Although often associated with traditional Chinese medicine, even the Egyptians and Greek used this therapy.
Hijama therapy is effective in treating many conditions including digestive problems, joint and muscle pain, asthma, sciatica, fever, skin problems, low fertility and so on. It improves blood circulation, reduces accumulation of blood and lymph, and maintains a balance of the body’s systems.
Being a health manager, I was intrigued to explore the underlying reasons behind the success of this ancient art of Hijama also known as ‘cupping therapy’. I also wanted to know why it seems to have been forgotten despite its miraculous therapeutic effects.
Moreover, I asked the general public about their knowledge of Hijama – many knew of it as a Sunnah, a few claimed it to be a new therapy still being introduced and a few did not know about it at all. This made me realise that there is a niche that still needs to be enlightened.
My research led me to meet a few people who had undergone this therapy and were hence, miraculously relieved from their illnesses. This made me wonder about the psychological impact this therapy has on patients who got instant relief from their pain. Were they satisfied because it is well endorsed? Or perhaps because it was a new procedure?
While interviewing a colleague who had undergone Hijama therapy and who is a doctor himself, I came to know that he ‘felt better’ just after a single visit to the therapist, which further added to my suspicion about the psychological effectiveness of Hijama therapy.
Due to the shift in the paradigm of health awareness, patients are now becoming decision makers of their own treatment and disease perception.
One elder female patient outside a local OPD clinic said,
“I see my doctor for my diabetes, but I also get Hijama done once every year as there is a ‘holy cure’ to it; it is very effective, plus it is also curative for black magic.”
She further emphasised the effectiveness of Hijama therapy by saying that it purifies the mind and soul.
While interviewing a neighbour, it was interesting to note that she had been visiting two separate Hijama practitioners, one being a doctor and the other being just popular for her spirituality. She visited them simultaneously and claimed that she was equally satisfied with both.
However, the people who want to get Hijama therapy done face difficulty in finding an authorised practitioner as most of the therapists currently practicing Hijama do not have the necessary credentials to practice. The irony of the situation is that there are many quacks practicing, with only a few licensed practitioners available.
Online training/certificate courses are also being offered which raises a question on the safety of the practice.
From a health management perspective, a question does rise about the sterility of equipments used and the reliability of procedures. Even considering the fact that the cups are thrown out, it is a concern for many potential patients where and how the cups and the removed blood is discarded.
In fact, one of my relatives was concerned about the sterility of the cups used when she was choosing where to go for Hijama therapy. Apparently, this is quite a troublesome yet common decision that potential patients face.
A large number of patient-flow in our culture adheres to traditional and spiritual methods. The robust pool of information and marketing streaming in from media, social websites, TV programs, word-of-mouth add to the fervour.
In my opinion, when such a valuable asset such as ‘health’ is at stake, there should be no risks taken. Though, I have not yet experienced Hijama therapy myself, I have personally interviewed several patients with fruitful results and I strongly believe in its efficacy. That said, if used on standardised grounds, it could prove to be beneficial for many potential patients.
However, there is a dire need for some sort of regulation to make Hijama therapy standardised in recognised hospitals to ensure its effectiveness. It is important to break the demarcation and create an ethical understanding between medical and alternative treatments in our culture.
So whether these ‘cups of cure’ quench the thirsty satisfaction of patient’s psychology, especially in today’s pill-popping society or the other way round, the mystical macrocosm of wonders existent within the world of Hijama are yet to be explored and endorsed further.
The views expressed by the writer and the reader comments do not necassarily reflect the views and policies of the Express Tribune.
Pseudo Science being passed of as valid therapy is extremely dangerous.Logic,reason,evidence must be used to evaluate everything.Just because something has a religious stamp of approval doesn’t make it right.This is dangerous attempt to give legitimacy to pseudo science.
Mixing Science and religion once again.Extremely disappointing,using religion to fool people into putting their lives at risk.Our people have found it very easy to sell anything,as long as they attach religion to it.Sell ‘Hijama’ as a religious cure and the irrational and gullible will rush to pay you for the therapy.
Another scam exploiting our people’s love for anything religious.Unfortunately,our society is willing to adopt anything that is marketed as islamic.They don’t use their brains,they don’t differentiate between science and pseudo science.Magnetic rings,healing crystals,hijama are all tricks to fool people into parting with their hard earned money.
