ear (karna shalaka), probe of the nose (nasa shalaka), of the throat (mukh shalaka) and of the lips (oshta shalaka).