Hippocrates said that: “It is more important to know what sort of person has a disease, than to know what sort of a disease a person has."
This principle has all but completely departed from the practice of modern medicine but still remains an integral part of the practice of traditional medicine like Unani-Tibb and TCM. It is perhaps the most important criteria in both the identification of the nature of the disease as well as the selection of a treatment method. Understanding the type of person, their temperament as well as their lifestyle, social and environmental influences and history can make the difference between a successful resolution of the presenting illness and a litany of inaccurate diagnoses and ineffective treatments.
Recognising the body types is not difficult to master. There are 4 primary constitutions or body types within the Unani philosophy and 5 within the Traditional Chinese Medicine philosophy. These can be combined into 5 main body types for the purposes of determining the suitability of Hijamah. They are as follows:
What does this bring up for you today?
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