What will we use Islam to sell next? Pakistanis should stop getting fooled by quacks using religion to extract money out of people.
‘It’s from religion so it must be good’,what sort of mentality is this? Humans should use ask for evidence,logic,proof,reason for believing anything.People with serious diseases could get fooled by the sellers of this ‘cure’.We need more scientists not religious quacks in our society.
For God’s sake, there is no evidence of it’s benefit in medical science, and despite being a Sunnah, the Saudi Medical Council claims it has no evidence base, and does not approve of it.
Such blogs can be dangerous, especially in a Pakistan where Hepatitis C is high. If endorsed will be used by quacks, without using any sterilized needles or knives.
Please be responsible publication, please.
I have no idea how this thing works but the major concern here is the sterility of the instruments used in this procedure. As it is the prevalence of blood borne diseases like hepatitis B/hep C/HIV is very high. We dont know if hijama clinics are taking measures to sterilize the instruments.
First of all, Hijama doesn’t cure the disease. It provides a relative long term relief especially in chronic diseases. The headline needs to be corrected and is surprising coming from someone who claims to be a health manager. Moreover, all the comments are even more preposterous because religion and science go hand in hand. Several ayats can be quoted from which the major discoveries of today can be found to have told to the Muslims 1400 years ago. The process of conception, the big bang theory etc etc. So it is imperative to broaden your horizons because non-religious people are resorting to alternative medicine more and it is a recognized field even by doctors and much research is being done to prove their efficacy.
Some one from my family got this therapy done for pain of joints and it worked for him. He agreed upon getting it done because of course he heard it is islamic procedure but ofcourse being islamic can only get people agreed to get it done but wont cure them right?
It worked for him. DOn’t know about the success rate of this therapy though..
And I’ve been to the center where people get it done. they use sterlised blades and glass cups are destroyed right after first use. I would really want to see some advancement and research in this area since more and more people are trying it.
I cant believe what I just read. You expect to find this sort of stuff on dodgy websites, not on a national newspaper.
Come on people,open your eyes.Being religious doesn’t make it automatically good.We should stop behaving like mental slaves and start judging things rationally,not blindly following religion.
I practice Hijama myself and have undergone the treatment too. There is no doubt its a Sunnah and I practice is for the same reason. The benefits of Hijama are evident. Rather than being skeptic about something you havent tried in your life, its advisable to try it once. You will feel a difference. I was a patient of Asthma, ALHAMDULLILAH Im cured.
Reading the comments above I can’t believe how much hatred the pseudo-liberal secular elite of this country have for Islam!
Hijama therapy, if indeed it can be termed as such, has no health and safety information attached. There are no case control studies or efficacy studies or safety studies, and there is no biological plausibility under the current state of medical knowledge.
For all intents and purposes, this appears to be another scam, pseudoscience, using buzzwords to entice people.
Anecdotal evidence is NOT evidence and research needs to be done to confirm or debunk this. And that research can not be done while you are charging people for a therapy. It includes an inherent bias.
So while the article is enlightening, it fails to face the actual issue. Just because something seems to work doesn’t mean it works. Just because something is old doesn’t mean it’s good.
@ Sana
Remember, ” Deen is in Naseehah”. You did what you could. Don’t worry about these secular-liberal people. They don’t realize that Revelation is above Reason.
For those people who are saying that there has been no research conducted, should know that lab tests has been done on Hijamah.. It removes all your toxins from the body that are impeding the blood flow, in turn relaxing your body, from lethargy and sluggishness, Islam has no comparison with science, don’t forget, most scientific studies are being approved from Quranic miracles, I don’t understand why people are taking this kind of alternative medicine so lightly, even Doctors today are learning this technique, and practicing because it is very helpful in curing patients…
@Ahmed:
Indeed! Revelation is above and beyond reason.
Good article and God Bless you Farah Ashraf for your reply to all ignorant people above.
@Farah Ashraf:
Please provide a link of any lab test that proves such a claim.
Simply saying that “it is proved in lab tests” doesn’t make it so.
