Dr. Md. Noman Khan

Arthritis refers to the condition where your joints become inflamed. It can affect a particular joint in your body like that in the knee or the hip or can occur in multiple joints simultaneously. Arthritis comes in several forms.

The most common two types of arthritis are-

1. Rheumatoid arthritis- This is an autoimmune disease causing pain in the joints. This condition affects both sides of the body. This means, if the joint of any of your legs or arms is affected, the same joint on the other side of your body will also be affected.
2. Osteoarthritis- This type of joint inflammation is caused due to cartilage degeneration. Arthritis is usually observed in people over 65 years of age. But in rare cases, the condition can also occur in teens and young adults. Women and people who are overweight are prone to this condition.

Early signs of arthritis-
Arthritis symptoms develop gradually over time. Nevertheless, you must watch out for the early signs such as-

1. Joint pain and tenderness
2. Fatigue
3. Joint stiffness
4. Limitation of motion
5. Swelling and redness in the joints

If you encounter these symptoms, consult a doctor right away.

Role of Unani in managing arthritis pain-

Unani medicines are natural herbal drugs used for treating joint inflammation. This treatment method has been in use from the ancient times. Here are a few herbs used in the procedure-

1. Suranjan sheirein (Colchicum autumnale)- This is one of the most commonly used Unani medicines. Packed with analgesics and anti-inflammatory properties, this herb alleviates inflammation and pain associated with arthritis.
2. Kulanjan (Alpinia galanga)- Kulanjan consists of anti-inflammatory properties. This helps treat symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis and relieves you from severe joint pain.
3. Nar kachur (Zingiber zerumbet)- Nar kachur oil extracted from rhizomes of the plant Zedoary, is an effectual anti-inflammatory agent. It helps cure inflammation, swelling and severe joint pain in case of arthritic problems.
4. Cannabidiol oil- This essential oil (also known as hemp oil) is extracted from the cannabis plant. Cannabidiol oil helps reduce chronic inflammatory pain and joint stiffness. Thus, it effectively reduces severity of rheumatoid arthritis. These essential oils can also be used in the form of powder or gel.

There are very few side effects of Unani medications. So if you’re reluctant to go for orthopedic treatment, try these herbal drugs and medicines to treat arthritis.

Honey is packed with nutrients and is really delicious to eat. It can be easily added to any diet as a topping, say for fruit salads, ice-creams or as a spread. But are you aware that the jars of this tasty golden liquid could sometimes not be honey at all but syrup that tastes exactly like honey?

In order to boost profits, some producers of honey might dilute their product with adulterants such as flour, sand, and chalk or even syrup or molasses. Listed below are a few simple tips that can help you determine whether the product you are buying is genuine.

1. Read the label: In addition to buying well-known and reputed brands of honey, ensure that you check the label for the logo and brand name. This will guarantee that the jar you pickup is not only good quality but also genuine. The label on the jar should list only one ingredient, honey, no additives, or flavourings.
2. The warm water test: Add a spoon of honey to a glass of warm water. If the honey is pure when you stir this mixture the honey will sink to the bottom of the glass as a lump or stick to the spoon. If the honey is adulterated with any kind of syrup it will dissolve in the water.
3. The thumb test: Put a drop of honey on your thumb. If it spreads or dips then it is not pure. Pure honey is thick and would remain on your thumb.
4. The flame test: Dip a dry matchstick in honey, then strike the matchbox. If the matchstick lights with ease and continues to burn then the honey is pure. Due to the moisture present in adulterants, a matchstick dipped in fake honey will not light easily.
5. The foam test: Add 2-3 drops of vinegar essence to the honey and mix well. If it becomes foamy after 2-3 minutes then the product you have purchased is not pure.
6. The tissue paper test: Put a drop of honey on a piece of tissue paper, if it gets absorbed and leaves a wet or water mark on the paper then it is adulterated.

You might sometimes be able to spot fake honey by its taste and smell, though not always. Honey being a natural product and got from the nectar of different flowers it might not always taste the same. It would also be difficult to taste the product before you buy it if it comes in a sealed bottle or jar. Therefore, it might be beneficial to buy branded or organic products to ensure that the honey you buy is pure.

In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!

