Is it possible to remove heavy metals from the body by wet cupping therapy (<i>Al-hijamah</i>)?

Abstract

Wet cupping therapy (WCT) is a traditional blood-letting method recommended for treating a lot of diseases. <i>Al-hijamah</i> is WCT of prophetic medicine that's also called the triple S technique that includes skin suction, scarification and second suction. Its mechanism of action is still unknown but it is believed to remove toxic substances from the body according to the evidence-based Taibah mechanism (Taibah theory). In this study, the aim was to compare wet cupping blood and venous blood samples in terms of heavy metals concentrations. 24 healthy volunteers were enrolled in this study. After venous blood samples were drawn, WCT (<i>Al-hijamah</i>) was performed and wet cupping blood samples were taken. In order to measure the levels of heavy metals all samples were analyzed by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). In the present study, all levels of selected heavy metals were significantly higher in wet cupping blood than venous blood. It may be possible to remove heavy metals from the body through wet cupping therapy.