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Hijama is a common name for wet cupping. Because blood is involved, the procedure needs its own careful explanation before any decision.

Hijama is a term many people know from family tradition, community practice or articles about treatments abroad. It is commonly used to describe wet cupping, which combines suction with small cuts or punctures in the skin, so blood is exposed during the procedure. That makes it quite different from the dry cupping often added to a massage.

Overseas practice is not local practice

Reading about how hijama is done in another country can raise useful questions. However, rules, training and clinic arrangements elsewhere should not be assumed to apply to treatment in Sydney. What matters is how a procedure would be carried out where you are actually receiving care.

What to ask

If you are considering this specific procedure, Dr Christine Shen, Acupuncturist, can talk it through with you at the Lane Cove clinic. Ask Christine to explain:

• exactly what the method involves, step by step;
• what it is intended for in your situation;
• how infection control, sterile equipment and waste disposal are handled;
• what aftercare is needed and what signs of a problem to watch for.

Be sure to mention any medicines that affect bleeding, such as blood thinners or certain supplements, along with any bleeding disorder, anaemia, diabetes or skin condition. Your history may mean that a skin-breaking procedure is not suitable.

Names should never hide the method

A traditional name, however familiar, is no substitute for knowing what will be done to your body in the room. You are entitled to a clear description in plain language before agreeing to anything.

Reviewing what matters

Choose one ordinary task or symptom to come back to at your next appointment, and when you do, talk about how comfortable the session was and how well your skin healed. Marks are only one observation, and any decision to continue should return to your purpose, your response and other options, including dry cupping or no cupping at all.

If appearance matters to you, ask about the likelihood of lasting marks or small scars, since these can be a deciding factor for some people.