Cupping, Natures oldest remedy

Cupping was practiced in ancient and traditional medicines including Greek, Egyptian, Chinese and Arab, and it continues to be used in alternative medicine and holistic therapies.

During dry cupping, heat or pumps are used to create suction within small cups. The cups are placed over the patient's skin – the location depends on the treatment – and the vacuum effect of the suction draws the skin up into the cup. The resulting pressure is not painful, but it's strong enough to bring blood, toxins and impurities to the surface of the skin.

Cupping is used both as a holistic therapy and treatment in alternative medicine. Practitioners claim that dry cupping therapy is beneficial in treating pain, muscular and joint problems, circulatory problems, colds, indigestion, arthritis, congestion in the throat and lungs, headaches, fever, and more. In traditional Chinese medicine, cupping is believed to restore energy balance.

Bloodletting offers the added benefits of removing toxins, excess iron and excess red blood cells from the body. Modern medical theories about bloodletting suggest that a drop in iron might help "starve" microbes and other germs, while a six-year-long study by U.S. researchers shows that regular bloodletting (phlebotomy) can help reduce the risk of death, stroke and heart attacks by half.

Up until the 20th century, leeches were widely used for bloodletting in America and Europe. Bloodletting lost much of its popularity with the advent of conventional medicine, but some doctors still find phlebotomy helpful in treating certain blood disorders and in relieving venous pressure.

Benefits of cupping: 

Cupping has real benefits in treating many diseases, past and present. The diseases which have been treated by cupping and for which it has been of benefit by Allaah’s Leave include the following: 

1-     Circulatory diseases

2-     Treating blood pressure and infection of the heart muscle

3-     Diseases of the chest and trachea

4-     Headache and pains in the eyes

5-     Pain in the neck and stomach, and rheumatic pain in the muscles

6-     Some diseases of the heart and chest, and pain in the joints 

In addition, cupping may offer a unique treatment which may reduce pain, and it does not have any side-effects. For more information on the benefits of cupping see Zaad al-Ma’aad by Ibn al-Qayyim, 4/52, and al-Hijaamah: Ahkaamuha wa Fawaa’iduha by Ibraaheem al-Haazimi.   

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) taught that cupping was both a cure and a blessing. Early Muslims used bloodletting to treat numerous afflictions including headaches, stomach problems, poison, magic, bruising, pain, skin sores and more. Hijamah continues to be practiced by Muslims today.

Many Islamic narrations (hadith) cite the importance of hijamah, including:

• "Healing is in three things: in the incision of the cupper, in drinking honey, and in cauterizing with fire, but I forbid my nation from cauterization with fire." ~ Saheeh al-Bukhaaree

• "Cupping (hijamah) on an empty stomach is best. In it is a cure and a blessing. It improves the intellect and the memory." ~ Saheeh Sunan ibn Maajah

• "Indeed the best of remedies you have is cupping (hijamah)." ~ Saheeh al-Bukhaaree

How cupping is done: 

The mouth of the cupping vessel (nowadays they use glass vessels) is placed on the skin at the site chosen for cupping. Then the cupper rarefies the air inside the vessel by burning a small piece of paper or cotton inside the vessel, so that the mouth of the vessel will cling to the skin. Sometimes a machine is used instead of the method described above. The vessel clings to the skin and is left for a period of three to ten minutes. Then it is lifted off and a very small incision is made in the skin using a clean sharp instrument such as a razor blade or the like. Then the cup is put back in the same manner as described above, until it is filled with the bad blood that comes out of the veins. Then it is taken off, and may be put back once more if needed. When it is finished and the cup is taken away, a dry dressing is placed over the site of the incision. (See Mabaahith fi’l-Jaraahah al-Sughra wa’l-Takhdeer by Prof. Dr. Nazmi al-Qabbaani)