Hijama

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Hijama (Arabic حجامة lit. “Sucking”) is a process often translated as either blood letting or cupping, although it is fundamentally different to both. Hijama involves extracting bad blood from the body by means of making small incisions and sucking.

Hijama is normally performed on the head, but can be performed anywhere on the body, often at the site of an ache or pain in order to ease or alleviate it.

Hijama is generally performed by Muslims as it is form of medicine specifically mentioned and encouraged by the prophet Muhammad (صلى الله عليه و سلم): It is mentioned in a hadith recorded by Al-Bukhaari (5263) and Muslim (2952) that “Hijama is among your best remedies” (خير ما تداويتم به الحجامة)

The site on the body chosen for Hijama is first shaved to ensure a tight seal with the cup. The mouth of a cup (metal, glass and plastic cups are generally used, although traditionally horns were used) is placed on the skin at the site chosen for cupping (alternatively leeches can be used). Then a tight seal is created, generally by burning a small piece of paper or cotton inside the vessel, so that the mouth of the cup clings to the skin. Alternatively a machine can be used instead of the method described above. The cup is left to cling to the skin for a few minutes, then it is lifted off and a couple of very small incisions are made in the skin, normally with a razor blade. The cup is then put back as it was before until it is filled with the bad blood that comes out of the veins. This blood is generally either black or very dark red, and is clearly distinguishable from the patient’s normal blood.

It is claimed by its supporters that hijamah can be used to treat circulatory diseases, blood pressure, chest diseases, headache, eye, rheumatic, and joint pain, as well as to improve memory - no double-blind randomised controlled trial has been conducted to test these claims. Hijamah should not be confused with the practice of venesection or blood-letting which was used to remove larger quantities of blood - Galen, Ibn-Sina (Avicenna) and Al-Zahrawi(Albucasis) advocated this for treatment of various diseases. William Harvey and Jan Baptista van Helmont disapproved of venesection. Pierre Charles Alexander Louis demonstrated that blood-letting did not benefit in pneumonia - a disease in which it was thought to be particularly beneficial. Recommended Link - TRADITIONAL MEDICINE AMONG GULF ARABS http://www.hmc.org.qa/heartviews/VOL5NO2/PDF/SPECIAL_SECTION.pdf#search=%22hijamah%22

Hijamah is practiced in UAE in medical centres by licenced unani doctors.Details can be had through www.unanidoctors.com