UNANI TIBB MEDICINE

Presentation by

South African Tibb Association

(SATA)

24 May 2012

Unani Tibb Medicine

Holistic

Integrated

Natural

Philosophy and History

Hippocrates, Galen,

Avicenna

‘Unani’ = Greek

‘Tibb’ = Medicine

Greek Medicine

Treat Temperaments

Balance 4 qualities of: Heat, Cold,

Moisture, Dryness

Maintain balance between Body, Mind,

Soul

Supportive of body’s self - healing

mechanism

Philosophy

Contributing factors to disease: Lifestyle Nutrition Emotional outlook

Treatment approach: Treat underlying cause Address symptoms Work in harmony with the body Effective

Philosophy

Unani Tibb Principles

Physis

Temperament

Humors

Lifestyle Factors

PHYSIS

Physis is the body’s life-force and innate

wisdom to self-heal.

Synonyms = prana, chi

„Natural forces within us are the true healers of disease‟.

~ Hippocrates

HUMORS

Bodily fluids produced in the liver from food and drink consumed. Blood (Hot and Moist), Phlegm (Cold and Moist), Yellow Bile (Hot

and Dry), Black Bile (Cold and Dry)

Excessive or diminished humors cause imbalances and manifest as disease.

In today’s context: Heat = inflammation Moisture = congestion, phlegm Cold = cyanosis or circulatory disorders Dryness = Sclerotic conditions

‘He who takes medicine and neglects to diet wastes the skill of his doctors’ ~ Chinese Proverb

TEMPERAMENT

Combination of physical, emotional and behavioural characteristics within the individual.

Treatment is tailored to suit the patient’s temperament. Sanguinous: outgoing, sociable. DM, HPT

Phlegmatic: laid back, calm. Asthma, weight gain

Melancholic: analytical, philosophical. Colon, anxiety

Bilious: driven, resourceful. Gastric ulcers, inflammation

‘It is more important to know what sort of person has a disease,

than to know what sort of a disease a person has. „

~ Hippocrates

LIFESTYLE FACTORS

Nutritional habits Type of Exercise (movement, rest) Elimination from the body Sleep patterns and quality of sleep External environment (work, social, home)

including environmental air and breathing Emotional outlook, relaxation

„To insure good health eat lightly, breathe deeply, live

moderately, cultivate cheerfulness and maintain an interest in life‟

~ William Londen

Unani Tibb Medicine

Registrations & Qualifications

AHPCSA

BHF

BSc CHS (Complimentary Health Sciences)

3 yr undergraduate degree at UWC

BCM UTM (Bachelor Complimentary Medicine in Unani Tibb Medicine)

2 yr post graduate degree at UWC

Clinical Experience

Kraaifontein Hospital, Brooklyn Chest Hospital, Gugulethu, Jooste, Grabouw, Genadendal

Tibb Clinics in Langa, Mannenberg, Athlone – Western Cape

Post graduation:

1 year full time employment at the Tibb clinics in Langa and Athlone in the Western Cape

PHC exposure and experience

National Health policy

1. Increase life expectancy.

2. Decrease maternal and child mortality.

3. Combat HIV and AIDS and decrease

the burden of disease from TB.

4. Strengthen health system effectiveness.

Vision

Integration into PHC system

Preventative healthcare

Managed healthcare

Integration into medical aid schemes

CONSULTATION

History Taking:

Temperament evaluation

Current health problems – signs and symptoms

Past medical history

Family history

Dietary habits

Social habits eg. Smoking, alcohol, drugs

Questions regarding lifestyle factors

Impact of living conditions, events and situations

CONSULTATION

Examinations:

Screening tests-

• Blood Pressure

• Cholesterol prick test

• Blood sugar/ glucose prick test

• Hb test

• Urine dipsticks

• Pathological testing – referral for pathological tests

• Emergency or specialist referrals

Pulse and tongue diagnosis

Physical examination

TREATMENT

Treatment Objectives:

To alleviate symptoms and to treat the cause

of the illness

To strengthen the body to enable it to heal

itself

To restore balance to the temperament of the

person

Correct imbalances

CONSULTATION

Treatment Options:

Dietotherapy

Lifestlye advice

Pharmacotherapy

Cupping therapy

Other therapies –

• Purging with herbs

• Detoxification and fasting

• Humoural massage

Dietotherapy

“Let food be thy medicine, and let

medicine be thy food”

By Hippocrates

Lifestyle Advice

Breathing exercises

Meditation

Exercise

Rest/Relaxation

Elimination

Pharmacotherapy

Herbs

Minerals

Vitamins

Oils

Cupping Therapy

Definition

Procedure

Benefits

HOW UNANI TIBB CAN BENEFIT

THE PATIENTS

Preventative healthcare and health maintenance

Enhancing body function

Treating the root cause

Create the ideal internal environment

Listen to the patient

Less side-effects

Affordable and uplifting system of medicine

Patient responsibility

Better healing

HOW WILL MEDICAL AID BENEFIT

THE UNANI-TIBB practitioners?

Financially viable practices

Increased employment

Increase our patient numbers

Integrated system of medicine

BENEFITS FOR THE MEDICAL AIDS

Less inclination to diseases of lifestyle and illness

Less people on chronic medication

Less complications from side-effects of medication

Reduce necessity for some operations due to preventative healthcare

Reduce time spent in hospital

Reduce amount of people attending the hospitals

Increase in medical aid members – increasing number of people seeking CAM (according to WHO 80% of the African population seek traditional meds)

Customer satisfaction

Decrease in costly claims

BENEFITS FOR SOUTH AFRICA

Reduces the burden of diseases on the healthcare system

Reduces unemployment

Reduces shortage of doctors

Better healthcare

THANK YOU

ANY QUESTIONS ARE

WELCOME