Hijama Happiness

 Anna Seaman

Although many residents and visitors berate Abu Dhabi for it’s lack of nightlife, lack of culture and all round sleepy village-esque social life. There is one thing that men and women alike can do and enjoy in this town - a good pampering.

There are salons are every corner. All the hotels boast top notch spas and the quality of service is far beyond what many Westerners can expect in their home countries. At least in my opinion anyway.
However when I go for a massage it is generally because I am in actual pain. I get very tense shoulders and stubborn knots all over my back. I always convince myself that a deep tissue massage will shift them - but generally I come back disappointed.

An ineffective massage is nothing short of infuriating. I have lost count of the number of times I have gone into a beautiful spa, paid over the odds for an aromatherapy treatment and come out with the same discomfort in my back. Essentially all the therapist has done is stroke some deliciously scented oils into my skin and relieve some of my mental tension.

After my last frustration a friend helpfully pointed out to me that these people are not medical professionals so why was I expecting them to relieve me of a physical problem?

I considered her point to be quite fair, so I decided to change my tack.

I had heard a friend of mine raving about an ancient Arab medicinal technique called cupping or “hijama” in Arabic.

Hijama has been compared to the medieval treatment of blood letting or the Chinese art of fire cupping, but this Arab method is neither of the two. Here blood is drawn by vacuum from small incisions in the skin and collected in glass or plastic cups.

I have to admit I didn’t exactly jump at the prospect. I am squeamish at the best of times and the sight of my own blood usually makes me cry.

However I did some research and became intrigued by the idea.

Hijama was specifically mentioned and encouraged by the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH). The prophet said those who receive the treatment on certain days of the lunar month “will be healed of every disease".

On a biological level this theory holds water. Hijama is not used to treat specific diseases but as a preventative measure. It removes the dead blood cells from the cardiovascular system and stimulates the bone marrow to make fresh ones.

In this way it can help rheumatic conditions such as arthritis and sciatica.
But I was more interested in the claim that it helps with anxiety and tension and that in comparison, one session of cupping was worth between ten or 20 deep tissue massages.

Despite my doubts, I had to give this a try.

Mohammed, the friendly doctor said that dead blood cells collect between the shoulder blades and at the base of the spine. This was the main reason for increased tension in these areas and a massage only pushes these dead cells around. Although this eventually helps them to break down, hijama, he claimed, was a much more effective way of relieving the pain.

So, a little nervously, I lay down on the bed for my treatment. He placed eight plastic cups in strategic points over my back and used a hand held vacuum machine to create suction. After a few minutes he removed the cups and made several tiny slices in my skin with a scalpel. It wasn’t really painful but decidedly uncomfortable.

Then he replaced the cups and reapplied the suction. It felt like someone was lifting my up by my skin. Over the next ten minutes, whilst I could not see, viscous fluid began to fill the cups. When it was over Mohammed showed me the contents of the cups.

It was unlike anything I had ever seen. There was a small amount of living or ‘good’ blood, this is the bright red stuff we are used to seeing if we cut ourselves. Then there was a huge gelatinous lump of slightly darker matter that resembled jelly. This, I was told, was the dead or ‘bad’ blood. It was absolutely disgusting and I couldn’t believe it had come out of my body.

I’m really sorry if anyone reading this blog gets put off by the pictures. I’m not sure I would have gone ahead if I’d have seen them. But let me assure you, the results speak for themselves.

As I left the clinic I felt a spring in my step and I had a burst of renewed energy which everyone I encountered commented on.

Although I walked gingerly to protect the wounds and felt a bit odd walking around with cotton wool padded to my back, by the time I got home I knew it was worth it.

That night I slept like a log and in the morning the familiar aches and pains in my neck and shoulders had vanished. I was also full of happiness and felt really refreshed.

Looking at the pictures still makes my stomach turn but now I will not look back. Hijama, at least for me, is the new massage.

Comments

[Jeddah Journo]

Brilliant post. Very interesting indeed. Might be an idea to mention people should avoid "unofficial" cuppers and only visit those who are qualified and regulated by local medical authorities. There's a lot of unofficial cuppers across the Middle East, who practice without proper hygiene.

http://www.arabnews.com/?page=1&section=0&article=96223&d=15&m=5&y=2007

[Shuaib]

Yes very interesting indeed Anna, especially the positive results of the cupping that you felt. Also important comment made by Jeddah Journo about choosing qualified/experienced therapists who operate under clinical hygiene conditions, given the risk of cross-infection of the increased blood-bourne diseases of modern times.
To find out more about this highly mysterious therapy and to locate these elusive experienced therapists wherever they may be in the world, we a small group of cupping enthusiasts (in Leicester England) have set up a blog www.ahealth.co.uk which we hope to update as we go along. Feel free to leave us your email address if you want to be kept updated on what I would describe as: "The fastest and most direct detox known to humankind!"

Thanks

Shuaib
http://www.ahealth.co.uk

[Chaudhary]

Thanx a lot for this post.
Really helpful for many who R suffering these problems daily.
Something really astonishes me is about Prophet of Islam (Muhammad)
Why He encouraged this ? He was an illiterate person according to historiens ...

[seif el din soliman]

iam an egyptian pharmacist iam very glad anna that your pain at last succesifuly relieved by hijama which i have studied and treated succesifuly my mothers frozen shoulder and varicose veins of my friends i would realy appreciate the help of any one who can show me how to have a free scholarship for more studies,certificate and license from england or any elsewhere.by the way i was born in scottland 32 years ago and do carry a british passport. thank yuo very much. e -mail :seifeldin.soliman@ yahoo.com cell phone :0020144624668

[Hassan Gilani]

Dear Anna

i would like to do Hijama and would appreciate if you could send me the details of the Dr. you used for it.

thanks
Hassan Gilani +971 50 6126395

[ABDUL HAFEEZ]

Dear Anna

i would like to do Hijama and would appreciate if you could send me the details of the Dr. you used for it.

thanks
ABDUL HAFEEZ +971 50 9080227
EMAIL: [email protected]

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[Khursheed Husian]

Dear Anna,
Kindly let me know the name of the doctor you visited to have this Hijama done on you. My email addresss is >
[email protected]
Thank you so much.

[Khursheed Husian]

Dear Anna,
I was so impressed by your comments regarding Hijama. I just posted my comment and forgot to give my phone number. Please kindly dont forget to send me the name of the doctor who performed Hijama on you. Please. My email once again is > [email protected]. And my phone number is 650-222-1616. I live in the US and am prepared to go to Dubia to have this done by a Certified doctor and not just a specialist who knows the "Art" to do it. Thank you so much.

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My own experiences of Hijama is posted on my blog.

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