Avicenna used his medical knowledge and experience of scientists from different nations to create a new style in medicine. For this reason, his textbook, Canon of Medicine, has been considered a medical reference in all universities worldwide for centuries. In this article, some valuable and interesting diagnostic and therapeutic clinical experiences mentioned in the Canon of Medicine are described in five sections. This research was conducted to review Avicenna’s specific clinical observations and interventions in PubMed, Google Scholar, and Scopus databases using the keywords “Avicenna” and “Canon of Medicine”. In this article, we presented several examples of diagnostic and therapeutic clinical experiences mentioned in the Canon of Medicine in 5 areas, including semiology, therapeutic strategy, urology, neurology, obstetrics, and gynecology. Canon of Medicine, as a complete medical series containing the medical experiences from different nations and Iranian medical scientists, has influenced the world’s medical knowledge for several centuries. Some of Avicenna’s clinical and experimental views can be useful from both a historical point of view and new research.

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Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common chronic liver disease worldwide. In this study, we assess the effects of wet cupping therapy, an ancient therapeutic method, on some inflammatory cytokines believed to impact the inflammatory state of the liver of patients affected by NAFLD. A total of sixteen NAFLD grade II and III patients, diagnosed by abdominal ultrasound, participated in this quasi-experimental study with self-control. The subjects received wet cupping therapy three times over six weeks. We assessed anthropometric and biochemical parameters pre- and post-interventions. Results showed that wet cupping therapy reduced CRP by an average of 50% in 67% of NAFLD patients. The first two wet cupping treatments reduced interleukin-1β, especially the second one for an average of 29% in 67% of patients. The efficacy of wet cupping to modify interleukin-6 was seen in the first wet cupping treatment with an average increase of 182% in 41% of patients. This treatment showed an average reduction of 16% of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in 59% of patients. Wet cupping therapy may be seen as a treatment to reduce the inflammatory state in patients affected by NAFLD when given at proper intervals.

The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection. The disease varies from asymptomatic or mild infection in the upper respiratory tract to severe respiratory syndromes and signs spread to the lower airways causing local inflammation and pneumonia. Currently no specific anti-virus drugs or certain vaccine without having any doubts on its short- or long-term adverse reactions in human body are approved to treat COVID-19. Patients affected by SARS in 2003 outbreak, with a 79.5% of shared sequence identity with SARS-CoV-2, benefited from traditional Chinese medicine. Many studies have demonstrated the benefits of herbal traditional chines medicines, acupuncture and moxibustion to manage COVID-19, but sparse studies have assessed the effects of cupping therapy in this pandemic. Cupping, specially its two main types wet and dry, seems to play a role in the activation of complement system, modulation of cellular parts of the immune system and in improvement of the majority of COVID-19 symptoms and signs. This study suggests that scientists and clinicians assess the therapeutic effects of cupping therapy as adjuvant treatment along with other therapeutic strategies in treatment of COVID-19.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common chronic liver disease worldwide. In this study, we assess the effects of wet cupping therapy, an ancient therapeutic method, on some inflammatory cytokines believed to impact the inflammatory state of the liver of patients affected by NAFLD. A total of sixteen NAFLD grade II and III patients, diagnosed by abdominal ultrasound, participated in this quasi-experimental study with self-control. The subjects received wet cupping therapy three times over six weeks. We assessed anthropometric and biochemical parameters pre- and post-interventions. Results showed that wet cupping therapy reduced C-reactive protein (CRP) by an average of 50% in 67% of NAFLD patients. The first two wet cupping treatments reduced interleukin-1β, especially the second one for an average of 29% in 67% of patients. The efficacy of wet cupping to modify interleukin-6 was seen in the first wet cupping treatment with an average increase of 182% in 41% of patients. This treatment showed an average reduction of 16% of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in 59% of patients. Wet cupping therapy may be seen as a treatment to reduce the inflammatory state in patients affected by NAFLD when given at proper intervals.