Alternative & Integrative Medicine

Anatomical Sites for Practicing Wet Cupping Therapy (Al-Hijamah): In Light of Modern Medicine and Prophetic Medicine

Abstract

Hany Salah Mahmoud, Moustafa Abou-El-Naga, Nassar Ayoub Abdelatif Omar, Hany Ali El-Ghazzawy, Yasser Mohamed Fathy, Manal Mohamed Helmy Nabo and Salah Mohamed El Sayed

Wet Cupping therapy (WCT) is increasingly practiced worldwide, especially in hospitals of China and Germany. Al-hijamah is WCT of Prophetic medicine. Al-hijamah was recently reported to do better than Chinese WCT. Alhijamah filters and clears blood and interstitial fluids from causative pathological substances (CPS) including disease-causing substances (DCS) and disease-related substances (DRS) according to the evidence-based Taibah theory. This occurs via a percutaneous pressure-dependent and size-dependent filtration of capillary blood of skin circulation. This explains why Al-hijamah treats diseases with different pathogeneses e.g. headache and rheumatoid arthritis. Hijamatology is a novel term describing the science of education, qualification, practice and research related to Al-hijamah. Al-hijamah was described by Prophet Mohammad (Muhammad) peace be upon him as one of the best remedies: “The best among what you use in therapy is Al-hijamah”. No published report is there to guide researchers, physicians and practitioners to the best anatomical sites for practicing Al-hijamah for treating different diseases as this science is still in its beginning and may benefit from future research. Based on our background in prophetic medicine, anatomy, medicine and our practice, we review here prophetic medicine remedies, indications and anatomical sites that may be suitable for practicing Al-hijamah. Suitable anatomical sites for practicing Alhijamah differ from disease to disease. In prophetic medicine, Al-hijamah was practiced at skin overlying and near sites of pathology e.g. skin overlying skull vertex, dorsal surface of the foot, thigh region and at general sites e.g. kahel region (mainly skin overlying 7th cervical vertebra) and akhdayin (both sides of the neck posterior to ears). We report here a novel technique (Salah’s technique) for practicing Al-hijamah safely at some special anatomical sites. In conclusion, Al-hijamah is better to be practiced at sites of pathology (for local clearance), at back region and back of neck (for general blood clearance).