Dry cupping is often mistakenly thought of as not hijama but as part of the Chinese Medicine system. Dry cupping is “Hijamah Bila Shurt” (cupping without cuts) and is a form of Unani treatment based on evidence from the time of Hippocrates (Buqrat).
The suction causes lower air pressure across the skin and the capillaries below. This impacts on interstitial fluids, blood circulation and waste secretion. It is a treatment based on “Imala”. That is, moving morbid matter from one part of the body, to aid excretion.