Unani

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[[Cupping]] is the application of a cup to the skin. In Unani, cupping can be done together with bloodletting; this involves puncturing the skin before applying the cup. Cupping with bloodletting is used for "arthritis, skin diseases, pain management, female infertility, chronic migraines and hypertension management."<ref name=unani/>
 
[[Cupping]] is the application of a cup to the skin. In Unani, cupping can be done together with bloodletting; this involves puncturing the skin before applying the cup. Cupping with bloodletting is used for "arthritis, skin diseases, pain management, female infertility, chronic migraines and hypertension management."<ref name=unani/>
  
===Massage===
+
====Massage====
 
There are five kinds of massage in Unani:
 
There are five kinds of massage in Unani:
 
*Hard massage. For muscle injury.
 
*Hard massage. For muscle injury.
 
*Soft massage. For depression and stress management.
 
*Soft massage. For depression and stress management.
*Deobstruent massage. For fat reduction. (Note that fat reduction through massage is a myth.)
+
*Deobstruent massage. For fat reduction. (Note that fat reduction through massage is a myth.){{fact}}
 
*Cloth Massage. For vasodilatation.
 
*Cloth Massage. For vasodilatation.
 
*Roller massage. This is just to make the patient feel good.
 
*Roller massage. This is just to make the patient feel good.

Revision as of 15:01, 29 March 2013

Not to be confused with umami and especially not with punani.


Against allopathy

Alternative medicine

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Alternative articles

Unani is a form of alternative medicine which is essentially the modern continuation of humorism. Notably, Unani retains bloodletting as a way to treat diseases by "balancing the humors". Unani originated in ancient Greece and was later used in the Islamic empires of the Near East during the Middle Ages.[1]

Unani is based on the belief that the human body contains four humors called blood, phlegm, yellow bile and black bile.[2] This concept originates from the theory of Four Humours imagined by the ancient Greek physician Hippocrates. Imbalances in the humors were believed to be the cause of illness. While this belief has no scientific basis, contemporary adherents still try to propagate these beliefs as science.

Worryingly, Unani has quite a large infrastructure in south Asian countries such as India and Pakistan, because Avicenna was quite a fan of it. But he lived a thousand years ago and so had an excuse. In the present day, it is taught in government-recognized universities. It also has a limited presence in the Western world.[3][4]

Contents

Humors

The underlying theory which underlines Unani consists of the following parts:[5]

  • The four elements: air, water, fire and earth.
  • The four humours: blood, phlegm, yellow bile and black bile. Imbalance of these causes diseases.
  • The four temperaments: hot and dry, hot and wet, cold and dry, cold and wet. Used for diagnosis.
  • The four faculties: "the basic and the essential functions of life, vitality nourishment, consciousness and reproduction."
  • The vital principles: "they are centred on the heart and lungs and include the respiratory, circulatory and immune systems. These are the energies and essences that give life to the organism."
  • The organs and parts.
  • The forces or administering virtues, spinal energies and brain energies.

Diagnosis

To determine the humoral balance of the body, diagnosis may include examination of the person's urine and feces.

Its colour, taste, [!] viscosity, whether it has froth on its surface, if the bubbles formed are large, indicating balgham, or small, indicating safra are scrutinised. The stool is also examined in a similar way.[6]

So, you have physicians who taste your waste products to see how healthy you are. Splendid. That way you know they're dedicated.

Treatments

Unani has a variety of ways to treat supposed humoral imbalances, one more ridiculous than the other. Treatments are part of one of four groups:[6]

  • Regimental therapy
  • Dietotherapy
  • Pharmacotherapy (meaning herbs and animals, not pure drugs)
  • Surgery

Regimental therapy

Bloodletting/Leech therapy

Unfortunately, bloodletters haven't died off yet. Unani practitioners consider bloodletting (or venesection) to be a valid method of treating disease,[5] because it removes excess blood and supposedly restores the humoral balance. For serious or acute diseases, specific reflex points are punctured, in order to drain a few drops of blood.[6] (Hey, less is more, right?) Unani bloodletting may include the use of leeches.[5]

Viz.:

Venesection is a general eliminant for humors. It removes excess of humors in the same proportion as is present in blood vessels. Venesection is carried out when there is excess of blood in the body and patient is either exposed to the risk of developing a disease or has actually developed one. In both cases, the idea is to remove the general excess of humors, or the abnormal humor of both.[7]

Also:

"Venesection or removal of blood is a safe treatment if you are pregnant or planning to father a child. If you are pregnant, you may need fewer phlebotomies during your pregnancy."[7]

Unani is promoted in the important naturopathic Textbook of Natural Medicine.[8] So, bloodletting is a realistic option for naturopaths to treat their victims patients with. In the 21st century. And CAM is totally not backwards at all.

Cauterization

Unani has two kinds of cauterization: external and imternal. The first is used for "necrotic and gangrenous tissues, pain management and varicose veins while the internal cauterization is indicated for mouth ulcers [and] anal fissures."[5]

Derivation

This involves using poultices and herbal plasters which "cause drawing of excess blood and heat the skin's surface, this causes skin rashes or blisters on the skin’s surface and toxins are expelled out of the body."

Cupping

Cupping is the application of a cup to the skin. In Unani, cupping can be done together with bloodletting; this involves puncturing the skin before applying the cup. Cupping with bloodletting is used for "arthritis, skin diseases, pain management, female infertility, chronic migraines and hypertension management."[5]

Massage

There are five kinds of massage in Unani:

  • Hard massage. For muscle injury.
  • Soft massage. For depression and stress management.
  • Deobstruent massage. For fat reduction. (Note that fat reduction through massage is a myth.)[citation needed]
  • Cloth Massage. For vasodilatation.
  • Roller massage. This is just to make the patient feel good.

Pharmacotherapy

Pharmacotherapy involves giving the patient some herbal concoctions. These "drugs" are classed into one of four potency types: Hot, cold, wet, and moist.[5] Low-potency herbs are used first, and stronger ones are used as the disease gets worse.[5]

Footnotes

Alternative medicine articles on RationalWiki
Acupuncture - Aromatherapy - Apitherapy - Autism and pseudoscience - Bloodletting/Leeching - Chelation therapy - Chiropractic - Cleanse - Colloidal silver - Colonic - Color therapy - DMSO - Dynamiclear - Ear candling - Faith healing - Fasting - Folk remedy - Geier family - Hair analysis - Health freedom - Heel (company) - Herbal supplement - Heroic medicine (Humorism) - Homeopathy - Kombucha - Laetrile - Lupron therapy - Macrobiotics - Magnetic therapy - Medical marijuana - National Health Federation - Narconon - Oil pulling - Oxygen therapy - Q-Ray - Reflexology - Reiki - Rolfing - Shark cartilage - Shiitake mushroom - Tetrasil - Therapeutic touch - Trepanation - Unani

Promoters: Hulda Clark - Mehmet Oz - Kevin Trudeau
Alternative diets: Alkaline diet - Blood type diet - Ephedrine - Fad diet - Food woo - Human chorionic gonadotrophin - Inedia - Jesus Diet - Lemonade diet- Low-carb diet - Organic food - Paleo diet - Raw foodism - Self help - Weigh down diet

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