The Clinical and Histological Skin Changes After the Cupping Therapy (Al-Hijamah)

Abstract

Background: Cupping Therapy (CT) has been reported as treatment for several skin conditions such as acne, post herpetic neuralgia, psoriasis, atopic dermatitis and urticaria. Although it is often considered as part of the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), it has been widely practiced in the Middle East and the rest of the world for centuries. In Basra, a city in the southern part of Iraq, cupping therapy is often used by alternative medicine practitioners for treating skin disorders. However, limited is known about the clinical and histological effects of cupping therapy on the skin.