Al Hijamah (Cupping Therapy): A Brief Introduction with Modern Perspective

Abstract

Alhijamah (cupping therapy) refers to a Unani regimenal mode of treatment. Alhijamah is an ancient method which was practically used among the Chinese, Babylonians, Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, Arabs and Indians. The earliest recorded evidence of Alhijamah was discovered in Egyptian medical document Ebers Papyrus dating back to 1550 BC. In Chinese medicine too, Alhijamah is used for the treatment of various diseases. The treatment by vacuum cups has been mentioned in the book of Al-Ambratoor Al-Seeni about 4000 years ago. In Greece, history of cupping dates back to Hippocrates (460–377 BC). This therapy entered Europe through Spain when the Muslim physicians and their scientific literature were the primary sources of medical sciences. This mode of treatment was unavailable for a long period of time. With the advancement in the field of science and technology, this mode of treatment was also proved to be beneficial scientifically in a large number of diseased conditions. With its re-evaluation after scientific validation, nowadays it is used in various countries. In India, several clinical trials have been performed under the supervision of various Unani institutions all over country.

Keywords: Al Hijamah (cupping therapy), Unani unani