Integrating Mid-Hijri Wet Cupping Therapy into Hypertension Treatment: A Quasi-Experimental Approach to Complementary Therapy

Complementary therapy has recently gained popularity in several countries, with some therapies widely used for disease prevention and treatment. Blood cupping is one such complementary therapy for hypertension. According to hadith, the optimal time for blood cupping is during the mid-Hijri months to manage blood pressure. This study aims to assess the effect of blood cupping performed during mid-Hijri months on hypertension outcomes. A quasi-experimental design with a one-group pretest-post-test approach was used. Samples were selected by purposive sampling. The study was conducted at a private clinic in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, involving 13 patients. Blood cupping therapy was administered twice: at the beginning and middle of the Hijri month. Outcomes were measured by changes in blood pressure. Paired Ttests compared blood pressure before and after cupping treatment. Results showed significant blood pressure changes with cupping at the beginning of Hijri (p-value of 0.004) and mid-Hijri (p-value of 0.000). Both treatments significantly reduced blood pressure, with average reductions of 9 mmHg for the beginning of Hijri and 7 mmHg for mid-Hijri. Thus, blood cupping therapy at the beginning of Hijri was more effective than at mid-Hijri.