Using laser Doppler flowmetry with wavelet analysis to study skin blood flow regulations after cupping therapy

Abstract

Background The purpose of this study was to use laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF) with wavelet analysis to investigate skin blood flow control mechanisms in response to various intensities of cupping therapy. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to assess skin blood flow control mechanism in response to cupping therapy using wavelet analysis of laser Doppler blood flow oscillations. Materials and Methods Twelve healthy participants were recruited for this repeated‐measures study. Three different intensities of cupping therapy were applied using 3 cup sizes at 35, 40, and 45 mm (in diameter) with 300 mm Hg negative pressure for 5 minutes. LDF was used to measure skin blood flow (SBF) on the triceps before and after cupping therapy. Wavelet analysis was used to analyze the blood flow oscillations (BFO) to assess blood flow control mechanisms. Results The wavelet amplitudes of metabolic and cardiac controls after cupping therapy were higher than those before cupping therapy. For the metabolic control, the 45‐mm cupping protocol (1.65 ± 0.09) was significantly higher than the 40‐mm cupping protocol (1.40 ± 0.10, P < .05) and the 35‐mm cupping protocol (1.35 ± 0.12, P < .05). No differences were showed in the cardiac control among the 35‐mm (1.61 ± 0.20), 40‐mm (1.64 ± 0.24), and 45‐mm (1.27 ± 0.25) cupping protocols. Conclusion The metabolic and cardiac controls significantly contributed to the increase in SBF after cupping therapy. Different intensities of cupping therapy caused different responses within the metabolic control and not the cardiac control.

Immediate and Delayed Effects of Cupping Therapy on Reducing Neuromuscular Fatigue

“…In this study, a significant delayed effect, but not an immediate effect, of cupping therapy on reducing muscle fatigue may be related to the differences in removal speed of intramuscular hydrogen ions (H + ) after cupping therapy ( Sahlin et al, 1998 ). Cupping therapy can increase blood flow ( Hou et al, 2020 ), which may increase clearance of H + . The high [H + ] within the muscle produced by biceps curls could restrain the sarcoplasmic reticulum from releasing Ca 2+ into sarcoplasm, and inhibit the binding of Ca 2+ to troponin through the competitive binding of H + to Ca 2+ -specific sites on troponin C ( Sahlin, 1992 ; Fitts, 1994 ) and it could reduce myofibrillar ATPase activity ( Metzger and Moss, 1987 ).…”

“…We chose 5 min for the duration of cupping therapy because previous studies have used durations ranging from 5 to 20 min for different impairments ( Sanders et al, 1995 ; Tham et al, 2006 ; Dayer-Berenson, 2010 ; Roostayi et al, 2016 ). Our previous studies demonstrated that cupping therapy at –300 mmHg for 5 min could significantly increase skin blood flow of the upper arm ( Hou et al, 2020 ). Thus, we used cupping therapy at –300 mmHg for 5 min to reduce muscle fatigue in this study.…”

“…Cupping therapy has been popular in elite athletes (e.g., Michael Phelps, Alex Naddour, and Pavel Sankovich) in recent years ( RIO, 2016 ; Chen et al, 2018 ; Chiu et al, 2020 ). Compared with commonly used interventions (e.g., stretching, cooling, and massage), cupping therapy demonstrates promise for reducing muscle fatigue without causing adverse effects on the muscle ( Lowe, 2017 ; Hou et al, 2020 ; Wang et al, 2020 ; Jan et al, 2021 ). Cupping therapy can improve local blood flow ( Hou et al, 2020 ; Wang et al, 2020 ), alleviate muscle pain ( Kim et al, 2012 ; Lauche et al, 2012 ; Al-Bedah et al, 2015 ), and reduce muscle stiffness ( Jan et al, 2021 ).…”

“…Compared with commonly used interventions (e.g., stretching, cooling, and massage), cupping therapy demonstrates promise for reducing muscle fatigue without causing adverse effects on the muscle ( Lowe, 2017 ; Hou et al, 2020 ; Wang et al, 2020 ; Jan et al, 2021 ). Cupping therapy can improve local blood flow ( Hou et al, 2020 ; Wang et al, 2020 ), alleviate muscle pain ( Kim et al, 2012 ; Lauche et al, 2012 ; Al-Bedah et al, 2015 ), and reduce muscle stiffness ( Jan et al, 2021 ). All of these therapeutic effects associated with cupping therapy may benefit recovery of exercise-induced muscle fatigue.…”

Effect of Pressures and Durations of Cupping Therapy on Skin Blood Flow Responses

“…Although there is no consensus about the potential mechanisms of cupping therapy, a local increase in blood flow is mostly accepted as a critical factor (Sloas et al, 2016;Lowe, 2017;Hou et al, 2020). After the removal of cup, cupping therapy causes an increase in local blood flow and lymphatic flow that may be helpful for relieving myofascial pain and improving soft tissue healing (Jafri, 2014;Sloas et al, 2016;Lowe, 2017).…”