• Journal of Acupuncture & Meridian Studies
• /
• v.11 no.6
• /
• pp.375-379
• /
• 2018

Background and aim: Heavy metals have been recognized as toxins for centuries. Cupping therapy has been shown to aid in the excretion of accumulated fluids and toxins from the interstitial fluid. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of wet cupping therapy on blood levels of heavy metals. Methods: Thirteen healthy male individuals [mean age ${\pm}$ standard deviation, $28.47{\pm}6.18$] participated in this study. Venous blood samples were collected 5 min before and 30 days after the wet cupping therapy. Five points of the posterior neck and bilateral perispinal areas of the neck and thoracic spine were selected for cupping therapy. The levels of aluminium (Al), zinc (Zn), and cadmium (Cd) were measured using an atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Results: The levels of heavy metals (Al, Zn, and Cd) after cupping therapy were significantly lower than the levels before therapy. Conclusions: These results suggest that wet cupping therapy has an excretory effect on the kidney. Wet cupping therapy may clear blood from excess heavy metals.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
• /
• v.21 no.3
• /
• pp.789-793
• /
• 2007

To evaluate the effectiveness of cupping and bloodletting therapy in the treatment of musculoskeletal diseases. Systematic searches were conducted on KSI, KISTI, DB Pia, KIOM Database, and Koreamed until January 2007 Hand-searches included conference proceedings and our own files. There were no restrictions regarding the language of journals published in Korea. Controlled trials of dry cupping, wet cupping, or blood letting for patients with musculoskeletal disease were considered for inclusion. Trials testing other forms of dry cupping therapy were included. Methodological quality was assessed by two doctors. 20 possibly relevant studies were identified and 5 studies were included. One trial tested wet cupping for ankle sprain and reported positive result. Two trials tested blood letting for low back pain, one was positive and the other one was neutral. One trial tested the types of dry cupping for low back pain, and Ki-gong cupping therapy was superior to other two types of cupping. One trial compared wet cupping with dry cupping for low back pain and the result was negative. The effectiveness of bloodletting plus acupuncture for treating patients with low back pain is superior to acupuncture in spite of low quality. One trial of wet cupping for ankle sprain had effects in reducing pain. However, I suggest that the rigorous RCTs of cupping and blood letting therapy will be conducted in well designed features.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
• /
• v.28 no.4
• /
• pp.119-125
• /
• 2011

Objectives : This study was to investigate the effectiveness of cupping therapy on peripheral facial paralysis. Methods : We investigated 39 cases of patients with peripheral facial paralysis, and devided patients into two groups : We treated one group by complex oriental medical treatment with cupping therapy, and did the other group by complex oriental medical treatment without cupping therapy. To evaluate the effectiveness of treatment applied for two groups, we used gross grading system of House-Brackmann(HB score), Yanagihara's unweighed grading system(Y score) at baseline and final. Results : 1. In cupping group and non-cupping group, compared with baseline, at final, HB score was significantly decreased and Y score was significantly increased. 2. At final, cupping group showed significant decrease on HB score and significant increase on Y score compared with non-cupping group. Conclusions : Cupping therapy can be available for relieving symptoms related with peripheral facial paralysis.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
• /
• v.29 no.2
• /
• pp.250-259
• /
• 2012

Objectives : In this study, it has aimed to search cupping therapy standardization research course by reviewing former studies. Methods : It has reviewed articles about cupping therapy, published in South Korea. Review focused on cupping therapy treating methods. Results : Articles about cupping therapy is slightly increasing. Clinical study was the most popular study method. It has most used non-bleeding cupping therapy, and bleeding cupping therapy is next. Treating time was very various and there were no tendency or trends about treating time. Pressure inside cup has used from 30 mmHg to 600 mmHg, and pressure of 600 mmHg used mostly. Conclusions : As a result of this study, it is considered that data and standard about pressure and treating time is required. And it should be focus on pressure and treating time to standardizing cupping therapy.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
• /
• v.16 no.3
• /
• pp.1-14
• /
• 2021

PURPOSE: This study aims to reveal the prevalence, therapeutic efficacy and undesirable side effects of cupping therapy all over the world from past to present. METHODS: This meta-analysis is based on the data obtained by scanning the keyword "cupping therapy" from the Pub-Med system, which is an international database. The date range has been set as 1950-2019. Local databases were not included. Cupping therapy studies combined with other complementary therapies such as acupuncture, moxa and hirudotherapy are also included in the meta-analysis. RESULTS: A total of 381 scientific studies were found on cupping therapy. Of these studies 127 wererandomized controlled trials (RCSs). Cupping treatment has been found effective in studies of painful conditions such as herpes zoster pain, fibromyalgia, back pain, neck pain, headache and acute injury pain. In addition, the effectiveness of cupping therapy was found to be high in studies related to bone / muscular system diseases such as osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, gout, carpal tunnel syndrome, cervical spondylosis. In addition, cupping treatment is also promising in studies on skin diseases, neurological diseases, respiratory system diseases and cardiovascular system diseases. CONCLUSION: Recently, there has been an increase in the number of RCSs related to cupping therapy. The vast majority of this increase has been made in European and American countries rather than in Far Eastern countries. Studies on cupping therapy, which have been and will be carried out in the future, will provide evidence-based indication of whether cupping therapy is effective. and it will allow more patients to benefit from this treatment, which has a very low rate of side effects and complications.

