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Kim KH, Kim TH, Hwangbo M, Yang GY. Anaemia and Skin Pigmentation after Excessive Cupping Therapy by An Unqualified Therapist in Korea: A Case Report. Acupunct Med 2018; 30:227-8. [DOI: 10.1136/acupmed-2012-010185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
A case is reported of skin pigmentation and associated anemia resulting from persistently repeated cupping therapies performed by an unqualified practitioner in South Korea. Almost 30 sessions of excessive cupping therapies with blood loss over two months yielded little benefit but led the patient to admit a hospital and receive blood transfusion for acquired iron deficiency anemia. Skin pigmentation on the cupping-attached region remained without any subjective discomfort. We suggest the importance of qualified health professionals when receiving cupping treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kun Hyung Kim
- Department of Acupuncture & Moxibustion, Korean Medicine Hospital, Pusan National University, Yangsan, South Korea
| | - Tae-Hun Kim
- Acupuncture, Moxibustion & Meridian Research Center, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon, South Korea
| | - Min Hwangbo
- Department of Ophthalmology, Otolaryngology & Dermatology, Korean Medicine Hospital, Pusan National University, Yangsan, South Korea
| | - Gi Young Yang
- Division of Clinical Medicine, School of Korean Medicine, Pusan National University, Yangsan, South Korea
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Soliman Y, Hamed N, Khachemoune A. Cupping in dermatology: a critical review and update. ACTA DERMATOVENEROLOGICA ALPINA PANNONICA ET ADRIATICA 2018. [DOI: 10.15570/actaapa.2018.21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
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El Sayed SM, Baghdadi H, Abou-Taleb A, Mahmoud HS, Maria RA, Ahmed NS, Helmy Nabo MM. Al-hijamah and oral honey for treating thalassemia, conditions of iron overload, and hyperferremia: toward improving the therapeutic outcomes. J Blood Med 2014; 5:219-37. [PMID: 25382989 PMCID: PMC4222535 DOI: 10.2147/jbm.s65042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Iron overload causes iron deposition and accumulation in the liver, heart, skin, and other tissues resulting in serious tissue damages. Significant blood clearance from iron and ferritin using wet cupping therapy (WCT) has been reported. WCT is an excretory form of treatment that needs more research efforts. WCT is an available, safe, simple, economic, and time-saving outpatient modality of treatment that has no serious side effects. There are no serious limitations or precautions to discontinue WCT. Interestingly, WCT has solid scientific and medical bases (Taibah mechanism) that explain its effectiveness in treating many disease conditions differing in etiology and pathogenesis. WCT utilizes an excretory physiological principle (pressure-dependent excretion) that resembles excretion through renal glomerular filtration and abscess evacuation. WCT exhibits a percutaneous excretory function that clears blood (through fenestrated skin capillaries) and interstitial fluids from pathological substances without adding a metabolic or detoxification burden on the liver and the kidneys. Interestingly, WCT was reported to decrease serum ferritin (circulating iron stores) significantly by about 22.25% in healthy subjects (in one session) and to decrease serum iron significantly to the level of causing iron deficiency (in multiple sessions). WCT was reported to clear blood significantly of triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, total cholesterol, uric acid, inflammatory mediators, and immunoglobulin antibodies (rheumatoid factor). Moreover, WCT was reported to enhance the natural immunity, potentiate pharmacological treatments, and to treat many different disease conditions. There are two distinct methods of WCT: traditional WCT and Al-hijamah (WCT of prophetic medicine). Both start and end with skin sterilization. In traditional WCT, there are two steps, skin scarification followed by suction using plastic cups (double S technique); Al-hijamah is a three-step procedure that includes skin suction using cups, scarification (shartat mihjam in Arabic), and second skin suction (triple S technique). Al-hijamah is a more comprehensive technique and does better than traditional WCT, as Al-hijamah includes two pressure-dependent filtration steps versus one step in traditional WCT. Whenever blood plasma is to be cleared of an excess pathological substance, Al-hijamah is indicated. We will discuss here some reported hematological and therapeutic benefits of Al-hijamah, its medical bases, methodologies, precautions, side effects, contraindications, quantitative evaluation, malpractice, combination with oral honey treatment, and to what extent it may be helpful when treating thalassemia and other conditions of iron overload and hyperferremia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Salah Mohamed El Sayed
