Scientific appraisal of urolithiasis and its remedial measures in Unani medicine

Unani Medicine, an age old system of medicine which is widely practiced in south Asia, draws on the ancient traditional systems of medicine in China, Egypt, India, Iraq, Persia and Syria. It uses remedies of plant, animal and mineral origin which can treat a number of diseases successfully. These remedies, whose efficacy is evident mainly from observation, have been prized for centuries. Although some of the medicines have been examined to investigate their efficacy and possible mechanism of action, many have not yet been documented. It is therefore timely to look at these unexplored remedies in order to understand and make best use of their acknowledged effects.Urolithiasis (the development of kidney calculi or stones) is a complex process resulting as a consequence of an imbalance between promoters and inhibitors in the kidney. The etiology is multifactorial, but strongly related to dietary habits and lifestyle. Calculi in the urinary tract have been mentioned in the literature of Unani medicine under the headings Hasate Kulliyah (kidney stone), Hasate Masana (bladder stone) and Hasate Kulliya wa Masana (kidney and bladder stone). The calculi are treated mainly by Mufattite Hasat (lithotriptic) and Mudir (diuretic) drugs effectively. The etiology, pathogenesis, clinical features and the properties of medications used in the treatment of urolithiasis have been discussed by Unani physicians in a comprehensive manner. A number of remedies used for urolithiasis and studied scientifically in different in vitro and in vivo models have shown activity against urolithiasis. In this paper, we have attempted to collect and analyze information available on urolithiasis, the medications used in Unani Medicine for treating this disorder, and possible correlation between Unani and modern concepts of urolithiasis, if any.