Chirali Old Remedy® 1 Muscle and Joint Soothing “Bi” cream

Especially developed for “painful Bi” syndrome (Hot and Cold type). It is particularly beneficial for those involved in strenous activities. Ingredients; wintergreen, thyme, bay, eucalyptus and evening primrose oils with B.P soft paraffin.

Chirali Old Remedy® 2 Dry Skin Cream

The formula has been developed specifically for Dry and Flaky Skin conditions. It moisturises and nourishes the skin and eliminates dryness caused by internal/external Heat, Wind or Sun. Ingredients; avocado, sesame, almond, olive aand rose oils as well as carefully controlled quantities of Vitamin A and E in B.P soft paraffin.

Chirali Old Remedy® 3  Damp-Heat Cream

Especially formulated for “Wet” type skin conditions. It clears “pathogenic Heat” and helps nourish the skin. Ingredients: Juniperus Oxycerus extract with B.P soft paraffin

Itching Skin Cream= Cools the skin and relieves itching. Suitable for Dry or Wet type of itching skin conditions. Contains; sesame oil, lithospermum root and gardenia fruit extract blended in aqueous cream.

Upside Down Ointment (traditional Chinese formulae)= Clears Heat/Poison

Publications:

English; Cupping Therapy, published by Churchill Livingstone  ISBN 9443 06038X

German; SchrÖpftherapie, published by Urban Fischer ISBN 3-437-56250-9

Brasil (Portuguese) Ventosaterapia, published by Roca ISBN 85-7241-326-X

Czech edition; Bankovani, published by SVITANI plus ISBN 80-86601-03-x

For many years I have looked for academic papers that will show me a “scientific proof” of the Cupping Therapy and its effect upon blood, if any. As to date no such work was forthcoming, therefore I have decided to organise a small trial myself. This involved patients with various complaints/conditions and a biochemist with modern lab facilities.  Once I raised the necessary funds (through friends and relatives) I undertook this trial with complete and utter  “open mind” approach. The biochemist enquired, “What kind of changes do you expect or looking for?” My reply was quite unscientific! I do not know… you have to tell me when you see one!

I was however, asking for three sets of a complete blood analysis (full blood count).

a)     Before the treatment commenced, b) after seven days (middle of the treatment) and c) final blood test, following the last treatment on the 15th day.

Because of limited funds and my time scale on the island (North Cyprus) I could not embark on a trial which would last many months and involve hundreds of people. I therefore, decided to commence and complete the trial within two weeks, involving only five patients with various complaints. Some of the patients were referred to me by the biochemist with existing (known to him) pathological conditions, and some were relatives or friends complaining from various aches and pains.

At the end of each full-blood count, 22 (twenty two) different values were recorded but only 7(seven) values were monitored, as the rest were considered irrelevant to our trial or did not show any changes at all. Seven values were: Uric acid, ESR (Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate), Ph, RF (rheumatoid factor), WBC (white blood count), RBC (red blood count) and Hgb (Haemoglobin).

Outcome of the Trial:

Almost with all the patients involved in this trial there has been a small (+-) fluctuations in their WBC, RBC, Uric acid, RF, Ph, and Hgb. There was however, with almost every case, one major alteration, and that was the reduction in ESR (Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate) levels. This reduction in the ESR was by far the most significant outcome of this trial. According to the biochemist (with 15 years of experience) he has “never witnessed such a drastic reduction, in such a short time, even with patients on strong medications”. During this trial the highest drop in the ESR level was 175%, and the lowest drop recorded was 15%.

What is ESR? (Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate)
“ESR blood test is an easy, inexpensive, non-specific test that has been used for many years to help diagnose conditions associated with acute and chronic inflammations, including infections, cancers and autoimmune diseases. ESR is said to be non-specific because increases do not tell the doctor exactly where the inflammation is in your body or what is causing it. Often used in conjunction with other tests. ESR is helpful in diagnosing two specific inflammatory diseases, temporal arteritis and polymyalgia rheumatica. A high ESR is one of the main test results used to confirm the diagnosis. It is also used to monitor disease activity and response to therapy in both of these diseases. Moderately elevated ESR occurs with inflammation, but also with anaemia, infection, pregnancy, and old age. A rising ESR can mean an increase in inflammation or poor response to a therapy; decreasing ESR can mean a good response.” Taken from Lab Tests Online, a public resource on clinical lab testing.

According to the above article, a drop in the ESR level is indicative of a Positiveresponse to therapy and the opposite is true when the ESR level is on the increase. Although my study shows a clear picture of reduction in ESR levels, it is by far too small a trial to claim a major find! I therefore, urge colleagues and doctors in particular the immunologists to investigate further.

