'Ilāj bi'l-Tadbīr (regimenal therapy): a core mode of Unani treatment.

Since antiquity, the Unani system of medicine has been participating in health care system. Usually, four modes of treatment viz. regimenal therapy, dietotherapy, pharmacotherapy and surgery are applied for the treatment of diseases. Regimenal therapy is an important mode in which the morbid matter present in the body is either dispersed/excreted or its unnecessary production is blocked or its flow is restricted and the diseases are cured by natural healer of the body, consequently bring back the humoural stability. Nearly 30 regimens have been mentioned in classical Unani literature. Commonest regimenal procedures such as fasd (venesection/phlebotomy), hijāma (cupping), ta'līq al-'alaq (hirudotherapy/leech therapy), ishāl (purgation), qay' (emesis), idrār-i-bawl (diuresis), huqna (enema), ta'rīq (diaphoresis), riyādat (exercise), dalk (massage), hammām (bathing), tadhīn (oiling), natūl (irrigation), sakūb (douching/spraying), inkibāb (steam/vapour application), takmīd (fomentation) etc. are usually applied for the management of various ailments. These regimenal procedures are completely based on holistic approach and are potential but needs to be explored scientifically. This review outlines the therapeutic applications of various regimens of regimenal therapy used in Unani medicine.