To heal a patient holistically means to clearly accept the marvel that is the human body and the complex integration between the many systems, organs and tissues of the body, to understand how they function and influence each other, and to incorporate all of the above in the patient’s treatment plan.

The pharmaceutical industry develops a drug by identifying one active constituent from a plant with the desired pharmacological effect they are looking for e.g. anti-inflammatory properties. The chosen constituent is then isolated from the rest of the plant and mass-produced. While this method produces a highly potent and effective drug, it is often accompanied with unwanted side-effects. This is because the constituent is meant to target only one system of the body. Plants were created differently. They have multiple active constituents that each act on different systems of the body. Herbal medicines are widely used because when the whole plant is utilised in a remedy it not only contains the properties that heal but also the ability to counteract any side effects. This is the way God created and nature intended for the plants to be used.

Disclaimer

This does not mean that they are completely safe and can be misused. Any patient searching for a natural alternative to their conventional medication needs to consult with a qualified CAM practitioner.

Furthermore, the philosophy of Unani Tibb is concerned with encouraging individual responsibility for one’s own health. The Tibb Doctor, focuses on empowering patients and is seen as a partnership of equals, with both the patient and the practitioner equally responsible and involved in the development and implementation of a comprehensive treatment plan. Conventional medicine typically tends to look for a single cause (such as microbes, toxins or biochemical  abnormalities) as being responsible for a particular disease. In contrast, an important feature of integrative medicine is that it considers disease multifactorial which may arise from a number of causes, often embracing genetic, physical, emotional, psychological, and spiritual factors.

Our approach therefore seeks to identify multiple origins of a disease, and, ideally, address them all as necessary. As a result, the range of options in the practice of integrative  medicine can go beyond standard conventional therapeutic practice. It can become involved in the patient’s spiritual life and social relationships, employ mind-body practices, and combine this with the use of herbs, physical manipulation techniques and minor surgery such as cupping therapy.