06/01/2022
What is Cupping / Hijama Therapy?
Cupping is a method of relieving local congestion by applying a partial vacuum that is created in a cup(s), either by heat or by suction. Cupping has been used for thousands of years. Although it is often associated with Traditional Chinese Medicine, the entire world once knew this of therapy and used it. The Ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Chinese used cupping therapy. The oldest recorded medical textbook, Ebers Papyrus, written in approximately 1550 BC in Egypt, mentions cupping (Curtis, 2005).
In the West the practice of cupping therapy also dates back a long time in one of the leading medical journals, The Lancet. It was named after this practice as it refers to the surgical instrument that can scrape the skin to perform a style of cupping. 'Hijama' in Arabic is derived from 'hajm' which means 'sucking'. Cupping / Hijama is the process of applying cups to various points on the body by removing the air inside the cups to form a vacuum. In terms of following the Sunnah the cupping that is referred to is 'Bleeding cupping'. It is the most frequently used, oldest, and often the most effective method. A surgical instrument is used to scrape the skin and the cup is then applied to collect blood.