Introduction to Unani

The word ‘Unani’ or ‘Yunani’ comes from the Arabic word “Unan” meaning Greece. Unani is an ancient traditional system of medicine that was originated in Greece around 2500 years back. This holistic system of medicine is practiced mostly in Middle East & South Asian countries.

According to the Unani medicine, the health of the human body is maintained by the harmony and balance among the seven basic physiological principles. These principles include:-

• Arkan (elements)
• Mizaj (temperament or mood)
• Akhlat (bodily humours)
• Aaza (organs and systems)
• Arwah (vital spirit)
• Quwa (strength or powers)
• Afaal (body functions)

Interacting with each other, these seven natural components maintain the balance in the natural constitution of the human body.

Each individual’s constitution has a self-regulating capacity or power, called tabiyat (or mudabbira-e-badan; vis medicatrix naturae in Latin), or to keep the seven components in equilibrium.

Unani uses eight methods for diagnosis of diseases – test of pulse, stool, urine, tongue, speech, vision, touch and appearance.

Unani treatment “regimental” therapies are called tadabeer meaning systematic plan. These therapies include dalak (massage), hammam (bath/sauna), karat (exercise), fasd (venesection, or opening a vein to let out blood), hijamat (cupping, a process of drawing blood to the surface of the body by using a glass cup or tube), and amat-e-kai (therapeutically bleeding a person by using leeches). Bleeding is done to expel out the impure blood from the body. Unani helps in curing diseases as well as in preserving the health of healthy body.

The Unani medicine is also called Hikmat or Unani-Tibb.