Treatment of Acute Gouty Arthritis by Blood-letting Cupping plus Herbal Medicine

Objective:To observe the therapeutic effect of blood-letting cupping plus herbal medicine for acute gouty arthritis.Methods:The 34 cases of acute gouty arthritis were treated by blood-letting cupping plus herbal medicine.Results:21 cases were cured and 13 cases improved.Conclusion:The therapeutic effect of this therapy was satisfactory for gouty arthritis.

Clinical observation on 30 cases of external humeral epicondylitis treated with electroacupuncture at Zhouling and Ashi points combined with blood-letting cupping

Objective:To observe the clinical effect of electroacupuncture(EA)at Zhouling(Extra)and Ashi points in combination with blood-letting cupping for the treatment of external humeral epicondylitis(EHE).Methods:Thirty EHE patients were treated with EA at Zhouling(Extra)and Ashi points in combination with blood-letting cupping,once every 2 days,twice a week,4 times as one course of treatment,and2 successive courses of treatment were given.Before treatment,after 1 course of treatment,and after 2 courses of treatment,the visual analogue scale(VAS)score and Mayo elbow performance score(MEPS)were adopted to evaluate the curative effect.Results:Before treatment,the VAS score of patients was 7.81±1.39.After 1 course of treatment and after 2 courses of treatment,it was 4.77±1.56 and 2.95±1.23 respectively,lowered than before treatment,and the difference was statistically significant(both P<0.01).Before treatment,the Mayo score of patients was 32.17±19.31.After 1 course of treatment and after 2 courses of treatment,it was 47.39±19.85 and85.21±20.47 respectively,increased than before treatment,and the difference was statistically significant(both P<0.01).Of the 30 patients,5 were cured,accounting for 16.67%;14 cases obviously effective,accounting for 46.67%;8 cases effective,accounting for 26.67%;3 cases ineffective,accounting for 10.00%,and the total effective rate was 90.00%.Conclusion:EA at Zhouling(Extra)and Ashi points and blood-letting cupping used in combination are remarkably effective in the treatment of EHE,being worthy for popularization.

A REPORT OF 300 CASES OF MIGRAINE TREATED WITH ACUPUNCTURE PLUS BLOOD-LETTING PUNCTURING AND CUPPING

Acupuncture combined with blood-letting puncturing and cupping Is quite effectivein treatment of migraine.The total effective rate of 300 cases is 95.7％.Combined treatment ofacupuncture and cupping can supplement each other in strengthening the therapeutic effect and is agood way for relieving headache.

Collateral-pricking and blood-letting cupping combined with electroacupuncture for post-herpetic neuralgia

Objective:To explore the clinical efficacy of collateral-pricking and blood-letting cupping combined with surrounding needling technique electroacupuncture in the treatment of post-herpetic neuralgia(PHN).Methods:Seventy-two patients with post-herpetic neuralgia were randomized into observation group and control group.Of the 72 cases,12 cases fell off,so finally 30 cases in each group.The observation group was treated with collateral-pricking and blood-letting cupping combined with surrounding needling technique electroacupuncture,while the control group was treated simply with pregabalin capsules for 20 consecutive days.On the basis of the western medication pregabalin capsules,the same as that of the control group,collateral-pricking and blood-letting cupping combined with electroacupuncture in a surrounding needling technique,was adopted for the observation group,once every two days,ten days as one course of treatment,a total of two courses.The immediate visual analogue scale(VAS)before and after treatment were observed in the two groups,and their clinical effects were compared.Results:The VAS scores of PHN patients in the two groups after treatment were lower than those before treatment(both P<0.01),and the scores of observation group were lower than those of control group(P<0.05).The total effective rate of the observation group was 86.7%,higher than 73.3% of the control group.Conclusion:The clinical effect of collateral-pricking and blood-letting cupping combined with electroacupuncture is relatively satisfactory in the treatment of post-herpetic neuralgia.

BLOOD-LETTING PUNCTURING AND CUPPING FOR TREATMENT OF 56 CASES OF RHEUMATIC ARTHRITIS

Presented is a summary of 56 cases of rheumatic arthritis treated with blood-letting puncturing and cupping. Patients acupoints selected were pricked first with a three-edged needle and then cupped for 15 min. The treatment was conducted once every other day and six times constituted a therapeutic course. After treatment, out of the 56 cases, 45 cases were cured, 4 markedly effective,3 effective and 4 ineffective, with the total effective rate of 92%.

