India's Unani System of Medicine: An Age-Old Healing Tradition
Review article
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21276/pt.2025.v2.i2.2Keywords:
Unani medicine, Ilm-ul-Advia, traditional healing, humoral theory, AYUSHAbstract
Unani medicine entrenched in Greco-Arabic civilisations and deeply rooted in Indian cultural and medical antiquity, characterizes all-inclusive and adapted method to healthcare. Familiarized to India in the 8th century and utilized during the Mughal phase, Unani has progressed into a noteworthy constituent of India's diverse medical system. This old-style system accentuates humoral balance, lifestyle alteration, and natural medications, positioning closely with modern ethics of precautionary and integrative medicine. Nowadays, Unani relishes official acknowledgement under the AYUSH scheme and offers economical healthcare solutions, particularly in underserved societies. Despite its healing significance and historical deepness, Unani faces challenges linked to consciousness, calibration, and incorporation with modern medicine. This article focuses the historical development, fundamental principles, existing applications, and forthcoming potential of Unani medicine in India, contending for its revival through general awareness, committed research, dedicated education, funding and policy support.
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