Leech therapy- a holistic approach of treatment in unani (greeko-arab) medicine
Research article published in Ancient science of life (2011)
Abstract
The Unani System of Medicine also known as Greeko-Arab medicine, founded by Hippocrates is based on the concept of equilibrium and balance of natural body humours (blood, bile, black bile and phlegm). The imbalance in the quality and quantity of these humours leads to diseases whereas restoration of this balance maintains health of a person. The treatment methodology of diseases is based on four therapeutic modalities viz. Regimental therapy, Dieto-therapy, Pharmacotherapy and surgery. Irsale Alaq (Leech or Hirudo therapy) is one of the most important and widely practised methods of regimental therapy used for local evacuation of morbid humours. It is a procedure of treatment with the use of medicinal leeches. It has been suggested and successfully practised by Greeko-Arab physicians in the management of musculoskeletal diseases, gynaecological disorders, chronic skin diseases, thromboembolic diseases, varicose veins, ENT disorders etc since long. According to Unani doctrine, the efficacy of leech therapy is attributed to the analgesic and resolvent activities of leeches. However, from modern perspective, the saliva of leech contains about 100 pharmacologically active biological substances like Hirudin, hyaluronidase, vasodilators, anesthetics, antibacterial, fibrinases, collagenase etc. These substances are injected into human body while sucking of the blood and are responsible for the analgesic, anti inflammatory and anesthetic effects of leech therapy.
Abstract sourced from PubMed (NCBI) for the cited record. See the original publication for the authoritative version.
Summary
The Unani System of Medicine also known as Greeko-Arab medicine, founded by Hippocrates is based on the concept of equilibrium and balance of natural body humours (blood, bile, black bile and phlegm).
Why This Matters for Hirudotherapy
This article describes the role of leech therapy (Irsale Alaq) within the Unani (Greeko-Arab) system of medicine, outlining the traditional humoral theory underlying its use and cataloguing historical applications in musculoskeletal, gynaecological, dermatological, vascular, and ENT conditions. It also summarizes the modern understanding that leech saliva contains bioactive compounds—including hirudin, hyaluronidase, vasodilators, and various enzymes—that may account for the analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and anesthetic effects attributed to the practice. This overview is directly relevant to hirudotherapy and to ASH's interest in the leech salivary secretome, as it bridges classical Unani doctrine with contemporary pharmacological concepts. However, the article presents no original clinical or preclinical data, and its descriptions of therapeutic applications rest on traditional practice and general pharmacological summary rather than on quantitative outcomes or systematic investigation; its value is primarily historical and conceptual.
Citation
Leech therapy- a holistic approach of treatment in unani (greeko-arab) medicine.
Lone A et al. · Ancient science of life, 2011
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