Efficacy of blood-letting puncture and cupping in the treatment of periarthritis of shoulder:a systematic review

Objective:To systematically evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of blood-letting puncture and cupping in the treatment of periarthritis of shoulder.Methods:We electronically searched databases including CNKI,VIP,PubMed,WanFang Data,EMbase Cochrane Library and to collect randomized controlled trials(RCTs)and quasi-randomized controlled trials about blood-letting puncture and cupping for periarthritis of shoulder and evaluated the quality of the documents collected by the Cochrane collaboration,provided by Review Manager 5 software for statistical analysis.Then the quality of the included trials was assessed using the Jadad scale and GRADE system was used to score the quality and grade recommendation.Results:Thirty RCTs involving 2556 patients were included.The results of meta-analysis showed that:Total effective rate OR=6.21[OR=6.21,95%CI(4.69,8.21),P<0.001].The results of GRADE system evaluation showed that the level of evidence was B,and the recommendation level was weak recommendation.Conclusion:Blood-letting puncture and cupping shows better effects than other treatments and preferably security in the treatment of periarthritis of shoulder.We do not find any serious adverse reaction reports.Due to limited quality of the included studies,more high quality studies are needed to verify the above conclusion.

A meta-analysis on the clinical efficacy of fire dragon cupping in the treatment of lumbar disc herniation

Background:The incidence of lumbar disc herniation(LDH)is notably high.Consensus among experts highlights non-surgical treatments as the primary therapeutic approach for LDH.Contemporary medicine frequently employs pharmacotherapy and epidural injections in such treatments,which are associated with numerous adverse effects.Prolonged use can severely impair the liver and kidney functions of patients.Hence,the role of safe and effective traditional Chinese medicine techniques becomes pivotal.Among various traditional Chinese medicine approaches for treating LDH,fire dragon cupping,renowned for its remarkable efficacy,cost-effectiveness,and ease of application,is extensively utilised in clinical settings for managing LDH.Nonetheless,there is a scarcity of systematic and standardised evidence from evidence-based medicine studies.Therefore,conducting a meta-analysis is imperative.Methods:A comprehensive computerised search was conducted in databases including China National Knowledge Infrastructure,WanFang Data,VIP,China Biology Medicine disc,PubMed,EMbase,The Cochrane Library,Web of Science,and CINAHL.The search aimed to gather randomised controlled trials on fire dragon cupping therapy for LDH,spanning from the inception of these databases until December 2023.Two researchers independently screened the literature according to inclusion and exclusion criteria,extracted data,and assessed the methodological quality of the studies included,utilising RevMan 5.3 software for meta-analysis.Results:The results show that the fire dragon cupping therapy group had better clinical effectiveness(relative risk=1.23,95%confidence interval(CI)(1.14,1.33),P<0.00001),less pain(standardized mean difference=–1.33,95%CI(–1.49,–1.16),P<0.00001),and some improvement in lumbar function(Japanese Orthopaedic Association scores:mean difference=3.37,95%CI(2.31,4.43),P<0.00001.Conclusion:The fire dragon cupping therapy significantly alleviates LDH,warranting its extensive application.However,considering the limitations in the number and quality of studies included,the aforementioned conclusion necessitates further validation through more high-quality research.

Subconjunctival hemorrhage after wet cupping therapy: a case report

Introduction:Cupping therapy is an integrative and complementary medicine therapy that practiced worldwide by several civilizations for thousands of years.Cupping therapy is reported to be a relatively safe practice especially if performed by qualified therapists.Subconjunctival hemorrhage(SCH)is a common cause of eye redness and can be classified into traumatic and spontaneous.Case presentation:This case report discussed an adverse event related to wet cupping therapy.The patient developed SCH one day after performing cupping therapy.He was completely recovered after 2 weeks.This case report should increase the knowledge of cupping therapists regarding increasing safety of patient when performing wet cupping therapy on specific body parts especially,head,neck and cervical areas.Furthermore,it highlighted the importance of conducting research regarding the mechanical and physiological effects of cupping therapy.Conclusion:Adverse events related to cupping therapy should be reported with every patient.Cupping therapists should be aware of this possible mild adverse event.To the best of our knowledge,this is the first published adult case of SCH related to wet cupping therapy session.More studies are critically needed for evaluation of cupping therapy effects and adverse events especially when performed on head and neck.