Also, this is essentially an ignorant thing to say that all scientific studies are proved from Quranic “miracles”. One has to separate out religious affiliations with scientific ones, otherwise mixing up one’s emotions with scientific facts is actually not so wise.
Point is not that alternate methods are not effective. Fine, they may be helpful subjectively up to an extent, but to mix up all those methods with the objective principles of health can be extremely dangerous.
In past, technique like Hijamah was famous in mostly Arab region. Similarly, the other methods were quite synonymous to Hijamah, like blood-letting in Indian and Roman side, and acupuncture in East and Southeast Asia. All these techniques were complaint to a similar objectivity in them, and these were the only latest tools that were known to humans at that time, and later proved out not to be a “cure of everything” as was believed on a massive scale.
People are more attracted towards these methods due to religious affiliations and emotions; not out of objectively. And selling them out in such packages can become an unwanted norm.
well i disagree with many people here , i have been gone through this treatment twice for couple of my problems and i must say this is simply incredible, it cure disease that you`ll be amazed , surely it requires a proper follow up and afterward instruction what to eat and what not to eat , Islam also support this treatment and people of ancient times in arab used to do this treatment , indeed hijama is a cure for every disease , one thing should all note that this treatment could not be done by anyone randomly , kindly ask people who have gone through this they will recommend a hijamah specialist coz it require both knowledge of medical and this treatment . at the end i really love this blog and i second that despite of all who disagree
Rgds
secondly for all who are thinking it is been marketed religiously and given a islamic touch so the people would trust it blindly so go and do some research you`ll know the reality
@ tooba , it basically depend on whome you are going for hijmah, specialist are here and they take all necessary precautions.
Hijama could be a way of treatment like acupuncture is. There is nothing Islamic or Un Islamic in this way of treatment. So why to give reference of Islam. Why not acupuncture is debated as whether it is Islamic or Un Islamic.
Sane
Very well said, I was about to write this, that people had no issue on acupuncture, reiki, acupressure,but they have problem in everything that is related to Islam…
They are all healing techniques, if it is properly given, and u r being benefited, then take from that place, it’s just that simple…
This therapy is also done in England!!! Many people get it done!!!!
@hammad:
You “disagree” to all those who disagree objectively, then you didn’t understand at all what they are referring to.
Fine, Hijama was helpful to you. So do other alternative methods to many people, but don’t mix them up with objectivity. Your attachment to Hijama is more of a personal thing, certainly not on objective grounds.
This is an utterly ignorant and misleading thing to say that “indeed hijama is a cure for every disease”. Humans are not that stupid or dumb to move on to other methods if “Hijama was a cure for everything”. A significant portion of human population actually spend their life in researching and discovering new techniques to cure those diseases, the methods of which are not known to humans, and certainly they are not stupid.
Guess what, Hijama can’t cure genetic diseases, viral outbreaks, and lots of other serious issues which are a threat to human population.
Stop spreading this misinformation.
Just donate the blood twise a year. No need of any theropy.
Please guide us and give us names & contacts of practitioners in Lahore.
Good Article. To the secular Islamophobes- Why do you speak against anything which is remotely related to Islam? Google ‘Hijama’ and read on wikipedia, the positive medical value of Hijama, has been proved in medical researches. Read things with an open mind. I totally agree its absolutely vital that the needles and cups used are all new and then disposed off after the Hijama procedure.
@Ms. Farooqi:
“Some one from my family got this therapy done for pain of joints and it worked for him. He agreed upon getting it done because of course he heard it is islamic procedure but ofcourse being islamic can only get people agreed to get it done but wont cure them right?”
Please look up placebo effect.
.
@Farah Ashraf:
“For those people who are saying that there has been no research conducted, should know that lab tests has been done on Hijamah.”
You bring up research. I’d like to see the study if it’s published in a reputable and peer (not the Pakistani kind of peers)-reviewed science journal.
.
“It removes all your toxins from the body that are impeding the blood flow,”
Toxins in the blood, as commonly understood, is not backed by solid science.
“I don’t understand why people are taking this kind of alternative medicine so lightly, even Doctors today are learning this technique, and practicing because it is very helpful in curing patients…”
Being a doctor does not make a person a skeptic and a critical thinker.
.