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Sohag Faculty of Medicine, Sohag University, Sohag, Egypt ; Department of Clinical Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Taibah Faculty of Medicine, Taibah University, Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Hussam Baghdadi
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Taibah Faculty of Medicine, Taibah University, Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Ashraf Abou-Taleb
- Department of Pediatrics, Sohag Faculty of Medicine, Sohag University, Sohag, Egypt
| | - Hany Salah Mahmoud
- World Federation of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, Cairo Regional Headquarter, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Reham A Maria
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Taibah Faculty of Medicine, Taibah University, Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia ; Department of Medical Biochemistry, Tanta Faulty of Medicine, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt
| | - Nagwa S Ahmed
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Sohag Faculty of Medicine, Sohag University, Sohag, Egypt
| | - Manal Mohamed Helmy Nabo
- Department of Pediatrics, Sohag Teaching Hospital, Sohag, Egypt ; Division of Pediatric Cardiology, Department of Pediatrics, Maternity and Children Hospital, King Abdullah Medical City, Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
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Adverse events related to cupping therapy in studies conducted in Korea: A systematic review. Eur J Integr Med 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/j.eujim.2013.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
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Unexpected lumbar abscess due to scarification wet cupping: A case report. Complement Ther Med 2014; 22:645-7. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ctim.2014.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2013] [Revised: 07/01/2014] [Accepted: 07/05/2014] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
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El Sayed SM, Abou-Taleb A, Mahmoud HS, Baghdadi H, Maria RA, Ahmed NS, Nabo MMH. Percutaneous excretion of iron and ferritin (through Al-hijamah) as a novel treatment for iron overload in beta-thalassemia major, hemochromatosis and sideroblastic anemia. Med Hypotheses 2014; 83:238-46. [PMID: 24857772 DOI: 10.1016/j.mehy.2014.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2013] [Revised: 09/25/2013] [Accepted: 04/01/2014] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Iron overload is a big challenge when treating thalassemia (TM), hemochromatosis and sideroblastic anemia. It persists even after cure of TM with bone marrow transplantation. Iron overload results from increased iron absorption and repeated blood transfusions causing increased iron in plasma and interstitial fluids. Iron deposition in tissues e.g. heart, liver, endocrine glands and others leads to tissue damage and organ dysfunction. Iron chelation therapy and phlebotomy for iron overload have treatment difficulties, side effects and contraindications. As mean iron level in skin of TM patients increases by more than 200%, percutaneous iron excretion may be beneficial. Wet cupping therapy (WCT) is a simple, safe and economic treatment. WCT is a familiar treatment modality in some European countries and in Chinese hospitals in treating different diseases. WCT was reported to clear both blood plasma and interstitial spaces from causative pathological substances (CPS). Standard WCT method is Al-hijamah (cupping, puncturing and cupping, CPC) method of WCT that was reported to clear blood and interstitial fluids better than the traditional WCT (puncturing and cupping method, PC method of WCT). In other word, traditional WCT may be described as scarification and suction method (double S technique), while Al-hijamah may be described as suction, scarification and suction method (triple S technique). Al-hijamah is a more comprehensive treatment modality that includes all steps and therapeutic benefits of traditional dry cupping therapy and WCT altogether according to the evidence-based Taibah mechanism (Taibah theory). During the first cupping step of Al-hijamah, a fluid mixture is collected inside skin uplifting due to the effect of negative pressure inside sucking cups. This fluid mixture contains collected interstitial fluids with CPS (iron, ferritin and hemolyzed RBCs in thalassemia), filtered fluids (from blood capillaries) with iron and hemolyzed blood cells (hemolyzed RBCs, WBCs and platelets). That fluid mixture does not contain intact blood cells (having diameters in microns) that are too big to pass through pores of skin capillaries (6-12nm in diameter) and cannot be filtered. Puncturing skin upliftings and applying second cupping step excrete collected fluids. Skin scarifications (shartat mihjam in Arabic) should be small, superficial (0.1mm in depth), short (1-2mm in length), multiple, evenly distributed and confined to skin upliftings. Sucking pressure inside cups (-150 to -420mmHg) applied to skin is transmitted to around skin capillaries to