Hijama Cupping is a method of relieving local congestion by applying a partial vacuum that is created in a cup(s), either by heat or by suction. Cupping has been used for thousands of years. Although it is often associated with Traditional Chinese Medicine (Herbal Medicine, NHS), the entire world once knew this of therapy and used it. The Ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Chinese used cupping therapy. The oldest recorded medical textbook, Ebers Papyrus, written in approximately 1550 BCE in Egypt, mentions cupping (Curtis, 2005).

In the UK, the practice of cupping therapy also dates back a long time in one of the leading medical journals, The Lancet. It was named after this practice as it refers to the surgical instrument that can scrape the skin to perform a style of cupping.