Using Unani medicine safely: registered practitioners and your doctor

Using traditional medicine safely is mostly about good habits: choose a trained and registered practitioner, buy trustworthy products and share everything with your doctor. This review brings together advice from the Ministry of Ayush ^[1], the Central Council for Research in Unani Medicine, or CCRUM ^[3], the US National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, or NCCIH ^{[2, 4]}, and the World Health Organization, or WHO ^[5]. It does not claim that any Unani treatment can treat a disease.

1. Introduction

Unani medicine is one of the Ayush systems recognised in India, with its own colleges, hospitals and registered practitioners ^[1]. Being recognised is not the same as being right for every person. NCCIH notes that people respond differently to health products and practices, and that for practices the training and experience of the practitioner matter, while for products the ingredients and manufacturing quality matter ^[4].

2. Choosing a registered practitioner

In India, the Ministry of Ayush reports 53,126 registered Unani practitioners as on 1 January 2024, of whom 42,872 are institutionally qualified ^[1]. Practical steps, based on NCCIH advice ^[4] and CCRUM's advice to consult a registered Unani physician ^[3], are:

• Ask for the practitioner's qualification and registration, and check the training and licensing requirements with the relevant professional body or licensing board ^[4].
• Ask your own doctor or a local hospital for recommendations ^[4].
• Ask whether the practitioner is willing to work with your other health care providers ^[4].
• Ask about safety, cost and how many visits are expected before you start ^[4].
• Be wary of anyone who promises a dramatic, too-good-to-be-true result or says you can stop other treatment ^[4].

WHO's training benchmark describes how practitioners and associate providers should be trained, and covers safety in clinical use and in preparing medicines ^[5]. They are guides for national authorities, and they give a sense of what safe practice should include.

3. Medicines and products

CCRUM's immunity guide lists many plant-based single drugs, such as ginger, garlic and turmeric, as well as several compound preparations ^[3]. Because the safety of a product depends on its ingredients and manufacturing quality, NCCIH advises checking federal sources for recalls and enforcement actions, and being sceptical of adverts that quote only satisfied users ^[4]. In India, the Ministry says its Drug Policy Section administers the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, for Ayush drugs ^[1].

Never buy a product only because it is called natural. NCCIH states that "natural" does not necessarily mean "safe", and that some supplements may interact with medicines or cause side effects ^[4].

4. Interactions with prescribed medicines

NCCIH explains that some herbs can make medicines less effective, while others can increase their effects and side effects, and that information on many interactions is limited ^[2]. Examples it gives include St. John's wort affecting how the body breaks down many medicines, and extra care being needed with medicines such as digoxin, cyclosporine and warfarin, where small changes can cause large problems ^[2]. Many of these are not Unani products, but they show why a list matters. NCCIH advises bringing a written list that names each product, how often you take it and the amount ^[2].

NCCIH also notes that concentrated green tea supplements can lower the blood levels of some medicines, that goldenseal may change how the body processes many medicines, and that it is uncertain whether Asian ginseng interacts with some blood pressure medicines ^[2]. CCRUM's immunity guide says one named compound preparation is not recommended for people with diabetes ^[3]. If you have diabetes, high blood pressure, heart, kidney or liver disease, or take blood thinners, ask your doctor before any new herbal product.

5. Procedures and regimens

Tell your doctor about any Unani procedure you have had, such as massage, cupping or a bath therapy, and whether you had any bleeding, burns, marks or skin irritation afterwards.

Questions worth asking your practitioner about any product include what it is made of, how it should be stored, whether it is safe with your other medicines, and what to do if you feel unwell after taking it. A good practitioner will welcome these questions and will not mind you sharing the answers with your doctor. If someone discourages you from telling your doctor, treat that as a warning sign.

6. Telling your doctor

NCCIH advises telling all your providers, both conventional and complementary, about every health approach you use, so they have a full picture of your care ^[4]. A simple routine helps:

1. Write down every medicine, herbal product, food plan and procedure you use.
2. Show the list to your doctor and your Unani practitioner.
3. Ask both whether any item could clash with another.
4. Update the list when anything changes, and bring it to every visit.

Doctors cannot decide treatment safely without knowing everything you take, and the doctor decides treatment in the end.

7. When to see a doctor

See a doctor promptly if you develop a rash, swelling, vomiting, yellow skin or eyes, unusual tiredness, palpitations, a new pain or any symptom you did not have before starting a product. Tell the practitioner and your doctor, and keep the packaging. Do not use an unproven approach to delay seeing a provider, because stopping or not starting proven treatment can have serious consequences ^[4].

In an emergency, call your local emergency number (112 in India, 911 in the United States).

8. Conclusion

Safe use of Unani medicine rests on three habits: choose a registered practitioner, choose products with care and watch for interactions, and keep your doctor fully informed.