Origin and Historical Context
Unani medicine, derived from Greek (Ionian) origins, was influenced by Hippocrates, Galen, Arabic, and Persian medical traditions.
It was further developed by Islamic scholars like Avicenna (Ibn Sina) and arrived in India in the 12th century, flourishing under Muslim rule.
Basic Principles of Unani Medicine
Four Humors Theory (Akhlat-e-Arba'a):
Dam (Blood) – Hot & Moist
Balgham (Phlegm) – Cold & Moist
Safra (Yellow Bile) – Hot & Dry
Sauda (Black Bile) – Cold & Dry
Health is maintained by balancing these humors; imbalance causes disease.
Temperament (Mizaj):
Every individual, organ, and remedy has a unique temperament (hot, cold, dry, moist).
Treatments are designed to restore the temperamental balance.
Tibb-e-Nabavi (Prophetic Medicine)
Some Unani remedies integrate herbal treatments from Islamic texts.
Lifestyle Management (Asbab-e-Sitta Zarooriya)
Health depends on six essential factors:
Air
Food and drink
Bodily movement and repose
Psychic movement and repose
Sleep and wakefulness
Excretion and retention
Key Therapeutic Approaches
Ilaj bil Ghiza (Dietotherapy): Nutrition-based treatment.
Ilaj bil Dawa (Pharmacotherapy): Use of herbal, mineral, and animal-derived medicines.
Ilaj bil Tadbeer (Regimental Therapy): Physical therapies like cupping (Hijama), massage, leech therapy, and Turkish baths.
