Cupping: An Alternative Surgical Procedure Used by Hippocratic Physicians

Christopoulou-Aletra, Helen; Papavramidou, Niki

doi:10.1089/acm.2008.0238

Cited by 35 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 6 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…The first descriptions of cupping in the west date back to the famous Egyptian “Ebers Papyrus” (1550 BC) and it was also used in ancient Greek medicine [4]. In addition, cupping is used in traditional Asian medical systems such as Ayurveda, Chinese, Tibetan and Oriental Medicine.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Pulsatile dry cupping in patients with osteoarthritis of the knee – a randomized controlled exploratory trial

Teut

Kaiser

Ortiz

et al. 2012

BMC Complement Altern Med

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

IntroductionCupping is used in various traditional medicine forms to relieve pain in musculoskeletal diseases. The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of cupping in relieving the symptoms of knee osteoarthritis (OA).MethodsIn a two-group, randomized controlled exploratory pilot study patients with a clinically and radiological confirmed knee OA (Kellgren-Lawrence Grading Scale: 2-4) and a pain intensity > 40 mm on a 100 mm visual analogue scale (VAS) were included. 40 Patients were randomized to either 8 sessions of pulsatile dry cupping within 4 weeks or no intervention (control). Paracetamol was allowed on demand for both groups. Outcomes were the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis (WOMAC) score, the pain intensity on a VAS (0 mm = no pain to 100 mm = maximum intensity) and Quality of Life (SF-36) 4 and 12 weeks after randomization. Use of Paracetamol was documented within the 4-week treatment period. Analyses were performed by analysis of covariance adjusting for the baseline value for each outcome.Results21 patients were allocated to the cupping group (5 male; mean age 68 ± SD 7.2) and 19 to the control group (8 male; 69 ± 6.8). After 4 weeks the WOMAC global score improved significantly more in the cupping group with a mean of 27.7 (95% confidence interval 22.1; 33.3) compared to 42.2 (36.3; 48.1) in the control group (p = 0.001). After 12 weeks the WOMAC global score were still significantly different in favor for cupping (31.0 (24.9; 37.2) vs. 40.8 (34.4; 47.3) p = 0.032), however the WOMAC subscores for pain and stiffness were not significant anymore. Significantly better outcomes in the cupping group were also observed for pain intensity on VAS and for the SF-36 Physical Component Scale compared to the control group after 4 and 12 weeks. No significant difference was observed for the SF-36 Mental Component Scale and the total number of consumed Paracetamol tablets between both groups (mean 9.1, SD ± 20.0 vs. 11.5 ± 15.9).ConclusionIn this exploratory study dry cupping with a pulsatile cupping device relieved symptoms of knee OA compared to no intervention. Further studies comparing cupping with active treatments are needed.Trial registrationClinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT01057043

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Cupping is used for a wide range of diseases. In ancient Greece, Hippocratic physicians recommended it for the treatment of musculoskeletal diseases of the back and extremities, gynecological complaints, pharyngitis, ear ailments and lung diseases [4]. From the therapeutic-principle perspective cupping is a sucking method [5].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pulsatile dry cupping in patients with osteoarthritis of the knee – a randomized controlled exploratory trial

Teut

Kaiser

Ortiz

et al. 2012

BMC Complement Altern Med

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…In general, cupping therapy can be divided mainly into dry Baguan therapy and bloodletting Baguan therapy [36]. Bloodletting Baguan therapy, also known as Hijama therapy in some Arabic and North European cultures, is a fascinating alternative form of medicine that has received mention in historical accounts dating from possibly 5,000 years ago [37].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Baguan Therapy Is an Alternative in Treating Ankylosing Spondylitis: A Systematic Review Based on Existing Randomized Controlled Trials

