Reviving Tradition: Ancient Healing Therapies Gain Ground in Turkish Hospitals

 

Furkan Ali Sayan waits for his cupping therapy to end at Medicana International Hospital in Istanbul, Turkey August 28, 2025. 

In a striking blend of tradition and modernity, Turkish hospitals are increasingly embracing ancient healing practices such as cupping and leech therapy. Once confined to informal settings or rural homes, these treatments are now administered under sterile conditions by certified medical professionals across 66 of Turkey’s 81 provinces.

Known locally as hacamat, wet cupping involves making small incisions on the skin and applying suction cups to draw out blood and purported toxins. Leech therapy, meanwhile, uses medicinal leeches whose saliva contains natural anticoagulants and anti-inflammatory compounds. These methods are now part of a broader suite of complementary treatments—including acupuncture, ozone therapy, and prolotherapy—regulated by Turkey’s Health Ministry and taught through official certification programs.

Dr. Erdal Dilekci, a specialist at Medicana International Hospital in Istanbul, emphasizes that these therapies are not alternatives to modern medicine but are used in tandem, especially for chronic conditions like migraines, fibromyalgia, and joint pain. Treatments are tailored to each patient’s needs, and cupping sessions are even timed with lunar cycles to enhance effectiveness.

Patients like Furkan Ali Sayan, a nurse seeking relief from work-related pain, say they feel safer receiving these treatments in a hospital setting. “I don’t feel much yet, but I expect the benefits to come in the next few days,” he shared after his first cupping session.

This resurgence of ancient healing methods reflects a growing global interest in integrative medicine—where the wisdom of the past meets the precision of the present.