Over the years I have employed Cupping therapy in conjunction with acupuncture and Moxibustion, and in many cases quite successfully, to treat the infertility problems. The whole experience can take an excessive toll on the patient’s mental, emotional and physical states, often involving and testing the entire relationship between partners undergoing any form of assisted conception therapy. Failure to have children after 2-3 years, despite both partners being healthy is sufficient to be considered infertile. According to the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) aetiology, there are five pathological conditions that can cause infertility in women. 1) Kidney Deficiency; a) Kidney Yang deficiency: Clinical manifestations; infertility, feeling tired, especially as the day progresses, long-term back pains, prolonged menstrual cycle with scanty periods with light-coloured discharge or amenorrhoea, dizziness, weakness of the legs, lack of sexual desire, loose stool, a pale tongue with white coating, generally feeling cold and colourless facial features. However, not all the symptoms are expected to be present at the same time. b) Kidney Yin deficiency: Clinical manifestations; infertility, short menstrual cycle with scanty, clear-red flow, dizziness, palpitation, insomnia, irritability, dry mouth or vagina, heat sensation in the palms, sloes and chest and a red tongue with little coating. 2) Liver Qi Stagnation: Clinical manifestations; Infertility, mental depression, aggressive or short tempered, early or late (irregular) periods, dark-colour scanty periods usually with clots, dysmenorrhoea, sighing and premenstrual distention and tender breasts, a normal or dark-red tongue body with thin, white coating. 3) Phlegm-Dampness: Clinical manifestations; infertility, obese constitution, long history of phlegm condition, feeling tired with heaviness, prolonged menstrual cycle, sticky vaginal discharge, pale complexion, dizziness, nausea and a pale/white tongue body with sticky coating. 4) Blood Stagnation: Symptoms include; infertility, dysmenorrhoea accompanied with cramps, prolonged bleeding with scanty and dark flow with clots, a dark-purplish tongue body sometimes accompanied with dark-red spots. 5) Cold Uterus:  Symptoms include; infertility, scanty periods with prolonged discharge and dark clots, cold lower abdomen with pain that is relieved by hot bottle application and a pale/white tongue body with no coating.

Treatment Principle: As well as addressing the above differentiations, one must not underestimate and overlook the importance of the Ren and the Chong Channels, the two extraordinary channels responsible for the health of the uterus which may affect the outcome of the treatment. Together, with Kidney Qi, the Ren and the Chong Channels are responsible for nourishing the uterus and assisting the fertility treatment by harmonising both Channels. See the illustrations below.

Cupping Treatment:

1-Kidney Deficiency

Treatment Principle: Tonify the Kidney Qi and Regulate the Ren and the Chong channels.

2-Liver Qi Stagnation

Treatment Principle: Disperse Liver Qi Stagnation and Tonify the Kidney Qi and Regulate the Ren and the Chong channels.

3-Phlegm-Damp

Treatment Principle: Remove Phlegm-Damp and Tonify the Kidney Qi and regulate the Ren and the Chong channels.

4-Blood Stagnation

Treatment Principle: Remove Blood Stagnation and Tonify the Kidney Qi and regulate the Ren and the Chong channels.

5-Cold Uterus

Treatment Principle: Warm the Uterus and Tonify the Kidney Qi and Regulate the Ren and the Chong channels.

NB: Moxibustion application with a moxa stick or a moxa box is extremely effective and beneficial when dealing with any form of Cold pathological condition. I would therefore urge the practitioners not to overlook the importance of warming and healing properties of the Moxibustion treatment.

“Ilkay Zihni Chirali, leading exponent of cupping therapy in the UK, will give treatments, weekly, to 20-25 patients with inflammatory conditions. Blood plasma markers of inflammatory conditions will be measured from samples taken before, during and after treatment. It is hoped that this trial will provide substantial evidence for the mechanisms by which cupping therapy can act in such disorders and hence boost its acceptance as a valid and mainstream treatment in the UK. Do you know of anyone who may be interested to participate in this study or who could benefit from the treatment (which will be free)?”

Subjects should:

-Have an inflammatory disorder (this can be newly diagnosed or long term condition. However, if subjects are taking medication, this must be stable)

- Have asthma, or a chronic musculoskeletal or other inflammatory disorder.

- Not have received cupping, acupuncture or herbs for at least 3 months.

-Be aged 18 years or more.

For further information please contact: Mark Bovey, ARRC Thames Valley University 0208 280 5277 , arrc@tvu.ac.uk, Ilkay Zihni Chirali 0208 306 6736 ilkayzchirali@aol.com and Roz Gibbs roz.gibbs@port.ac.uk

The aim of this workshop is to teach safe cupping methods and the benefits of this ancient Chinese healing art to all complementary practitioners, students and other health professionals. Cupping therapy can be used on its own or integrated with other therapies such as acupuncture, osteopathy, shiatsu, and all types of massage related therapies.

Cupping therapy has been in practice since ancient times. Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, Chinese, Ottoman Turks, Arabs, Polish, Mexicans, Brasilians, Africans and many other civilisations all used cupping therapy in one form or other. Since the beginning of this Century, cupping therapy has entered into a decline, partly helped by the invention of antibiotics and partly owing to lack of proper training on the subject.

Certificate of Cupping Therapy is usually issued at the end of the workshop.

Workshops also held:

London: Regent’s College

Lund, Sweden

Melbourne, Australia

Rothenburg o.d.t, Germany

Amsterdam, Holland (Shenzhou Open University of TCM)

Oslo, Norway

Copenhagen, Denmark

Zurich, Switzerland

International Conferences -Cupping Therapy Paper:

Istanbul, Turkey

Rothenburg, Germany

Manchester, England