During the first half of the 20th century modern medicine or allopathy has made a tremendous progress in curing and controlling many chronic and acute diseases all over the globe. Today some of those diseases namely malaria, plague and smallpox believed to have been eradicated is reemerging with increased intensity. At the same time certain new and more deadly diseases are emerging. Speedy economic growth and consequent Urbanisation are inflicting another set of stress environment & behavior related diseases. And even age-old ailments such as diabetes infertility impotency do not have complete cure from allopathy or modern medicine. Today modern medicine is in the cross road and unable to answer all these diverse range of human ailments while the human race is heading ahead in the new millennia with a rapidly changing socio economic system. At this juncture through out the world men and women are turning towards alternative system of medicine, particularly unani medicine in search of answers to their sufferings.

According to Hakeem SHAH a prominent unani physician and researcher that unani stands apart from other alternative medical systems, because of its enlargement way approach and the well-developed treatment methods.

Today the whole world recognizes unani as an unique system of medicine. Even W.H.O has approved unani as one of the integral part of health care system in their health programs & disease eradication. The unani system of medicine owes as its name suggests its origin to Greece. It was the The unani system of medicine owes as its name suggests its origin to Greece.

It was the great Greek philosopher-physician Hippocrates (460-377 bc) who freed medicine from the realm of superstition and magic and gave the status of science and the theoretical framework of unani medicine is based on the teachings of Hippocrates. After Hippocrates a number of other Greek scholars enriched the system considerably. Of them Galen (131 - 210 AD) stands out as the one who stabilized its foundation on which Arab physician like Rhazes (850-925AD) and Avicenna (980-1037AD) constructed an imposing edifice. Thus unani traveled from Greece to Egypt, then to Spain from where it reached Baghdad. From Baghdad it came to Iran where it made tremendous progress and produced great physicians.
Unani medicine got enriched by imbibing what was best in the contemporary system of traditional medicine in Egypt, Syria, Iraq, Persia, India, China & other Middle East & Far East countries. It also benefited from the native medical system or folk medicine in practice at the time in various parts of central & southern Asia. That is why this system is known as different part of the world with different named such as Greco-Arab medicine, ionion medicine, Arab medicine, Islamic medicine, traditional medicine, oriental medicine etc.

In India unani system of medicine was introduced by the Arabs and soon it took form roots in the soil. When Mongols ravaged Persian & central Asian cities like Shiraz, Tabrez, and Geelan, scholars & physicians of unani medicine fled to India. The Delhi sultans, the khiljis, the Tughlaqs and the Mughal emperors provided state patronage to the scholars and even enrolled some as state employees and court physician. During 13th & 17th century unani medicine had its hey-day in India. Among those who made valuable contribution to the system in the period were, to name only a few, Abu Baker Bin Ali, Usman Kashni, Sadruddin Damash Qui, Bahwa Bin Khwas Khan, Ali Geelani, Akbar Azazani and Mohd Hashim Alvi Khan.
Unani system is based on the Hippocratic theory that a perfect balance of "Arkhan" (elements), "Akhlat" (humor) and "Mijaz" (temperament) helps the body and mind healthy. Every individual has an inherent power of self-preservation called the 'Quwat-E-Modabira'. The theory pre-supposes the presence humors in human body-"Dum" (blood), "Bhalgam"(phlegm)"Safra" yellow pile and "Soada" (black pile). This system aims at restoring the equilibrium of various elements & faculties of the human body. It has laid down six essential prerequisites for the prevention of diseases places great emphasis on the maintenance of proper ecological balance on one hand and one keeping water, food and air free from pollution on the other. These essentials known as 'Asbab-E-Sita-Zarooriya are air, food & drinks, bodily movements & response, sleep & wakefulness, excretion and retention.

Treatment in the unani system of medicine is done mainly through diet control for simple diseases in the initial stages followed by the administration of single drug, failing which compound preparation may be administered. The various treatment such as "Ilajbit-tadbeer"(regimental therapy) "Ilajbit-Ghiza"(dietotherapy), "Ilajbit-dawa"(Pharmocotherapy) and "Jarahat" (surgery).

In pharmoco therapy the physicians use naturally occurring drugs, mostly herbal. The advantage with naturally occurring drugs is that most of them do not have any side or negative effects.