Residents urged to be cautious of roadside cuppers

The Ministry of Health in Dubai have urged residents to stay cautious of roadside practitioners who offer treatments for unconventional medicine such as Hijama (cupping therapy). A senior health official said in a statement that offering such services was illegal.

“To give treatment for unconventional medicine such as Hijama, practitioners must follow conditions approved by the ministry,” said Dr Amin Al Amiri, Assistant Undersecretary for Public Health Policy and Licensing who is also Head of the Licensing of Complementary and Alternative Medicine committee. “Hijama should only be practiced at authorized medical centers under direct medical supervision.
“It must not be practiced at homes or herbal shops, or by so-called ‘road cuppers’ who move from one place to another,” said Dr Amiri. “Whoever practices without the ministry’s approval is scientifically, technically and legally considered an unqualified person,” he stressed. Wet cupping or Hijama was a common practice of the Prophet Muhammad and his companions for the treatment of a range of ailments.
Blood is drawn by vacuum from a small skin incision for therapeutic purposes into cups that helps detoxify and stimulate formation of new blood cells. Hijama, an ever popular form of treatment in the Arab world, is considered to give successful results for ailments such as constipation, diarrhea, headache, backache, injuries, depression, skin problems, arthritis, weight loss and much more.