“Very well said, I was about to write this, that people had no issue on acupuncture, reiki, acupressure,but they have problem in everything that is related to Islam…”
I am quite vocally against all pseudo-scientific whether it’s reiki, healing crystals, aura and energy field mumbo jumbo, acupuncture, talismans and amulets, balancing bands, and all other healing methods and cures not backed up by science. I would urge you to watch documentary The Enemies of Reason – The Irrational Health Service (Ep. 02)
@hammad: indeed hijama is a cure for every disease , one thing should all note that this treatment could not be done by anyone randomly
Why Pakistan is wasting money on training doctors? I hope you will never go to a doctor, even if you have a tooth ache or you legs breaks, hijama should be a way to go.
@I am a Khan: Google ‘Hijama’ and read on wikipedia, the positive medical value of Hijama, has been proved in medical researches. Read things with an open mind
Many people get cured with sugar pills (placebo effect). Next time you have severe infection don’t go to an MD, get treated with Hijama.
Vacuum suction may pull muscles and relieve some tension. You can relieve muscular tension by “using your mind” also. Things like Hijama can help psychosomatically by giving a placebo effect.
This is a practice or procedure that goes way back in time when even leaches were attached to the body to draw out blood. Sadly the way the article has been written and the unnecessary reference to religion really did not do justice to the topic.
Good effort Sana from the point of view of a researcher health manager. ppl should realize that a researcher is not always giving the right statement but a statement to others to prove him right or wrong.
if it has been written for accupuncture, our beloved confused “muslathiestoliberals” wouldnt even have asked for a single proof, lab test or research link for it. but the moment u attach a word as close to something Islamic or religion or Sunnah, they fire back like anything.
there are questions raised at this therapy and should be raised from the point of view of sterilization of equipments or quack issue and one needs to verify and validate the procedures before following them. but one should also have an open mind to alternative medication as well. There are things that science is discovering and will do that till the end of times and those who believe in Allah know that Allah created the diseases and their cures and He does not require any medication or miracle to cure something.
Hijama may or may not have anything to do with religion, its a way of treating that not scientific now but it can be one day thru experimenting. we must not forget that penicillin and nitroglycerides are all famous eg of serendipity though we all know that science has no room for chance or luck!
There is only one spot I want you to hijama…
@Legend:
No one has monopoly over being “dodgy” and ET has every right to throw it’s hat; or for that matter any piece of garment it likes in the ring too!!
Both my parents worked in Saudi Arabia as doctors. there, despite the focus on religious values, cupping was never allowed in Ministry of Health institutions. they will never reject it, but they stated that it was not scientifically proven.Hence, it is acceptable and understandable, but while there are safer, more hygienic methods available, why would this method still be preferred? Also, one must understand the culture of Pakistan before recommending such a thing. In Pakistan, such practices are overused and commercialized so much to the point of biddah. You and I both know that. In our country, polio still remains to be, because of the religious mindset of many people. Do you really think that as a health professional promoting such methods would be for the good of our people?
@I am a Khan:
I guess you believe in harvesting electricity from Djinns as well?
@I am a Khan: Compare Hijama to Penicillin developed by Jews.
Can you give me a reference of properly conducted medical study of Hijama treatment?
There were no vacuum pumps at that time, so you can’t include a study with pumps. Cupping has been used for thousand or more years even before Islam or Muslims. Things like this can help with psychosomatic diseases or muscular tension related problems.
.
My aunt does this. People call her “doctor”!
I cant believe people are so ignorant and start over reacting as soon as the word sunnah is attached to some treatment which they dont know about. Yes i agree this article has not justified Hijama one bit but ppl y dont u do some of ur own research and find out how beneficial it is. Besides its common sense for a layman to figure how detoxifying it can be.
@Tahir Chaudhry:
kindly search for Cupping Hijama Times Vol 2 by Dr. T. Shaban 🙂 Just google it
@Ahmed:
So are UFO sightings and I don’t see you believing in UFOs….or do you?
@AP:
Do you also get your blood sucked by leeches and have cuts made to your body for blood-letting? These similar ancient medical rituals meant for ‘detoxification’ were widely practiced by people with little knowlegde of scientific method and modern science.