be added to capillary hydrostatic pressure (-33mmHg at arterial end of capillaries and -13mmHg at venous end of capillaries) against capillary osmotic pressure (+20mmHg). This creates a pressure gradient and a traction force across skin and capillaries and increases filtration at arterial end of capillaries at net pressure of -163 to -433mmHg and at venous end of capillaries at net pressure of -143 to -413mmHg resulting in clearance of blood from CPS (iron, ferritin and hemolyzed blood cells). Net filtration pressure at renal glomeruli is 10mmHg i.e. Al-hijamah exerts a more pressure-dependent filtration than renal glomeruli. Al-hijamah may benefit patients through inducing negative iron balance. Interestingly, Al-hijamah was reported to decrease serum ferritin significantly (by about 22%) in healthy subjects while excessive traditional WCT was reported to cause iron deficiency anemia. Al-hijamah is a highly recommended treatment in prophetic medicine. In conclusion, Al-hijamah may be a promising adjuvant treatment for iron overload in TM, hemochromatosis and sideroblastic anemia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Salah Mohamed El Sayed
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Taibah Faculty of Medicine, Taibah University, Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah, Saudi Arabia. Department of Medical Biochemistry, Sohag Faculty of Medicine, Sohag University, Egypt
| | - Ashraf Abou-Taleb
- Department of Pediatrics, Sohag Faculty of Medicine, Sohag University, Egypt
| | - Hany Salah Mahmoud
- World Federation of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, Cairo Regional Headquarter, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Hussam Baghdadi
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Taibah Faculty of Medicine, Taibah University, Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Reham A Maria
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Taibah Faculty of Medicine, Taibah University, Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; Department of Medical Biochemistry, Tanta Faulty of Medicine, Tanta University, Egypt
| | - Nagwa Sayed Ahmed
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Sohag Faculty of Medicine, Sohag University, Egypt
| | - Manal Mohamed Helmy Nabo
- Department of Pediatrics, Sohag Teaching Hospital, Sohag, Egypt; Division of Pediatric Cardiology, Department of Pediatrics, Maternity and Children Hospital, King Abdullah Medical City, Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
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Bamfarahnak H, Azizi A, Noorafshan A, Mohagheghzadeh A. A Tale of Persian Cupping Therapy: 1001 Potential Applications and Avenues for Research. FORSCHENDE KOMPLEMENTÄRMEDIZIN / RESEARCH IN COMPLEMENTARY MEDICINE 2014; 21:42-7. [PMID: 24603629 DOI: 10.1159/000358571] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Hossein Bamfarahnak
- Research Center for Traditional Medicine and History of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
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Adverse events of acupuncture: a systematic review of case reports. EVIDENCE-BASED COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE 2013; 2013:581203. [PMID: 23573135 PMCID: PMC3616356 DOI: 10.1155/2013/581203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 109] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2012] [Accepted: 02/08/2013] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Acupuncture, moxibustion, and cupping, important in traditional Eastern medicine, are increasingly used in the West. Their widening acceptance demands continual safety assessment. This review, a sequel to one our team published 10 years ago, is an evaluation of the frequency and severity of adverse events (AEs) reported for acupuncture, moxibustion, and cupping between 2000 and 2011. Relevant English-language reports in six databases were identified and assessed by two reviewers. During this 12-year period, 117 reports of 308 AEs from 25 countries and regions were associated with acupuncture (294 cases), moxibustion (4 cases), or cupping (10 cases). Country of occurrence, patient's sex and age, and outcome were extracted. Infections, mycobacterial, staphylococcal, and others, were the main complication of acupuncture. In the previous review, we found the main source of infection to be hepatitis, caused by reusable needles. In this review, we found the majority of infections to be bacterial, caused by skin contact at acupoint sites; we found no cases of hepatitis. Although the route of infection had changed, infections were still the major complication of acupuncture. Clearly, guidelines such as Clean Needle Technique must be followed in order to minimize acupuncture AEs.
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AlBedah A, Khalil M, Elolemy A, Elsubai I, Khalil A. Hijama (cupping): a review of the evidence. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2011. [DOI: 10.1111/j.2042-7166.2010.01060.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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