Cupping Services

What is cupping?

Cupping at Sharjah International Holistic Health Centre is considered one of the most effective complementary medicines, and it is done as a prophylactic cupping usually twice per year or as a medical cupping to help in the treatment of some diseases.

Our hijama (Cupping) treatment in Sharjah is known to improve blood circulation and alleviate pain in injured areas. It is a process of blood withdrawal from the surface of the skin, with or without causing scratches. We superficially scratch capillaries to release toxins and free radicals.

History of Cupping Therapy

Cupping therapy, commonly referred to as hijama, has been around for thousands of years. It developed over time from the original use of hollowed out animal horns (the Horn Method) to treat boils and suck out the toxins from snakebites and skin lesions. Horns slowly evolved into bamboo cups, which were eventually replaced by glass. Therapeutic applications evolved with the refinement of the cup itself and with the cultures that employed cupping as a health care technique.

The true origin of cupping still remains uncertain to this day. Some consider the Chinese to be responsible for cupping; however, the earliest pictorial records date back to the ancient Egyptians around 1500 B.C. Translations of hieroglyphics in the Ebers Papyrus, the oldest medical text book, detail the use of cupping for treating fever, pain, vertigo, menstrual imbalances, weakened appetite, and helping to accelerate the healing crisis.

Types of Cupping

Dry Cupping

The cupping procedure commonly involves creating a small area of mild negative pressure next to the skin. However, there is variety in the tools used, the method of creating the low pressure, and the procedures followed during the treatment.

Wet cupping

In this alternative form of bloodletting or medicinal bleeding, also called blood cupping or surgical cupping, a small scratch or incision is made with a lancet prior to the cupping, and the pressure difference extracts blood from the skin.

Movable Cupping

The cupping therapy usually begins with a body massage process using some oils, and then many cups are placed in the affected areas. The cups should be moved circularly.

What are the medical benefits of cupping?

- Increases the blood circulation and drainage of toxins.

- Reduces muscle tension and increases mobility.

- Boosts immunity, relaxation, and mood.

- Provides Chronic Pain Relief

- Reduces harmful LDL cholesterol and raises the proportion of the body’s natural morphine.

- Facial cupping improves micro- circulation, boosts collagen production, and tightens the skin.

Some common disorders cupping helps ease their symptoms:

- Arthritis, including rheumatoid arthritis,

- Back pain, neck pain, knee pain and shoulder pain

- Asthma and breathing issues

- Headaches and migraines

- High blood pressure (Hypertension)

- Male and female infertility

- Sciatica

Who shouldn’t do cupping?

You should avoid cupping therapy if you have:

- Fever

- Renal Failure

- Bleeding disorders like hemophilia.

- Blood clotting problems, like deep vein thrombosis, or a history of stroke.

- Cardiovascular diseases, especially patients with pacemakers.

- Severe Anemia

- Pregnant women, especially in the first trimester.

- Cancer patients in late stages.

- Seizures (epilepsy)

What should I expect after cupping?

The suction force from cupping breaks open tiny blood vessels called capillaries under your skin. You will have red, round cupping therapy marks that should fade in a week or two. Although these marks will look like bruises, they are not true bruises that injure muscle fibers.

Does cupping hurt?

Cupping shouldn’t cause pain, though you may experience some skin tightness during the procedure. After cupping therapy, you may feel slightly sore, but you shouldn’t have severe discomfort.