Go and check the literature before bashing Hijama therapy. Religion and science are not two different things. Hijama was prescribed by none other than the greatest person to have ever lived on earth, the Holy Prophet himself.
http://www.healthmeanswealth.co.uk/Cupping_Narrations.php
http://www.fiqh.org/2011/07/hadith-narrations-on-cuppinghijamah/
There are certain things i would like to say (just sharing my point of view..not forcing any one)
1-All the people who tried this therapy, did not complaint about it and were almost cured by this.I talk about results not about procedures (being an engineer 😛 )
2-Yes i am also concerned about sterility of the equipment..because I have never seen or experienced any hijama therapy by my own eyes.. so cant talk about it without any evidence. 🙂 (like some of the people above 😛 )
3-When ever you have to buy a new product, you do research , look at its specifications, its warranty and all the things needed.But what really matters is the word of mouth and then experiencing it yourself.So as said in point # 1 above, people who have tried it , have a positive feedback, now its your turn to try it yourself, if you have the courage 😛
4-I think the more science is getting revolutionized.. things are getting more unreal and unnatural. Love the way people in the past used to live. Things were natural: food , water and air(now polluted).
5-Sana, Job well done i must say.This blog is an eye opener, will lead to people research more and experience it by themselves 🙂
@Namaloom Afraad:
The links you’ve posted are not scientific source. I remain unconvinced until evidence in the form of a vaIid study published in a reputabe journal is presented before me.
@Lt Col Imtiaz Alam (retd): Please guide us and give us names & contacts of practitioners in Lahore.
I wonder if these Hijama therapists get rid of Jinns too.
@author
Cupping therapy is a Chinese alternative medicine. Not Islamic or sunnah.
Next thing you know is that Acupuncture will be associated with Sunnah too and labeled Islamic medicine.
Mixing religion with medicine leads to confusion and prevents people from seeking out proper treatment.
@Insaan:
“I wonder if these Hijama therapists get rid of Jinns too.”
Jinns are a reality, just like lions tigers, humans, etc. What you secular folk think of as ghosts or invisible phenomena not explained by science, are in fact Jinns.
Hijama has been recommended by the Holy Prophet (saw) who had received knowledge directly from God the creator. and Medical researches now have also confirmed the benefits of Hijama or Cupping. Just see wikipedia for Hijama before passing ignorant comments.
@Mj:
“I remain unconvinced until evidence in the form of a vaIid study published in a reputabe journal is presented before me.”
is wikipedia reputable enough for you? Look at the benefits of Hijama medically proved on wikipedia. But then you are among those who do not even believe in God despite all the signs, until you see God with your own eyes…
@Usman:
“I guess you believe in harvesting electricity from Djinns as well?”
Jinns are made of several compnents with fire being one of the components…what has electricity remotely got to do with Jinns? But next time when you wet your pants after hearing a blood curdling cry in a dark lonely road, do not shout “ghost” rather shout “Jinn”
@Mj: http://www.biomedcentral.com/content/pdf/1472-6882-10-70.pdf
@Insaan: I don’t know anyone. I was requesting Sana.
@I am a Khan: But next time when you wet your pants after hearing a blood curdling cry in a dark lonely road, do not shout “ghost” rather shout “Jinn”
You mean Jinns only cry in dark lonely places? Can’t a Jinn do “a blood curdling cry” in a shopping mall in Pakistan.
@Insaan:
Jinns usually avoid places crowded with humans. They prefer to live away in secluded places or abandoned houses. Just like tigers live in jungles. how many times have you seen tigers visiting malls or crowded markets in India?
a typical pakistani response… the reason we lag behind is either our over estimation or our ignorance towards a fact.
People! plz understand that tjhis is not a fight between religions or belief in jinns or hijamam being islamic or chinese. Its an alternative medicinal procedure and should be treated as any other alternartive medicinal procedure is treated. it should be tested, validated and then applied through authorized practitioners.
the two dear extremes of our societies: fundamentalist islamics who will believe in anything if taken the name of Islam and the secular liberals who would believe in anything other than Islam or related to it, kindly stop this
@zeest:
and to all others: Cupping reference of Chinese method is misleading. Chinese cupping is dry cupping, without making any cut on skin. Hijama is wet cupping, where blood is let out. And with it comes the risk of HEPATITIS C, B and HIV.
