An overview of the uses and side effects of cupping (hejamat) in Iranian traditional medicine

There is an increasing trend to CAM therapies worldwide. Cupping is one of the oldest medical practices which are very common intervention in Asian societies like China and Iran. There are 5 way for removing extra blood from the body in the resources of Iranian traditional medicine. Wet cupping is more common in Iranian culture. Despite the general acceptance of the bloodletting in our society, unfortunately, there is very limited information about side effects and precautions of this method among the people, even academics. Cupping is divided into two groups. Cupping with scarification and Cupping without scarification. The dry cupping is without bloodletting.  Cupping with scarification and bloodletting works in the way that the morbid matters evacuated through the scarified skin, and cupping without scarification deviates the morbid matters from the compromised organs.  In Iranian traditional medicine, wet cupping is recommended for 2 groups. Wet cupping in the health state is just for preventing the overwhelming of the blood humor in the susceptible individuals. In disease states, the wet cupping is a treatment for diseases in them, the patients confront with the abundance of the blood humor. Therapeutic effects of wet cupping considered as cleansing the morbid matters especially when there is abundance of sanguine humor with or without the other humors. The people who are under 2 years of age and above 60 years old are not suitable for bloodletting. Wet cupping is contraindicated in the people who are emaciated and anemic. The primary conditions for prescription of the wet cupping are determine based on the patient's physical and mental status, age, habits and environmental conditions. Specific requirements will be determined based on the type of disease and the symptoms of organ involvement.