The term hemicrania refers to migraine, a primary headache disorder documented since ancient Mesopotamian times. Hippocrates first described it, and Galen provided further explanations regarding its location and cause. Migraine presents as recurrent pulsating headaches often with nausea, vomiting, light and sound sensitivity, and sometimes aura. It usually begins on one side of the head and varies in intensity, frequency, and duration. Globally, it is the third most common disease, affecting about 14.7 percent of people, more prevalent in women than men. The International Headache Society identifies two main types: migraine without aura (80–85 percent of cases) and migraine with aura (15–20 percent). While once thought to be purely vascular, current research links it to nerve and neurotransmitter involvement, including serotonin and CGRP. In Unani medicine, migraine is called Shaqiqa, from the Arabic word meaning half part. It is associated with nausea, vomiting, and unilateral head pain. The cause is considered an imbalance in temperament due to morbid matter, sometimes in the scalp muscles or meninges. Tabari noted the lack of morbid matter in scalp arteries prevents pain from spreading to the whole head. Some Unani physicians attribute it to thick fluids or vapors collecting in a weaker area of the head. Galen believed it indicated weakness on one side of the head. Unani classifies Shaqiqa into four types based on humors: Damawi (blood), Safrawi (bile), Balghami (phlegm), and Sawdawi (black bile), further grouped into hot and cold categories. Traditional Unani literature records many safe and effective remedies for Shaqiqa, and the present study aims to assess their efficacy and safety. Qutoor means drops instilled into the nose, ears, or eyes for therapeutic purposes.

For migraine (Shaqiqa), Qutoor with Roghan-e-Banafsha (oil of Viola odorata, sweet violet) is used as part of local therapy. Tiryaq Isaba wa Shaqiqa in the Unani System of Medicine is a classical compound formulation specifically designed for diseases of the nervous system, especially headaches and migraines (Shaqiqa).