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
• /
• v.34 no.3
• /
• pp.181-212
• /
• 2023

Objectives: To examine the efficacy and safety of cupping therapy for insomnia disorder and provide clinical evidence that could contribute to further research. Methods: We searched randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that verified effects of cupping therapy for insomnia disorder from 11 domestic and foreign databases. Included studies were evaluated using Risk of Bias (RoB). Results: Nineteen RCTs were selected. Wet cupping was more frequently used than dry cupping. Moving cupping was mostly used among dry cupping methods. Dry cupping was mainly performed in Bladder Meridian on the back. Wet cupping was mainly performed on BL18, LR14, and BL15. The most common treatment period was 4 weeks. The average number of treatments per week was about 2.4 times for all types of cupping, about 3.2 times for dry cupping and about 1.9 times for wet cupping. All selected studies showed a significant sleep improvement compared to the control group. As a result of the meta-analysis, in terms of effective rate, SAS score, and SDS score, the wet cupping in combination with acupuncture was significantly more effective than acupuncture alone, although the quality of selected RCTs was low. Conclusions: Cupping therapy is effective for insomnia disorder. Based on results of this study, it is reasonable to use wet cupping two times per week on BL18, LR14, and BL15 or use moving cupping three times per week in Bladder Meridian on the back for 4 weeks to treat insomnia disorder.

• Journal of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation
• /
• v.20 no.1
• /
• pp.193-208
• /
• 2010

Objectives : The purpose of this study is to investigate the clinical effects of cupping therapy on sleep disorders induced by traffic accidents. Methods : The 46 patients were divided into 2 groups : Exp.group was treated with cupping therapy at bedtime and Con.group was treated except cupping therapy at bedtime. To evaluate the efficiency of cupping therapy, the SMH sleep questionnaire and Visual Analogue Scale(VAS) were applied before treatment and after 7 days treatment. Results : 1. The Exp.group has improved statistical significantly in delaying bedtime and bedtime arousal as compared to the Con.group. 2. The Exp.group was increased in total sleep time but had no statistical significance as compared to the Con.group. 3. The Exp.group was improved in subjective evaluation of satisfaction with sleep, depth of sleep, the overall sleep and difficulty in falling asleep. Conclusions : Cupping therapy at bedtime has clinical effects of improvement of sleep disorder induced by traffic accidents.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
• /
• v.14 no.2
• /
• pp.25-35
• /
• 2011

Objective : This research was done to identify the effects of dry cupping therapy on the shoulder pain and fatigue of nurses. Methods : The research design was time series design. The participants were 27 nurses with shoulder pain at P University Hospital in Busan metropolitan city from July 6, 2009 to August 3, 2009. The dry cupping therapy was done 4 times, twice a week for 2 weeks. Before intervention, the severity and frequency of pain and fatigue were measured three times at one week intervals, and then those were measured after one week and two weeks of experimental treatment. The results were analyzed using descriptive statistics, paired t-test and repeated measure ANOVA with the SPSS program. Results : There were statistically significant difference in severity and frequency of shoulder pain, and fatigue after dry cupping therapy. Dry cupping therapy was effective for the management of shoulder pain and fatigue among nurses in this study. Conclusion : Therefore dry cupping therapy can be considered an effective nursing intervention that relieves shoulder pain and fatigue of nurses.

• Journal of Korean Medicine for Obesity Research
• /
• v.15 no.2
• /
• pp.137-143
• /
• 2015

The purpose of this study is to investigate the clinical studies of cupping therapy for obesity in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and to evaluate the effects of it for use in practice. CNKI were searched for controlled studies on cupping therapy for obesity that were published up to September 2015. The review included 9 randomized controlled trials, and we analyzed the objectives, process of interventions, outcome measurements, and main results of the studies. We found that cupping therapy combined with acupuncture, electric acupuncture or thread embedding have more effectively decreased body mass index, waist circumference and lipid profile than acupuncture, electric acupuncture or thread embedding only have done. In the reviewed studies, cupping therapy treated in the region of abdomen, upper and lower limbs, and dorsal part operating on 5 to 25 minutes for one time with total 6 to 45 times of schedule. In this study, we demonstrated that cupping therapy combined with acupuncture, electric acupuncture or thread embedding could have effectively used for treating obesity. Further evaluation and clinical researches are required to establish evidence in practice.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
• /
• v.28 no.3
• /
• pp.141-150
• /
• 2011

Objectives : The aims of this study were to evaluate a blister caused by cupping. Methods : We searched relevant case reports, survey, and review articles using databases of online bibliography. Results : 1. The fluid in the blister caused by cupping therapy is normal substance by laboratory analysis. The fluid has no signs of infection in the culture, Gram stain, or tissue biopsy 2. In histological finding, the blister caused by cupping therapy is made by dermo-epidermal seperation at subcellular level. Suction blistering was neither inflammatory nor autolysis activation of lysosomal hydrolases. 3. Blistering times directly, related to suction pressure. Suction blister formation time is accelerated in older subjects compared with younger individuals and higher temperature was more susceptable to the blister compared with lower temperature. The flexor aspect of forearm is a easy site for suction blister formation compared with leg and abdominal site. 4. Blister caused by cupping therapy is treated by regular and judicious changes of sterile dressing over several weeks. The vesicles healed well and left no visible scar. Conclusions : Blister caused by cupping therapy is artificially controlled by doctor's therapeutic purpose. Blister is not histologically injurious to health and the blister is a natural concomitant after cupping therapy.