Frequently Asked
Questions

Eastern Medicine is an integrative approach to healthcare that brings together the three major traditional systems of the East, Greco-Arab (Unani), Ayurveda, and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), with contemporary medical sciences. Rather than treating isolated symptoms, it assesses the whole person: constitution, lifestyle, diet, and environment, alongside modern diagnostics. The term was popularised by Hakim Muhammad Said, founder of Hamdard Pakistan, to describe this integration of classical wisdom with modern science.

Yes, in most cases, when it is planned by a qualified physician. Eastern Medicine is practised as an integrative approach and is often used to complement ongoing allopathic or homoeopathic care rather than replace it. Because some herbal ingredients can affect how conventional drugs work (for example, blood thinners, antidiabetic, antihypertensive, or thyroid medicines), it is important to tell your physician about every medicine and supplement you take. We review your full treatment, adjust dosing or timing where needed, and monitor your response. Never stop or change a prescribed medicine on your own. Any change to it should be made with the doctor who prescribed it.

Conventional medicine mainly focuses on diagnosing a disease and treating it directly. Eastern Medicine also looks at the person who has the disease. Two people with the same diagnosis may receive different treatment plans, because a physician considers each patient's constitution (Mizaj), digestion, sleep, diet, lifestyle, and environment, alongside modern investigations such as lab tests and imaging. Treatment typically combines herbal medicines, dietary guidance, and lifestyle correction, with the aim of addressing underlying imbalances and supporting long-term health, not only relieving symptoms. The two approaches are not opposed: our physicians use modern diagnostics and safety standards alongside classical Eastern Medicine principles.

Eastern Medicine combines centuries of documented clinical experience with growing modern research. The level of evidence varies by remedy and condition. Herbs such as Nigella sativa (kalonji), turmeric (curcumin), and ashwagandha have been studied in laboratory and clinical research, while other preparations rest mainly on classical documentation and traditional use, with fewer modern trials so far. At our clinic, we prefer treatments with supporting evidence, use modern tests such as blood work and imaging to diagnose and monitor progress, and are honest with patients where the evidence is still developing.

Mizaj is the Greco-Arab (Unani) concept of a person's constitution, based on the balance of four qualities: hot, cold, moist, and dry. Each person has a dominant temperament, such as Safravi (hot-dry) or Balghami (cold-moist), which shapes their build, digestion, and emotional tendencies. Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine describe comparable ideas through the Doshas (Vata, Pitta, Kapha) and Yin-Yang constitution types (Tizhi). Mizaj matters because two people with the same diagnosis may need different diets, herbs, and lifestyle advice. It is used alongside modern diagnosis, not in place of it.

Yes, when they are prescribed by a qualified physician, correctly dosed, and made to quality standards. Eastern Medicine has used herbs for centuries, but like any medicine, they need proper guidance. Your physician selects herbs to suit your condition, constitution, and other medicines, so it is important to tell us about every medicine and supplement you take, and about pregnancy or any liver or kidney condition. Please avoid self-medicating and buy herbal products only from reputable, registered sources. Report any unusual symptoms promptly, and never stop a prescribed medicine without consulting your doctor.