Tuesday, March 29, 2016

The Evidence For Hijama In US

By Brenda Kelly


Cupping therapy is a form of alternative medicine in which cups are placed on the skin to promote blood flow. A form of ancient medicine from China, Egypt and the Middle East, hijama in US is experiencing increased popularity. The use of cupping therapy has been traced back to 1550 BC, centuries before Moses' time. There is some evidence the practice began as early as 3000 BC. The cups may be made from bamboo, glass, or earthenware.

Typically, western medical practitioners are skeptical of this ancient practice, although the prophet Muhammad himself was said to be highly in favor of it. Today, it is applied for a number of ailments, among them, Herpes zoster, paralysis of the face, acne, and spondylosis of the neck. Some patients request it to improve general health and wellness.

In the United Kingdom, cupping is used in a range of disorders from anxiety and depression to hemophilia, varicose veins, migraines and rheumatoid disorders. The autoimmune disorder, Fibromyalgia, is a dismal condition with a dreary prognosis suffered by millions of Americans. Cupping may be just the straw that these patients should be clutching at.

In the USA, cupping is used to "cleanse" the heart, liver, and digestive system among other systems. It is in routine use for chronic pain, fatigue, lethargy, and mild cognitive impairment, or brain fog.

Evidence is beginning to accumulate showing the technique's effectiveness. In 2009, a study conducted in Iran concluded that wet cupping had beneficial effects in patients with chronic low back pain. In another study involving seventy subjects with chronic migraine, a 66 percent reduction in the severity of the pain was noted.

There are two forms of cupping therapy, wet and dry. In both cases, a flammable substance, such as alcohol, paper, or certain herbs, are placed inside the cup and ignited. When the flames die down, the cup is inverted and placed on the patient's skin. As it cools, down, it forms a vacuum. The skin turns red and rises, causing the blood vessels to dilate.

Some practitioners use a more modern technique of using a rubber or silicon pump to create the vacuum. Medical grade silicon cups are pliable enough that they can be moved around on the patient's skin to simulate a massage effect.

Dry cupping relies on the use of suction only. In wet cupping, the patient's bleeding is carefully manipulated. Here, the cup is removed after a few minutes and a series of superficial scratches are made in the skin using a special cupping scalpel. The whole process looks really weird and painful, but patients report only mild discomfort. After the scratches, the cups are replaced and left for several minutes. Blood rises out of the scratches and pools inside the cups. Once the cups come off, the practitioner gently collects the pooled blood using soft, absorbent toweling. The cups are disposed of and the area of the skin underneath them is cleaned gently with antiseptic solution. With the upward pressure off, the bleeding ceases right away. Patients often report feeling relaxed and like they want to sleep.




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