Observation on Therapeutic Effect of Lotus Needle Cupping Therapy for Removing Blood Stasis in Zhuang Medicine on PHN and Its Influ-ence on Inflammatory Mediators

[Objectives]To observe the clinical effect of the lotus needle cupping therapy for removing blood stasis in Zhuang medicine in treating PHNand its influence on inflammatory factors.[Methods]96 patients with PHN were randomly divided into three groups:lotus nee-dle cupping therapy group,TCM surrounding acupuncture group and gabapentin group.Venous blood and acupoint blood were collected at 0,21 and 42 d of treatment,and the expression levels of 5-HT,SP and CGRPinflammatory mediators were detected before and after treatment.The changes of VAS scores before,during and after treatment and the clinical efficacy were observed.[Results]The total effective rate of the lotus needle cupping group was 87.50%,which was better than that of the TCM acupuncture group(81.25%)and the gabapentin group(62.50%);after treatment,the VAS scores and the expression of inflammatory mediators in the three groups of patients were lower than those before treatment,and the decrease was more significant in the treatment group(P<0.05).[Conclusions]The lotus needle cupping therapy for removing blood stasis in Zhuang medicine is effective in treating PHN,and its mechanism is to reduce the release of inflammatory media-tors,reduce hyperalgesia,relieve pain and improve the quality of life of patients.

Blood-letting punctures at twelve Jing-Well points of the hand can treat cerebral ischemia in a similar manner to mannitol

A rat model of middle cerebral artery permanent occlusion was established using the modified Longa method. Successfully established model animals were treated by blood-letting puncture at twelve Jing-Well points of the hand, and/or by injecting mannitol into the caudal vein twice daily. Brain tissue was collected at 24, 48 and 72 hours after modeling, and blood was collected through the retinal vein before Evans blue was injected, approximately 1 hour prior to harvesting of brain tissue. Results showed that Evans blue leakage into brain tissue and serum nitric oxide synthase activity were significantly increased in model rats. Treatment with blood-letting punctures at twelve Jing-Well points of the hand and/or injection of mannitol into the caudal vein reduced the amount of Evans blue leakage into the brain tissue and serum nitric oxide synthase activity to varying degrees. There was no significant difference between single treatment and combined treatment. Experimental findings indicate that blood-letting punctures at twelve Jing-Well points of the hand can decrease blood-brain barrier permeability and serum nitric oxide synthase activity in rats following middle cerebral artery occlusion, and its effect is similar to that of mannitol injection alone and Jing-Well points plus mannitol injection.

Cupping therapy for acute and chronic pain management:a systematic review of randomized clinical trials

Objective:Cupping as a traditional therapy is used to treat a myriad of health conditions,including pain.This systematic review assessed the effectiveness and safety of cupping for different types of pain.Methods:Thirteen databases and four trial registries were searched for randomized clinical trials.Meta-analysis of data was conducted if there was non-significant clinical and statistical heterogeneity(measured by I2 test)among trials.Results:Sixteen trials with 921 participants were eligible and included.Six trials were assessed as low risk of bias,another six trials were of unclear risk of bias,and the remaining four trials were of high risk of bias.Pain was related to three acute and seven chronic diseases.Metaanalysis showed a beneficial effect of cupping compared to wait-list control(visual analogue scale(VAS),MD
1.85 cm,95%CI
2.66 to
1.04)and heat therapy(numerical rating scale,MD
2.05 cm,95%CI
2.93 to
1.17).Cupping combined with acupuncture was superior to acupuncture alone on post-treatment pain intensity(VAS,MD
1.18 cm,95%CI
1.68 to
0.68),however,no difference was found between this comparison based on changes in pain intensity(difference of VAS,MD 0.16 cm,95%CI
0.54 to 0.87).Results from other single studies showed significant benefit of cupping compared with conventional drugs or usual care.Hematoma and pain at the treated site,increasing local pain or tingling were reported as mild adverse effects of cupping.Conclusion:This review suggests a potential positive short-term effect of cupping therapy on reducing pain intensity compared with no treatment,heat therapy,usual care,or conventional drugs.

