Hijama for Cricketers · Hertfordshire
Your body carries the game. Hijama helps clear the load.
Hijama is used by cricketers specifically for what builds up in the shoulders, lower back and hamstrings across a long season. Standalone Hijama from £50, or combined with cupping, IASTM and deep tissue for a full recovery session.
The Cricket-Specific Recovery Problem
Combining Hijama with a full recovery session? See all sessions and pricing.
View Hijama sessions →Why Hijama Suits Cricket Specifically
The Accumulation Problem No Other Method Resolves
What builds up in a cricketer's body across a season
Cricket is an asymmetric, high-repetition sport. Bowling means the same shoulder and lower back are loaded in the same plane, over and over, across overs and across a season. Batting adds forearm and back-shoulder stress. Fielding loads the hamstrings and hip flexors. None of this tightness is dramatic, but it accumulates week by week.
Standard sports massage can reduce surface tightness. Dry cupping decompresses. Stretching maintains range. What they cannot do is extract. After sustained loading, stagnant blood and metabolic waste collect in chronically worked tissue. That accumulation is what holds tightness in place even after treatment.
Why Hijama goes further for athletes under sustained load
Hijama (wet cupping) works by drawing stagnant blood and metabolic waste directly to the surface through small superficial incisions. This is a physical extraction, not a compression or mobilisation. For a cricketer who has been bowling or batting across multiple matches, this extraction effect is the missing piece that other recovery methods cannot replicate. Many active cricketers find one Hijama session clears what weeks of massage and dry cupping haven't shifted.
Hijama can be used as a standalone recovery method throughout the season, or combined with cupping, IASTM (muscle scraping) and deep tissue work for a deeper combined session. Many cricketers use Hijama on its own and find it sufficient for ongoing recovery between matches. Others use the combined session once or twice a season for a full reset.
What active clients tell us
Cricketers in particular have reported quicker recovery between matches and training sessions, especially around the shoulders, lower back and hamstrings where the workload is highest. We also see this across:
Cricket-Specific Areas
Where we focus in cricketer sessions
Every session is tailored. These are the areas we most commonly work on with cricketers, depending on your role and what you're carrying.
Bowling
Shoulder & Upper Back
The delivery shoulder carries enormous one-sided load across a season. Hijama and cupping target the posterior shoulder, upper trapezius and rotator cuff area to help clear accumulated tension.
Bowling
Lower Back
Bowling mechanics compress the lumbar region on the same side, session after session. One of the most common areas cricketers present with. Often holds tension that massage alone hasn't shifted.
Batting
Forearm & Top Hand
Grip load from prolonged batting, especially the top hand. Tends to build gradually and be overlooked until it starts affecting technique or causing discomfort. IASTM and cupping work well here.
All Roles
Hamstrings
Sprint loads from running between wickets, quick singles and fielding effort. Hamstring tightness and fatigue are among the most common issues we see in active cricketers.
Fielding
Hip Flexors
Standing in the field for extended periods, combined with sudden explosive movement, loads the hip flexors. Often tight without any clear incident attached to it.
Wicket Keepers
Knees & Glutes
Repeated squatting position creates sustained load through the knees and glutes. A specific issue for keepers who can go through long stints without obvious discomfort until the season accumulates.
Is This Right for You?
If any of this sounds familiar...
Relevant whether you play club cricket, county level, or just train regularly throughout the season.
Shoulder or lower back stiffness that feels settled between matches but never fully clears.
Tight hamstrings or hip flexors that stretch out but keep returning after each session.
You bowl at pace and feel the load compounding across a long season.
You have matches two or three times a week at peak season and recovery time is limited.
Sports massage has helped but the tightness keeps coming back after the next game.
You want to use the off-season or a break in fixtures for a proper reset.
Timing Your Session
When to book around your fixtures
Hijama timing matters. Here's how we advise cricketers on when to book.
Session timing guide for cricketers
Before a match
We recommend at least 48-72 hours before a match for Hijama. The body needs a short window after wet cupping before you return to full exertion. Dry cupping and IASTM can be used closer to match day.
Between matches
The ideal window. Book after your last game and allow the body to benefit fully before the next fixture. Many cricketers book within 24-48 hours of a match to use the recovery window well.
Off-season reset
The best time for a deeper combined session. With no fixture pressure, the body can respond fully. A Full Body Recovery + Hijama session in the off-season is the most comprehensive reset we offer.
Sessions & Pricing
Choose Your Session
Hijama on its own, or Hijama combined with cupping, IASTM and deep tissue for a full recovery session. Both approaches work. The combined session goes deeper.
Hijama Only
The standalone recovery method. Used by cricketers throughout the season for shoulder, back and leg recovery. Many clients use Hijama on its own and find it more than sufficient.
Starter Hijama
Focused session targeting one main area, up to 5 cups.
