Therapeutic Benefits of Al-hijamah: in Light of Modern Medicine and Prophetic Medicine

Salah Mohamed El Sayed^{1, 2,} , Abdel-Salam Al-quliti^{3, 4}, Hany Salah Mahmoud⁵, Hussam Baghdadi², Reham A. Maria^{2, 6}, Manal Mohamed Helmy Nabo^{7, 8} and Ahmad Hefny⁵

¹Department of Medical Biochemistry, Sohag Faculty of Medicine, Sohag University, Egypt

²Department of Clinical Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Taibah Faculty of Medicine, Taibah University, Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah, Saudi Arabia

³Alternative & Complementary Medicine Administration, Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

⁴Consultant Pediatrician, Directorate of Health administration and Therapeutic Services, Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

⁵World Federation of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, Cairo Regional Headquarter, Cairo, Egypt

⁶Department of Medical Biochemistry, Tanta Faulty of Medicine, Tanta University, Egypt

⁷Department of Pediatrics, Sohag Teaching Hospital, Sohag, Egypt

⁸Division of Pediatric cardiology, Department of Pediatrics, Maternity and Children Hospital, King Abdullah Medical City, Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Cite this paper

Salah Mohamed El Sayed, Abdel-Salam Al-quliti, Hany Salah Mahmoud, Hussam Baghdadi, Reham A. Maria, Manal Mohamed Helmy Nabo and Ahmad Hefny. Therapeutic Benefits of Al-hijamah: in Light of Modern Medicine and Prophetic Medicine. American Journal of Medical and Biological Research. 2014; 2(2):46-71. doi: 10.12691/AJMBR-2-2-3

Abstract

Excretory treatment modalities that excrete pathological substances outside human body deserve more research attention as this may potentiate the therapeutic effects of pharmacological treatments. Overcoming language barrier through translating the national medical literature to medical English to be introduced to the international medical literature is vital. Wet cupping therapy (WCT) of prophetic medicine (Al-hijamah) is practiced in the Arabic medical literature where it is reported to treat many diseases differing in etiology and pathogenesis. Al-hijamah may be referred to as bloodletting cupping therapy or blood cupping therapy in medical studies and reports from Arabic countries. Both Chinese dry cupping therapy and WCT are partial steps of Al-hijamah. In this article, we review scientific principles, methodology, indications and therapeutic benefits of Al-hijamah in comparison with acupuncture and other types of cupping therapy. Scientific and medical bases of Al-hijamah were recently reported in the evidence-based Taibah mechanism (Taibah theory) where Al-hijamah is the only excretory treatment that clears blood, lymph and intercellular fluids from causative pathological substances (CPS). Al-hijamah benefits from the histological structure of the skin in performing a percutaneous pressure-dependent and size-dependent non-specific blood filtration and excretion of CPS through the fenestrated skin capillaries upon application of negative pressure suction using sucking cups. Al-hijamah benefits also from the production of endogenous nitric oxide (vasodilator, antineoplastic and antimicrobial agent). Al-hijamah exerts many other health benefits e.g. enhancement of immunity and pharmacological potentiation. Al-hijamah was reported to clear blood significantly from serum triglycerides, total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, ferritin (circulating iron stores), uric acid, autoantibodies, cytokine receptors and others. Those therapeutic benefits may treat some diseases e.g. hyperlipidemia, hypertension, atherosclerosis, coronary heart diseases, gout, musculoskeletal pain conditions, hepatitis and iron overload conditions e.g. thalassemia. Importance of Al-hijamah may increase more in modern societies due to western diets and western life style. Therapeutic benefits of Al-hijamah are mainly related to the amount of excreted CPS not the amount of letted blood. Al-hijamah may carry some advantages better than acupuncture and other types of cupping therapy in treating a large number of diseases differing in etiology and pathogenesis.

Keywords

Cupping therapy, Al-hijamah, prophetic medicine, Taibah theory, Taibah sign, causative pathological substances, indices of Al-hijamah, differential excretion phenomenon

Copyright

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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