Hijama Home Visits for Women

Wet cupping (Hijama in Arabic) is a traditional healing practice that has existed since ancient times. It was practiced in many places around the world including Egypt, China, Greece, the Middle East, and Europe. Historically, it was used to treat various medical and surgical ailments. The mechanism of action has been described differently by practitioners in different cultures. A common denominator is the idea that toxic substances are extracted from the body through tiny superficial cuts made on the skin to which negative pressure is applied with the Hijama cup. This should NOT be confused with bloodletting by phlebotomy and venesection. In Hijama NO veins are cut! In the past cupping tools and instruments included animal horns, metal, and glass cups. Suction was created with fire i.e. “Fire cupping”. Today we use disposable plastic cups and and pumps. Prophetic or “Sunnah” Medicine is based on the teachings, advice, and sayings of our beloved Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah upon him, related to health and the treatment of diseases. He recommended many forms of therapy including Hijama and honey. Prophetic medicine has both preventative and curative treatments that address both physical and spiritual conditions.

Citation: Qureshi NA, Ali GI, Abushanab TS, El-Olemy AT, Alqaed MS, El-Subai IS, Al-Bedah AMN. History of cupping (Hijama): a narrative review of literature. J Integr Med. 2017; 15(3): 172–18. Note: you can find the full article on researchgate.net.

Dr. David Parker, a naturopathic doctor and nutritionist in England conducted a study on the blood extracted through Hijama from various body sites. He analyzed it under a dark field and light field microscope and found high concentrations of toxic metals, chemicals, inflammatory proteins, and even evidence of bacterial and paracytic activity. He noted that this especially applied to samples of blood removed from areas of pain. He concluded, “that the area of pain appears to act like a magnet for acids, toxins and pathogens. It is therefore very logical to assume that removal of these from the local area will bring about symptomatic relief while encouraging fresh circulating blood”.

Citation: Dr. David Parker, ND.A Perspective on the Effects and Benefits of the Ancient Art of Hijama (Cupping) Therapy. Published in the International Cupping Society (ICS) Magazine, January 2010. Note: David Parker is a naturopathic practitioner from Steps to Perfect Health, who provides among other services, dried and live blood analysis.

Modern Cupping is different from Hijama or wet cupping as it involves only the application of suction to intact skin i.e. no blood is removed. Nowadays many physical Therapists incorporate modern cupping into their practice. Famous athletes, like Michael Phelps, have made cupping a part of their recovery routine. According to the International Cupping Therapy Association, it is beneficial in reducing muscle tension and inflammation, increasing local blood and lymph flow, stimulating the body’s circulatory and immune functions, and more.

Citation: https://cuppingtherapy.org/treatments

 Before your Hijama session:

• Please be sure to take a shower. 
• Don't eat or drink for about 2 hours before your session.
• Make sure you drink plenty of water in the days before your session to pre-hydrate your body.
• Wear loose comfortable clothing.

 After your Hijama session:

• You may have a light snack right after but please wait a few hours for your body to settle down before having a full meal.
• Keep hydrating with water to rebalance fluid levels!
• Please wait to shower until the day after. If you can't wait, then make sure you do NOT use hot water, it should be lukewarm. Do not rub the cupped area. Let the water run gently over it and then gently pat dry with a clean towel.
• Always wash your hands before touching the cupped areas.
• If your skin feels itchy, feel free to apply plenty of lotion or perfume free oil such as olive or coconut. You can use black seed oil, but some report it stings. This will encourage the skin to heal and reduce the risk of scarring.
• Do not rub or scratch the cupped areas. Ever!!!
• Avoid strenuous physical activity (such as weight training/gym workouts) for a day or two.
• Avoid marital relations for a day or two to allow the body to recover.
• Always listen to your body. Please allow for plenty of time to rest and recuperate. This will ensure a speedy and straight forward recovery. Do not push your body beyond its limits as this will impede the natural healing process.

• Being on blood thinners, antiplatelets or having a bleeding disorder
• Having a known blood borne pathogen e.g. HIV, Hepatitis (HBV, HBC), etc.
• Being on medication that suppresses the immune system
• Having an autoimmune disease.
• Receiving chemotherapy
• Taking anti-rejection drugs due to an organ transplant
• Being at higher risk of infection or prolonged bleeding due to any reason
• Problems with the spine such as slipped, herniated or bulging discs etc.
• Terminal illness
• Being very frail and elderly
• Being prone to fainting
• Hypotension 
• Dehydration
• Hypoglycemia
• Having unstable Diabetes i.e. being prone to dangerous fluctuations in blood sugar level
• Having epilepsy or seizure disorder
• Pregnancy
• For safety reasons I do not perform Hijama on someone who is fasting
• I do not perform Hijama on anyone under the age of 18
• Metaphysical issues (please consult a Raqi)

For safety reasons, I do not allow any children or husbands in the treatment area during the sessions. I must focus 100% on you and on performing the Hijama. If you have not arranged for someone to watch your children in another room, I will not proceed with the Hijama. Thank you for your cooperation.