Best for: First-time Hijama. Or targeted work on one specific area, such as the bowling shoulder or lower back only.
Signature Hijama
The main session. Up to 10 cups across multiple areas in one appointment.
Best for: Regular in-season recovery covering shoulder, lower back and hamstrings in a single session.
Advanced Hijama
Extended session. More cups, more areas, more time for complex or multi-site presentation.
Best for: Cricketers carrying load across multiple areas or returning after a period without treatment.
Combined Recovery + Hijama
Hijama combined with dry cupping, IASTM muscle scraping and deep tissue therapy in a single session. The deeper option for cricketers who need more than Hijama alone, or who want a full off-season reset.
Targeted Recovery
60-minute combined session on one or two focused areas. Cupping, IASTM and deep tissue.
Best for: A specific problem area with no Hijama needed this session. Pure manual therapy focus.
Targeted Recovery + Hijama
60-minute combined session with both Hijama and manual therapy in the same appointment.
Best for: In-season cricketers wanting extraction and manual release in one session. Shoulders, back and legs.
Full Body Recovery
90-minute full body session. Cupping, IASTM and deep tissue across shoulders, back, hips and legs.
Best for: Off-season reset or pre-season preparation without Hijama.
Full Body Recovery + Hijama
The most comprehensive session. Full body manual therapy and Hijama combined in 90 minutes.
Best for: End-of-season or off-season full reset. The deepest option available.
Returning client? Lower rates apply for sessions booked within 8 weeks of your last visit.
The Clinic
Why cricketers choose Herts Cupping
Private, focused and built around one client at a time.
One client at a time
Private one-to-one sessions. Full attention on your recovery, not a treatment room with three beds.
Certified practitioner
Fully certified in Hijama, cupping and IASTM. Sessions are tailored to your sport and your body.
Sterile setup
Single-use equipment for every Hijama session. Clinical standards throughout.
St Albans, Hertfordshire
Private clinic at 6B St Brelades Place, AL4 9RG. Easy access from across Hertfordshire. Open 7 days.
Common Questions
Hijama for cricketers: FAQs
Is Hijama specifically useful for cricketers, or is it just general recovery?
Hijama is well suited to cricket specifically because of the sport's asymmetric loading pattern. Bowlers repeatedly load the same shoulder and lower back. Batters carry forearm and shoulder tension. Fielders carry hamstring and hip flexor fatigue. This kind of sustained, one-sided accumulation is exactly what Hijama is designed to address. It is not just general recovery; the extraction effect is most relevant to athletes who carry load across multiple sessions without full clearance in between.
How soon before a match can I have Hijama?
We recommend at least 48 to 72 hours before a match for wet cupping (Hijama). Your body needs a short window to respond after the session before you return to full exertion. If you have a match coming up sooner, dry cupping or IASTM can be used closer to match day and combined with Hijama in the same session if timing allows. If you're unsure, message us on WhatsApp and we'll advise based on your fixture schedule.
Can I use Hijama throughout the cricket season, or just in the off-season?
Both approaches work well. Many cricketers book Hijama regularly throughout the season as a recovery tool between matches. The Starter or Signature session works well for this, scheduled in the day or two after a game. The off-season is also ideal for a deeper session, particularly the Full Body Recovery + Hijama which allows more time and more areas to be covered when there's no fixture pressure.
What is the difference between Hijama and the combined recovery session?
Hijama on its own is wet cupping: small superficial incisions with cups applied to draw stagnant blood and metabolic waste to the surface. Many cricketers use this alone and find it sufficient. The combined sessions add dry cupping, IASTM (instrument-assisted muscle scraping) and deep tissue work in the same appointment. This is the deeper option for cricketers who have persistent tightness that hasn't cleared, multiple problem areas, or who want a thorough reset in one visit. See the sessions page for full details.
I have a chronic shoulder issue from years of bowling. Can Hijama help?
Many clients with long-standing shoulder tightness from bowling find Hijama helps where other methods have plateau'd. It is important to note that Hijama is not a medical treatment and cannot diagnose or treat structural injury. If you have a diagnosed condition or are under physio care, it is worth discussing with your practitioner before booking. For general accumulated tightness, restriction and fatigue in the bowling shoulder, a Signature or Advanced Hijama session combined with IASTM can support recovery effectively. If you are unsure, message us on WhatsApp and we'll advise.
Where is the clinic and how do I book?
We are based at 6B St Brelades Place, St Albans, AL4 9RG, easily accessible from across Hertfordshire. You can book online via the booking page, or message us on WhatsApp if you want to discuss your sessions first. We are open 7 days a week.
Book Your Session
Ready to recover between matches?
Private Hijama clinic in St Albans, Hertfordshire. One client at a time. Certified practitioner. Tailored to your sport.