At your doorstep, a Hyderabad-based startup offers cupping therapy

Hyderabad: How often do women face challenges in order to get a particular treatment? This precise question led city-based student entrepreneur Fatima Khadar to come up with the Cupping.app, an application offering cupping therapy services at your doorstep.

Fatima is a 3rd-year Computer Science student from Lords Institute of Engineering and Technology, Hyderabad. She also holds a diploma in the Arabic language from King Abdul Aziz University, Saudi Arabia.

Speaking to Siasat.com, Fatima said, “I came with the initiative to provide cupping therapy to people at their doorstep at an affordable price and in the comfort of their homes,” while adding that it is an alternative medicine to Allopathy.

Asked if the service is exclusively for women, she said, “No, I am trying to make cupping accessible for everyone irrespective of their gender or faith.”

The student entrepreneur went on to say that she noticed certain irregularities in the health centres providing therapy in Hyderabad.

Sharing her experience at one such centre, Fatima said, “I noticed that not all steps, such as checking the patient’s Body Mass Index (BMI), among others were followed before the cupping procedure.”

This experience gave impetus to the creation of the website.

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What is cupping therapy?

Cupping is a form of alternative medicine wherein suction is created on the skin with the application of heated cups. Practitioners attempt to use cupping therapy for a wide array of medical conditions including fevers, chronic rehabilitation, and nasal congestion.

The therapy’s origins are associated with Egypt and China. It is to be noted that cupping fell out of fashion during the 17 and 18 centuries. However, it is one of the most sort-after therapies.

She went on to add that in the Middle East, cupping is a common phenomenon that was used to help people get rid of spirits. “In olden times people with such issues were taken to medicinal experts, who performed cupping therapy with the Ruqqaya (Duas) recited in the background.”

Speaking of the initiative Fatima said, “I wanted to break the myth that cupping is specific to the Muslim community,” adding that she wants people to realise the benefits of the therapy.

Addressing the challenges in approaching non-Muslims regarding the concept, the entrepreneur said, “At first it was a bit challenging to explain the concept to them, but then I showed them pictures of American swimmer and Olympic Gold Medalist Michael Phelps who opted for cupping in 2016.”

Challenges Cupping.app faced:

Addressing some of the challenges she faced in the initial days, Fatima said, “I was looking to connect with experienced doctors, who wished to work for a cause.” Initially, she interviewed 70 doctors out of which only two were onboarded.

The company began operations on January 22, 2021, and currently has 10 specialised doctors who take up cases in their localities.

Shedding light on quality assurance, the entrepreneur said, “Initially I used to accompany doctors to make sure the procedure was followed correctly. I have now built a team of medical experts who track cases to ensure the correct procedure is followed.”

With regards to the success rate of the therapy, Fatima explained, “Honestly, it can only cure 70 percent of the disease and the patient must take necessary precautions along with proper diet to keep the ailment in check.”

How to avail Cupping.app’s services:

Fatima also shed light on the process of her startup and how one can avail of its services. “When a person visits the website, there are a set of questions which need to be answered following which a telephonic interview is set up with the doctor based on the patient’s history the doctor decides whether the person is fit for cupping or not,” she said.

“Once it is established that the patient is eligible for cupping therapy, the number of sessions is discussed with the patient before initiating the process,” she added. To access more information one may visit their official website.