Policy and Procedure Wet Cupping Therapy
ALERTS
Documents must be used involving every Wet Cupping Treatment
Risk Assessment Document used 1111
Risk Assessment Document used 66
Risk Assessment Document used 88
Risk Assessment Document used 8811
Wet Cupping Document Intake Form
Produce procedure after client is finished
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Wet Cupping therapy must only be performed at ProHealth as required.
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The designated Therapist will be responsible for the therapy and for the client’s well-being while in treatment and must stay at any given moment with the patient throughout the treatment.
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Each Therapist involved must have the appropriate qualifications and regulatory requirement courses.
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Patients must be advised of possible Side Effects before ‘each treatment.
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Patients are not to be treated on a daily or weekly base due to blood loss.
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The earliest of a patient's return to undergo wet cupping therapy is any time between 2- 6 weeks from the day of the last wet cupping treatment.
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Any patient from the day of any kind of bloodletting must be advised to wait for 2- 6 weeks before undergoing wet cupping treatment.
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Treating a patient on a fortnightly base must have a reasonable ground for treatment.
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In each Wet Cupping treatment, the maximum of blood drawn is 450ml and must not be exceeded.
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We do not use any kind of liquids or oils to make the cups stick to the body
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Electric cupping machines are only used with an induction course
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Electric cupping machines are used for difficult places like ankles where cups might not hold by the manual cupping gun.
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Children under the age of 16 years must have a consent letter from the general practitioner stating wet cupping therapy can be performed.
Parents’ or Guardant' letters are not valid in this case.
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We use single-use:
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Cups
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Guns
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Sterile Surgical blades
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Wet Cupping Therapy is NOT RECOMMENDED FOR A PERSON WITH ANY OF THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS:
High-Risk Clients ‘Stop immediately’!!!
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Anemia
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Wound healing disorder
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Hemophilic patients
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Pregnancy or lactating women
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Person after the age of 70 yrs.
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Children below the age of 16 yrs. Check consent from GP
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Anticoagulant medication (Heparin, Warfarin, Dabigatran, Acenocoumarol, Phenindione etc.)
The Therapist must immediately discontinue the intended treatment plan and consult and advise the patient of the contraindicators and the unsuitability for Wet Cupping Therapy.
Wet Cupping Therapy and children below the age of 16 years
A child below the age of 16 years is only to be treated if all three required factors are fulfilled:
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Reasonable ground exists for the treatment of a child below the age of 16
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General Practitioner has been informed by the parents or appointed gradient
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General Practitioner confirmed and advised us of the suitability per email or letter
A child's welfare must be upheld at any given moment
Human Rights Commission Act 1986
https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2021C00559
Convention on the Rights of Child
https://www.ohchr.org/en/instruments-mechanisms/instruments/convention-rights-child
Family Law Act 1975
https://www.legislation.gov.au/Series/C2004A00275
National Framework for Protecting Australia’s Children 2009-2020
Safe and Supported the National Framework
Scope
This document applies to ProHealth staff and therapists working within their scope of practice.
Roles and Responsibilities
Therapists are responsible for:
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Identifying, advising and documenting the patient's needs and proposed duration for Wet cupping therapy.
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Explaining the procedure to the patient or next of kind and obtaining valid informed consent for treatment prior to initiating cupping therapy.
See Consent and Treatment Policy on the Policy Register for further information.
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Identifying current patients' medications and documenting.
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Identifying allergies.
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Identifying patient medical history.
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Identifying the patient's ground and goal for cupping therapy.
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Identifying contraindicators for Wet Cupping Therapy.
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Identifying HIGH-RISK CLIENTS.
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Explaining the procedure of cupping therapy to the patient.
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Explain possible side effects to the patient.
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Explaining the aftercare to the patient:
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The patient must be advised if any doubt arises after the wet cupping therapy to get in touch with us or with the designated GP.
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Advise patient to read the Before and Aftercare on our website.
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If identified infection, consult with the designated GP for appropriate antibiotics and treatment as required, blood tests and blood levels test as appropriate.
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Documenting wet cupping treatment along with the number of cups to be used in a single session and the frequency of treatment: continuous/intermittent.
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Providing patients with information on contraindications for Wet Cupping Therapy and the rare and common side effects.
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Providing patients with information in case of an allergic reaction.
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Monthly review and documentation of the treatments and ongoing management plan for wet cupping therapy. If any change in condition, the treatment must be reviewed more frequently as required.
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Monitoring for evidence of complications.
ProHealth Therapy staff are responsible for:
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Ordering and the correct storage of cups, guns, surgical blades and equipment
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Explaining the procedure to the patient
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Application of cups and monitoring for any signs of complications
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Appropriate use of surgical blades for incision makings into the epidermis of not deeper than 0.1mm
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Maintaining accurate documentation
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Removal and discarding of blood-contaminated equipment when therapy has ceased
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Monitoring for evidence of complications
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Contacting Medical Practitioner if any signs of complications arise
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Continuous rapport with the client before, during and after the Wet Cupping Therapy.
Section 1- Background
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INTRODUCTION
Cupping Therapy is one of the main therapies used within ProHealth and is recognized by international healthcare authorities from
WHO - World Health Organization
AYUSH
AHPCSA
Cupping consists of several forms which include Dry and Wet Cupping.
Most patients seen by ProHealth practitioners will receive Cupping Therapy (either Dry or Wet depending on the condition and circumstances surrounding the case) as a part of the treatment.
In some cases, Cupping might be employed as a stand-alone treatment, once again, dependent on the nature of the case. In order to ensure efficient treatment, both Dry and Wet Cupping, specific equipment and protocols are required.
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DEFINITIONS
“WET CUPPING” is a minor surgical excretory procedure, where negative pressure (suction force)
applied to the skin surface using cups to create skin doming (gradually increasing in size due to
viscoelastic nature of the skin) inside which local pressure correspondingly decreases (Boyle’s law)
around capillaries.
This causes increased capillary filtration and local collection of filtered fluids.
This is followed by light scarification of the skin beneath the cup by means of a surgical blade
not deeper than 0.1 mm into the epidermis so that the filtered fluid
(Composed of tissue fluid, fragments of damaged RBC, causative pathogenic substances,
metabolic by-products, blood from ruptured capillaries) moves into the cup.
The process involves the sterilization and disinfection of equipment and skin before and after the treatment.
https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/environment/factsheets/Pages/how-to-sterilise-instruments.aspx
https://legislation.nsw.gov.au/view/html/inforce/current/sl-2022-0502
https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/environment/factsheets/Factsheets/how-to-sterilise-instruments.pdf