A condition when tiny outgrowths are formed in the gastrointestinal region or anus is known as piles. Anybody can suffer from this painful disorder as such a condition arises only if an individual follows unhealthy daily food habits, faulty lifestyle or if he or she has constipation. Excessive stress is also another factor for the occurrence of piles. A person can experience intolerable pain due to piles, especially at the time of the passing of stool.

Though people do not consider piles to be a severe health issue, those who suffer from this condition knows how difficult it is to withstand such pain and irritation. Unani treatment or Unani medicines are highly beneficial in treating and dealing with piles. It is natural, cost- effective and also with no side- effects.

Piles treatment with Unani medicines
Effective paste for external application: One of the most effective and natural remedies is by preparing a mixture of catechu and soap nut. For trying this treatment, you need to grind equal amounts of soap nut or reetha and catechu for forming a powder. Just half gram of this natural powder needs to be applied on piles. Similarly, another paste is also helpful in the treatment of piles which has to be prepared by grinding hemp or bhang leaves, and Persian Lilac or Bakain leaves. After this, the appropriately mixed paste must be applied for providing quick relief from such intolerable pain. This particular medicine of Unani treatment is known to give extensive relief to people who are suffering from piles.

Remedy using neem leaves: The importance and significance of Neem leaves are known to almost all people. Besides other helpful features of those leaves, one more advantage of neem leaves is that they are also a part of Unani treatment for treating piles. Firstly, you need to wash nearly 200 gram of neem leaves properly and then extract juice from them. After the extraction is done, you have to boil the juice and then strain it. The next step is to mix barberry leaves' extract with the extracted neem juice. After cooling down the mixture, you need to make small sized pills. Experts advise consuming a total number of 2 pills twice each day.
Butter, camphor & galls to the rescue: Another effective means of getting rid of the pain due to piles is by applying a combined mixture of camphor, butter, and galls. For preparing this mixture, 4 gram of Mazu or galls, 12-gram butter and about 2 gram of camphor is required. The first step is to grind camphor and galls and then mix it with butter. Applying this mixture for getting relief from piles is actually beneficial.

There are very effective remedies available in Unani for piles treatment. 

In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!

Alternative medicine is fast picking up with its beneficial treatment for several skin disorders. Vitiligo or patchy skin is a common skin problem that can be effectively treated by the ancient Unani system of medicine.

What is vitiligo?
Also referred to as leucoderma, it is a patchy loss of skin colour that occurs due to acquired depigmentation of the skin. The absence of skin cells called melanocytes leads to nonproduction of the melanin pigment and as a result, manifests itself as patchy skin in several parts of the body. It can affect any area of the body including the face, neck, back, hands, and legs.

Unfortunately, conventional medicine has not been able to discover a full-proof treatment for this skin disorder, except for surgical intervention. Thanks to the yesteryear’s Unani medicine system, which has its foundations in the ancient Greek, Roman, Persian, and Indian medicine, certain herbal formulations help to treat conditions of vitiligo or leucoderma. The Unani system of medicine aims to create the right balance in the body by stabilizing the four humours – blood, phlegm, yellow bile and black bile, which constitute insulin, hormones and other fluid releases.

• Herbal powder and capsules are prescribed for the patient’s consumption depending on the severity of the disorder.
• Herbal ointment for external application – The affected individual must apply the topical ointment or balm before 10:00 am and then expose it to sunlight for around 10 to 15 minutes. After that, it should be shown back in shade and kept for one hour before washing it off.

Diet for vitiligo
Certain food items like banana, beef, sea food, poultry, citrus foods, pickles and dairy products are to be restricted during treatment. Foods with excessive tamarind and cashew nuts are also to be avoided. Recommended food includes all vegetables, fruits, eggs, and organic chicken.

How effective is Unani in treating vitiligo?
For years together, Unani compound formulations for systemic as well as topical usage are catering to the needs of patients. It helps to treat and induce re-pigmentation. There are several treatment modalities available to control the spreading of the disease and minimize the chances of a relapse of the skin condition.

There have been no reported side effects of Unani medicines and they are well tolerated even after prolonged use. It usually takes about 2 to 3 months to see a visible improvement of the condition. The disease tends to become stable after regaining pigmentation.

The Central Research Institute of Unani Medicine located in Hyderabad, India has taken several measures to eradicate Vitiligo. While conventional medicine does try to offer remedies to treat vitiligo, Unani medicine offers a cost-effective approach that is more promising.

In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!

Benefits-protect from arthritis, indigestion.