29/07/2017
Benefits of Hijama (Cupping Therapy)
Hijama has stimulating and strengthening effects so it successfully treats the following conditions:
Constipation and Diarrhea
Headaches
Back pain
Arthritis
Period pain
Injuries
Asthma
Cellulite
Fatigue
Anemia
Depression
Emotional problems
Atrophy
Sciatica
Common cold and flu
Skin problems
Weight loss and much more.
Even though Hijama is a very simple procedure, it has dramatic effects. Our health and well-being are tied up with the immune system and are totally dependent on the flow of blood and Qi (energy) and body fluids like hormones and lymphatic fluid. Traditional medicine tells us that all pain is due to stagnation of these symptoms. The cups used in Hijama have a wonderful pulling power and this is a dramatic technique in reducing pain and enhancing the feeling of well-being.
Importance of the skin
Any topical stimulus that is directed to influence and manipulate the internal or external organs must start with the skin. The body’s first contact with the outside world is through the skin and it is true to say that the skin is the mirror of our health. If a person has good health, his or her skin will be shiny, tight and smooth and will respond to temperature and will be warm when touched. The skin protects the body from pathogens and plays a role in a number of body functions. It is the main organ of sensation, through many millions of nerve endings contained in its structure.
The main fourteen channels with a direct link to the internal organs lie within the skin. When stimulating a particular point through Hijama, the organ’s blood and Qi is manipulated. In Chinese medicine the skin is directly controlled and influenced by the lungs. The lungs spread the Qi and fluids all over the body through the skin.
Blood
Blood is transformed from the essence of food produced through the functional activity of Qi that circulates through the blood vessels and nourishes the body tissue. Blood is derived from food and Qi and produced by the spleen. (Blood will be discussed in detail in the section about the anatomy of the body)
Qi
Qi is the invisible life force – like air and wind. The West tries to define Qi as ‘the energy of life’, ‘vital force’, ‘life force’, ‘energy’, but there is no Western equivalent. When we are ill we feel weak and have a low energy level but when we feel better we feel more energetic and much stronger. So we all experience the existence of Qi continuously. Movement of any kind requires Qi and often this is manifested as heat. Lack of energy is signified by cold.
When treating a disease at the Qi level, the external pathogen is still fighting at the skin and the body’s overall resistance is still good. Some clinical manifestations of this are a high fever, a cough with thin yellow phlegm, wheezing and thirst. Hijama treatment at this level is very effective.
Stagnation
Stagnation of body systems can be the result of lack of movement, injury, stress, a lack of blood, Qi or the invasion of cold into the body and joints. Cold drinks and foods or irregular feeding habits can also cause accumulation problems. All these impair the Spleen’s function of transformation and transportation. Clinical manifestations of this are restlessness, vomiting, and the production of phlegm, diarrhea, constipation, a hardened stomach and painful abdomen. Hijama relieves all these symptoms.
Regardless of the cause, Hijama can be applied to specific points of the body like what is done in acupuncture, to the area that is dysfunctional. After a short time the patient will feel warmth and there will be a reduction of pain.
Fluids in the body can also become stagnant and they are necessary to help the stomach carry out its proper digestive function.
Hijama therapy regulates the flow of Qi and blood. It also helps draw out and eliminate pathogenic factors like wind, cold, damp and heat. Hijama also moves Qi and blood and opens the pores of the skin, thus, assisting the removal of pathogens through the skin.
Beauty therapy
Hijama is also beneficial in beauty therapy as it promotes the production of hormones, encourages blood flow and body fluid movement in the bowels and internal organs. In this way toxins are removed and this is important because toxins speed up the aging process and cause other negative conditions.
Aging
Authentic holistic therapy balances all aspects of the body. The aging process speeds up when individual cells dry out, or too much sun. Kidney weakness also speeds up the aging process and leads to dry and damaged hair, early graying or hair loss. Imbalance in ladies also manifests in the early signs of menopause with hot flushes, night sweats and dry skin. Simply applying external lotion to the skin or hair does not access the root cause.
Stimulating and strengthening effects
The benefits of Hijama are uncountable due to its stimulating and strengthening effects. It has treated bowel conditions, headaches, back pain, arthritis, menstrual pain, injuries, asthma, cellulite, fatigue, anemia, depression and emotional problems, atrophy, sciatica, common cold and flu, skin problems, blood pressure, weight loss and ladies problems. The negative role of toxins in the degeneration of health is of ever-increasing importance. Even though modern medicine has eradicated many epidemics there is an increase in what is called civilization diseases (metabolism diseases). These diseases are caused by the great quantity of chemicals a person takes during his or her lifetime. A recent American statistic on food additives shows a 100-pound intake per person in his life span. The average American takes about 1000 tablets a year. This is a health catastrophe. Modern medicine differs greatly from its ancestors who maintained that the body functions are interrelated in a network.
Effect on diseases
Almost all diseases respond to Hijama. The following are some of the most common:
Pain related conditions
Hijama eases pain, especially that which is related to headache, menstrual cramps, dental pain, tennis elbow, muscle pain, back pain and sciatica.
Headache and migraine
In the 18th century Al-Hijamah was considered to be an effective remedy for headache and it was highly recommended for migraine. The Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) used Hijama as a treatment for migraine.