Wang¹,

Tian²,

Lv³

et al. 2019

Complement Med Res

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background: The aim of this systematic review was to evaluate the evidence available on the effects of Baguan therapy for ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients. Materials and Methods: The following databases were searched from their inception to August 2018: PubMed, Web of Science, AMED, Cochrane Library, Google, EMBASE, the China National Knowledge Infrastructure databases, Wanfang Data, CiNii, KoreaMed, and the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs), which assessed the effects of Baguan therapy for AS, were included in our review. The methodological quality of eligible studies was assessed by the Cochrane Collaboration’s tool. The RevMan 5.3 software was used for quantitative analysis of RCTs. Heterogeneity was assessed using I² statistics. Results: Four studies were included in our review. The aggregated results indicated that Baguan therapy improved the treatment effect (risk ratio 1.21, 95% CI 1.10–1.34, p < 0.01) as well as physical function (Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index) (mean difference –1.56, 95% CI –2.01 to –1.12, p < 0.01) and reduced disease activity (Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index) (mean difference –0.71, 95% CI –1.09 to –0.33, p < 0.01) in patients with AS. Conclusion: Due to the low quality of included trials, it is difficulty to draw the firm conclusion that Baguan therapy may have beneficial effects on AS.

show abstract

“…It is described as a technique that involves a glass, plastic or bamboo cup to create localized pressure on the patient's skin over precise acupuncture points, a painful area, or a reflex zone [12]. In general, cupping therapy can be divided mainly into 2 kinds: wet cupping (with incision) and dry cupping (without incision) [13]. Wet cupping, also called Hijama in the Muslim countries, was favored by the Prophet of Islam [14].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cupping Therapy for Knee Osteoarthritis: A Synthesis of Evidence

Wang

An²,

Song

et al. 2018

Complement Med Res

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background: This systematic review was aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of cupping therapy for treating patients with knee osteoarthritis (KOA). Methods: The following databases were searched from their inception until June 2017: the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, PubMed, EMBASE, and 4 Chinese databases (Wan Fang Data, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database (CBM), VeiPu, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI)). Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) assessing the effects of cupping therapy on KOA were included in this systematic review. A quantitative synthesis of the RCTs was conducted using RevMan 5.3 software. Study selection and data extraction and validation were performed independently by 2 reviewers. Cochrane criteria for risk of bias were used to assess the methodological quality of the trials. Results: A total of 5 studies met our inclusion criteria. We analyzed the data from these 5 RCTs involving 535 participants. All included studies were judged to be at high risk for bias. Dry cupping therapy plus Western medicine therapy was more effective than Western therapy alone in reducing the pain scores (mean difference (MD) = -1.79, 95% confidence interval (CI) -2.40 to -1.18; p < 0.01). In addition, the study participants in the dry cupping therapy plus Western medicine therapy group showed significantly greater improvements in the pain (MD = -0.73, 95% CI -1.61 to -0.41; p < 0.01), stiffness (MD = -0.94, 95% CI -1.30 to -0.58; p < 0.01), and physical function (MD = -10.07, 95% CI -13.45 to -6.69; p < 0.01) domains of the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) compared to participants in the Western medicine therapy group. Moreover, when compared with Western medicine therapy alone, a meta-analysis of 4 RCTs suggested statistically significant favorable effects of wet cupping therapy plus Western medicine on the Lequesne Algofunctional Index (LAI) (MD = -3.44, 95% CI -4.21 to -2.68; p < 0.01). Conclusion: There is weak evidence to support the hypothesis that cupping therapy has beneficial effects on reducing the pain intensity and improving the physical function in patients with KOA.

show abstract

Cupping: An Alternative Surgical Procedure Used by Hippocratic Physicians

Cited by 35 publications

References 6 publications

Pulsatile dry cupping in patients with osteoarthritis of the knee – a randomized controlled exploratory trial

Pulsatile dry cupping in patients with osteoarthritis of the knee – a randomized controlled exploratory trial

Baguan Therapy Is an Alternative in Treating Ankylosing Spondylitis: A Systematic Review Based on Existing Randomized Controlled Trials

Cupping Therapy for Knee Osteoarthritis: A Synthesis of Evidence

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About