Hijama

Hijama is a traditional form of wet cupping in which suction cups draw blood through small skin incisions. It is practiced in several medical and religious traditions.

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Cupping therapy: A traditional therapy that uses cups to create suction on the skin. Hijama is the bloodletting form of this broader practice.
Islamic medicine: Medical knowledge and practice developed in societies shaped by Islam. Hijama became associated with Islamic medical writing and practice.
Traditional medicine: Health practices and knowledge rooted in cultural traditions and transmitted across generations. Hijama is practiced as a traditional therapy rather than a standardized biomedical treatment.
Bloodborne pathogen: A microorganism transmitted through contact with infected blood or certain body fluids. Shared or inadequately sterilized equipment can transmit bloodborne infections during hijama.
Phlebotomy: The removal of blood from a vein, commonly for laboratory testing or therapeutic purposes. Phlebotomy accesses veins with a needle rather than drawing blood through skin incisions and cups.
Wet cupping: A cupping method in which the skin is incised or punctured so blood is drawn into cups. Hijama is a traditional form of wet cupping.
Prophetic medicine: A body of healing practices associated with reports about the Prophet Muhammad. Some Muslim communities understand hijama through reports recommending cupping.
Pain management: Methods used to reduce or control acute and chronic pain. Pain relief is among the common reasons people seek cupping therapies.
Sterilization: A process that eliminates all forms of microbial life from an object or material. Sterile instruments reduce infection risk when the skin is incised.
Leech therapy: The therapeutic application of live medicinal leeches to remove blood and deliver anticoagulant saliva. It also removes blood, but uses leeches rather than suction cups and incisions.