There is no single study of good quality which proves the benefit of Hijama. If there was any Saudis wopuld be using it in their hopspitals , which they dont.
I have sent my detailed counter blog on HIJAMA to ET. Hope they publish it.
@I am a Khan:
Thanks for the clarification.
My own extensive research shows that jinns prefer dark corners of minds that are unenlightened by knowledge and uncrowded by any rational thoughts.
@Yuri Kondratyuk:
Read my previous posts before making ignorant rants. what you call as ‘Ghosts’ or ‘invisible phenomena’ we call them ‘Jinns’. Jinns are nothing supernatural, but just a type of living creature like lions, tigers, humans, etc. Jinns also live and die like all living beings, they are not spirits of the dead or other fairy tales.
@I am a Khan: Jinns usually avoid places crowded with humans.
What do you know about black magic? Is there a school that teaches “Black Magic” like Hijama.
@I am a Khan:
Sir, any chance you are a Pakistani nuclear scientist?
People! plz understand that tjhis is not a fight between religions or belief in jinns or hijamam being islamic or chinese. Its an alternative medicinal procedure and should be treated as any other alternartive medicinal procedure is treated. it should be tested, validated and then applied through authorized practitioners.
If Hijamam is Sunnah, it should be the “main therapy” and other treatments should be Alternative medicine
Faith can play an important role in curing many problems. There are incidences even people got rid of cancer by having faith. Faith can reduce stress and worries. Stress and worries can cause many problems. Extreme stress may prevent a woman from getting pregnant. Cupping will full faith in God may help that woman get pregnant by reducing her worries and stress. People will think cupping helped her.
Cupping is suppose to reduce “toxins”. First some one has to know what those Toxins are to begin with.
@Insaan:
“What do you know about black magic? Is there a school that teaches “Black Magic” like Hijama”.
While Hijama Therapy is a Sunnah and has its proven medical benefits, practicing Black Magic is a grave sin, since black magic is used to harm other people. I dont know anything about black magic, and if there were schools teaching it, I would have them banned.
@Yuri Kondratyuk:
I had no idea that a bit of reasoning will make you confer on me the title of nuclear scientist. Now that Char Dham have been destroyed naturally, are you ready to leave the fake religion and come into the fold of the real God and accept the real religion Islam?
@Mj: To be there is nothing more credible than the words of the Almighty and his Prophet.
@Mj
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22389674
@Mj
Agreed that there is no clear scientific evidence to support this therapy. However, and equally importantly, there is no clean scientific evidence to suggest patient harm. The latter is an important consideration in pursuit of future, more rigorous, scientific assessment.
very good information, thanks for writing this,
This blogpost made me realise the patheticity of the mindset of the so-called liberals of our society. Me and my whole family have been getting Cupping done since 2 years. I was forced to choose this as no doctor in the whole of karachi could help ease my migraine, if not get rid of it. I don’t believe in the spirituality of the practitioner but just their medical knowledge. The lady i go to is herself a graduate of Aga Khan and practising Family Medicine, while her sister, also of the same qualification, practices as well. We’ve used three different practitioners so far and all of them have used sterile equipment, while the glasses used were rid of immediately. People are actually even allowed to bring their own equipment if they still feel paranoid. It has been proven as a Chinese medicine but dates back to Islamic history as well. The Chinese use leeches and even lice to draw out toxins in the blood. My migraine has reduced considerably, while my skin allergies have been at bay since I got it done for that as well. My uncle’s sciatica was cured with this therapy as well and I feel that more people should be made aware about its benefits. Cupping therapy doesn’t cure the disease fully, but atleast keeps the symptoms at bay, which can ease the pain of disease for many. And please don’t bash me for calling me a middle class illiterate as I currently am myself a student of M.B.B.S and even my professors, who themselves are all medical practitioners, approved of this technique and even got it performed on themselves.
Dear all
Why u r arguing about HIJAMA, if any one have any disease just call me, InshaaAllah he or she will cure. In HIJAMA we met many patients who declare LA EILAJ, and Allah give them SHIFA through HIJAMA.
The Hijama Treatment practice not only in Pakistan it is working all over.
I requested all call me or meet me 03122706668.
JazakAllah