CHP Health Benefits & Contraindications 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which cardiovascular condition is hijama most commonly cited to help manage through improved circulation?
- Atrial fibrillation
- Hypertension (Correct answer)
- Congenital heart defects
- Heart valve stenosis
Correct answer: Hypertension
Hijama is commonly used as a complementary approach for hypertension by promoting vasodilation and reducing blood viscosity.
Question 2: A patient taking warfarin requests hijama therapy. What is the primary concern?
- Warfarin causes skin sensitivity
- Anticoagulant effect increases bleeding risk (Correct answer)
- Warfarin reduces cupping suction efficacy
- The drug interferes with wound healing only
Correct answer: Anticoagulant effect increases bleeding risk
Warfarin is an anticoagulant that significantly increases bleeding risk, making wet cupping contraindicated or requiring physician clearance.
Question 3: Which of the following best describes hijama's proposed mechanism for pain relief?
- It destroys pain receptors permanently
- It releases endorphins and reduces local inflammation (Correct answer)
- It blocks nerve signal transmission indefinitely
- It increases cortisol to suppress pain
Correct answer: It releases endorphins and reduces local inflammation
Hijama is thought to stimulate endorphin release and reduce inflammatory mediators, providing analgesic effects.
Question 4: Hijama is generally contraindicated in patients with which skin condition at the treatment site?
- Mild eczema in remission on a distant body part
- Active psoriasis plaques at the cupping site (Correct answer)
- Well-healed surgical scar from 2 years ago
- Dry skin requiring moisturizer
Correct answer: Active psoriasis plaques at the cupping site
Active psoriasis plaques at the cupping site are a local contraindication due to risk of Koebner phenomenon and infection.
Question 5: Which benefit of hijama is supported by its effect on increasing local blood flow and oxygen delivery?
- Improved bone density
- Enhanced tissue repair and healing (Correct answer)
- Reduced cholesterol synthesis
- Decreased gastric acid production
Correct answer: Enhanced tissue repair and healing
Increased local blood flow delivers more oxygen and nutrients to tissues, accelerating cellular repair and healing processes.
Question 6: A practitioner is asked to perform hijama on a patient who had a mastectomy with lymph node removal. Which area must be avoided?
- The opposite arm
- The ipsilateral arm on the side of lymph node removal (Correct answer)
- The lower back
- The legs only
Correct answer: The ipsilateral arm on the side of lymph node removal
The arm on the same side as lymph node removal must be avoided due to lymphedema risk from any procedure that could disrupt lymph drainage.
Question 7: What is the rationale for avoiding hijama over varicose veins?
- It permanently damages healthy vein walls
- It can rupture fragile, distended veins and cause deep tissue bleeding (Correct answer)
- It reduces venous tone in surrounding vessels
- It causes excessive bruising only with no serious risk
Correct answer: It can rupture fragile, distended veins and cause deep tissue bleeding
Varicose veins are structurally fragile and distended; applying suction over them risks rupture and significant bleeding.
CHP Health Benefits & Contraindications 2
Which cardiovascular condition is hijama most commonly cited to help manage through improved circulation?