Wet Cupping: Clearing Stagnation, Restoring Circulation

Why It Still Matters—Especially After Injury

At MERCY FAMILY EASTERN MEDICAL CENTER, we often meet patients who have tried everything—painkillers, physical therapy, rest—and yet they still experience a nagging sense of heaviness, stiffness, or deep soreness that simply won’t go away. What many of these patients are experiencing is not something that shows up clearly on an MRI or blood test. It’s what Eastern Medicine refers to as clotted blood (瘀血), or stagnant blood—blood that has lost its functional role in circulation and has become a burden to the tissues. This is where wet cupping becomes a transformative intervention.

What Is Wet Cupping?

Wet Cupping (also known as bloodletting cupping or hijama) is a traditional technique that combines gentle superficial pricking of the skin with negative pressure to facilitate the release of a small amount of stagnant blood and interstitial fluid from targeted areas. Unlike dry cupping, which creates suction without skin breakage, wet cupping involves controlled, minimal skin opening to promote circulation, detoxification, and relief in areas of local stagnation.

Why This Matters—From a Modern Medical Perspective

After trauma—such as a fall, sprain, contusion, or even minor repetitive strain—the microvasculature (tiny blood vessels in the tissues) can rupture. This results in:

• Internal microbleeding

• Accumulation of damaged red blood cells and proteins

• Trapping of inflammatory cytokines like IL-6 and TNF-α

• Local tissue congestion, reduced perfusion, and persistent pain

Over time, these blood residues and byproducts can interfere with healing, irritate surrounding nerves, and perpetuate chronic inflammation. Wet cupping offers a minimally invasive method of extracting these pathological components directly from the interstitial layer, helping the tissue reset and begin true repair.

How Does It Work?

Research suggests that wet cupping may:

• Increase local microcirculation

• Reduce oxidative stress and inflammatory markers

• Improve lymphatic drainage

• Stimulate endogenous opioid release for pain modulation

• Accelerate recovery in myofascial tissue

Clinical studies have shown reductions in pain, swelling, stiffness, and fatigue in patients suffering from musculoskeletal conditions like:

• Chronic low back pain

• Knee osteoarthritis

• Neck and shoulder tension

• Post-injury fibrosis or lingering pain

Especially Effective for Post-Traumatic Pain

Wet cupping is particularly effective in patients with a clear history of physical trauma—including sports injuries, work-related overuse, or accidents that caused blunt impact to muscles, ligaments, or fascia.

In these cases, tissues often undergo microvascular damage, leading to internal bleeding that is not fully cleared by the body. This results in:

• Lingering soreness and stiffness

• Local swelling or “heavy” sensation

• Cold-sensitive or pressure-triggered pain

• Reduced range of motion

Even after imaging shows “no structural damage,” many patients continue to suffer. Wet cupping directly evacuates stagnant blood, inflammatory residues, and interstitial waste, offering a therapeutic reset that passive therapies often cannot achieve.

Note: Wet cupping is not typically recommended for elderly individuals with thin skin, anemia, or vascular fragility unless carefully assessed by a practitioner.

Eastern Medicine Interpretation – clotted blood (Stagnant Blood, 瘀血)

In Eastern medical theory, the concept of “clotted blood” refers to blood that is no longer flowing freely and has lost its physiological function.

The image below shows an extracted sample during treatment that aligns with this interpretation.

While Western medicine may define this as coagulated blood or hemorrhagic fluid, Eastern Medicine views it as a physical manifestation of internal stagnation that must be cleared to restore balance.

Scientific Evidence (In Simple Terms)

Recent studies have confirmed that wet cupping can:

• Lower blood levels of C-reactive protein (CRP)

• Decrease pro-inflammatory markers like IL-6, TNF-α

• Enhance nitric oxide production for vessel dilation

• Improve functional outcomes in pain and movement disorders

Is It Safe?

When performed by a licensed practitioner in a sterile setting, wet cupping is safe and well-tolerated. Side effects may include mild soreness or temporary bruising, which resolve quickly. We use single-use medical-grade lancets, single-use disposable cups, and medical-grade disinfectants to ensure the highest safety standards.

Summary

Wet cupping is more than an ancient tradition—it’s a biologically meaningful intervention that supports your body’s ability to clear out what it can’t clear on its own. Especially when pain persists despite normal scans, blood tests, or even other therapies, wet cupping can provide a new pathway for recovery.

References

1. Bilgin SS, Gokalp O, Ozturk A, Yildiz S.
   Wet-cupping induces anti-inflammatory action in response to exercise-induced inflammation.
   J Altern Complement Med. 2016;22(6):475–480.
   doi:10.1089/acm.2015.0311

2. Wang Y, Zhang Y, Liu Y, et al.
   Efficacy of cupping therapy on pain-related outcomes: An evidence mapping review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses.
   BMJ Open. 2021;11:e044416.
   doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2020-044416

3. Albedah A, Khalil M, Elolemy A, et al.
   The medical perspective of cupping therapy: Effects and mechanisms of action.
   J Tradit Complement Med. 2019;9(2):90–97.
   doi:10.1016/j.jtcme.2018.03.003

4. Oweidat IA, Dmour R, Al-Momani MO.
   Long-Term After-Effects of Wet Cupping Therapy on Some Inflammatory and Oxidative Stress Parameters.
   Bahrain Med Bull. 2020;42(4):264–268.
   [Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/347371041]

5. El Sayed SM, Abou-Taleb A, Mahmoud HS, Nabo MMH.
   Medical and scientific bases of wet cupping therapy (Al-Hijamah): In light of modern medicine and prophetic medicine.
   Am J Med Biol Res. 2014;2(3):46–71.
   doi:10.12691/ajmbr-2-3-2