The first reason to study traditional medicine was not with the intention of helping others, it was for myself and my future family. I knew I wanted to travel and needed something that I could easily take with me so conventional medicine was ruled out. If I didn’t have access to blood tests or MRI machines while living on an island somewhere It wasn’t what I wanted.

In 2008, when looking at my University choices I came across a 4 year BSc in Traditional Chinese Medicine and was instantly drawn to it. I never knew I could study this at University and I never knew exactly what it was…

Alongside our degree we studied Islamic medicine through the works of great Scholars and Doctors such as Ibn Al-Qayum, As Suyuti and Ibn Sina. This led us back to Hippocrates, Galen and the many different branches of Traditional Medicine which all had a similar method of diagnosis and treatment.

Our intention changed during our studies and in 2012 we opened HI Shifa Clinic in London using a mixture of Hijama, Herbal Medicines and Acupuncture to help our community with their health problems.

A big portion of our sessions consisted of educating patients on the traditional usage of these treatments and herbs while explaining they were not a one size fits all deal. You first have to understand the individual and the condition before you prescribe anything.

Fast forward to 2023 and we want to help clarify these nuances as best we can starting with one of the most common questions we received… “Is this herb good for me?”