Role of Unani Medicine in Geriatric Care: A Holistic Approach to Healthy Ageing

The rapid increase in the elderly population has become a major public health concern worldwide, bringing with it rising incidences of chronic diseases, functional decline, and psychosocial challenges. Conventional geriatrics provides symptomatic and disease-specific care, yet preventive and holistic approaches remain underexplored. The Unani system of medicine, rooted in Greco-Arab traditions of Hippocrates, Galen, Rhazes, and Avicenna, provides a comprehensive framework for understanding and managing ageing. It conceptualizes senescence as the progressive decline of innate heat (Hararat Ghariziya) and innate moisture (Rutubate Ghariziya), leading to a predominance of a cold-dry temperament and decline of faculties. Unani physicians developed specialized regimens for the elderly, known as Tadābīr-e-Mashā’ikh, emphasizing regimenal therapy (Ilaj-bil-Tadbeer), dietotherapy (Ilaj-bil-Ghiza), and pharmacotherapy (Ilaj-bil-Dawa). These therapies aim to preserve vitality, restore humoral balance, and delay age-related degeneration. Classical formulations such as Majoon Flasafa, Jawarish Jalinus, and Itriphal are recognized for their nootropic, immunomodulatory, and cardioprotective properties. Modern pharmacological studies support the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective potential of many Unani drugs, highlighting their relevance for cognitive decline, musculoskeletal disorders, cardiovascular disease, and psychological well-being in geriatrics. Furthermore, the Unani emphasis on lifestyle modification through Asbāb-e-Sitta Zaruriyya (six essential factors) aligns with contemporary preventive healthcare models. Despite promising evidence, challenges remain in standardization, clinical validation, and integration with modern geriatrics. This review underscores the role of Unani medicine as a holistic, preventive, and culturally relevant approach to healthy ageing, and calls for further scientific validation to strengthen its contribution to global geriatric care. Keywords: Unani Medicine; Geriatric Care; Healthy Ageing; Tadābīr-e-Mashā’ikh; Holistic Healthcare