A clinical study on medical cupping for metabolic syndrome with abdominal obesity

Objective:To observe the clinical effects of medical cupping for metabolic syndrome(MetS)with abdominal obesity.Methods:In total,75 patients with MetS with abdominal obesity were randomly divided into three groups:medical cupping,acupuncture,and waiting.Patients in the medical cupping group received smearing of Chinese medicine and cupping twice a week for 8 weeks.Patients in the acupuncture group received acupuncture on regulating the Dai meridian three times a week for 8 weeks.The waiting group was observed without any intervention.Changes in metabolic indices,including waist circumference(WC),blood pressure,fasting triglyceride(TG),high-density lipoprotein cholesterol(HDL-C),fasting blood glucose(FBG),2-h blood glucose(2hBG),and subcutaneous fat thickness were observed and compared before and after treatment among the three groups.Results:After the treatment,the WC,TG,FBG,and 2hBG in the medical cupping and acupuncture groups were lower than those in the waiting group.No difference was observed between the medical cupping and acupuncture groups.The subcutaneous fat thickness at the upper umbilicus,right side of the umbilicus,and waist in the medical cupping and acupuncture groups were lower than those in the waiting group.The subcutaneous fat thickness at the upper umbilicus and waist in the medical cupping group was lower than that in the acupuncture group.The MetS prevalence in the medical cupping and acupuncture groups was lower than that in the waiting group.Conclusion:medical cupping treatment can effectively alleviate metabolic indices and subcutaneous fat thickness at the abdomen in patients with MetS and abdominal obesity and decrease the MetS prevalence.Its efficacy was better than that of waiting and similar to that of acupuncture.The frequency of medical cupping is lower than that of the acupuncture.Meanwhile,it circumvents some patients’fear of acupuncture.medical cupping should be clinically promoted.

An overview of systematic reviews of clinical evidence for cupping therapy

Background:As a traditional treatment method,cupping therapy is widely used in Asian countries.This overview of systematic reviews (SRs) investigated the effectiveness and safety of cupping therapy through an evidence-based approach.Methods:SRs that assessed the effectiveness of cupping therapy for any type of disease were searched through 6 electronic databases.Target diseases,cupping methods,numbers and types of included studies,quality of included trials,main results (including meta-analysis re sults),and authors' conclusions of SRs were extracted.The Assessment of Multiple Systematic Reviews measurement was used to evaluate methodologic quality of the SRs.Results Eight SRs met the inclusion criteria and effectiveness and safety of cupping therapy for 11 diseases were assessed.All included SRs were of good methodologic quality.However,quality of trials included in the SRs was generally poor.Meta-analysis was performed in 4 studies.Results:showed cupping therapy (alone or combined with other interventions) was better than medications (or other interventions alone) for herpes zoster,acne,facial paralysis,low back pain,or cervical spondylosis.One review reported adverse events,including hematoma,increased pain and tingling following cupping treatment.Conclusions:Cupping therapy may be beneficial for pain-related conditions,acne,and facial paralysis.However,a firm conclusion could not be drawn due to the insufficient number of included reviews and the low quality of the original studies.

Comparative pilot study on the effects of pulsating and static cupping on non-specific neck pain and local skin blood perfusion

Objective:To compare the effects of pulsating and static cupping on non-specific neck pain and local skin microcirculation blood perfusion,which is a pilot study.Methods:Seventy participants with non-specific neck pain were randomized to the following groups:low-frequency pulsating cupping(LF,n=20);high-frequency pulsating cupping(HF,n=20);static cupping(SC,n=20),or waiting list(WL,n=10).The LF,HF,and SC received a bilateral 10-minute cupping treatment at Jianzhongshu(SI 15).Outcomes were pain intensity(visual analog scale,VAS),functional status(Neck Disability Index,NDI),and skin blood perfusion at the SI 15,Dazhui(GV 14),and Shenzhu(GV 12)acupoint areas,measured using Laser Speckle Contrast Analysis technology.Results:Both LF and HF groups showed a significant reduction in VAS scores compared with the SC group(9.00,95%Cl 1.05-16.95,P=.027;8.75,95%CI 0.80-16.70,P=.031).There was no significant difference in VAS scores between the LF and HF groups(P>.05)and between NDI scores measured 3 days after intervention among the four groups(P>.05).In the SI 15 area,blood perfusion in the three treatment groups was higher than that in WL group(P<.01),and the perfusion unit(PU)of the HF pulsating group at 5 minutes after intervention was significantly higher compared with the SC group(P<.05).In the GV 14 area,blood perfusion in the two pulsating cupping groups was higher compared with the WL and SC groups after cupping(P<.05).In the GV 12 area,the PU of the LF group was higher compared with the other three groups only at the time of cup removal(P<.05).Conclusion:This study showed that pulsating cupping may have more favorable analgesic effects on non-specific neck pain compared with static cupping,which may be related to its better effect on improving the local skin blood perfusion.

Effects of Acupoint Massage Combined with Cupping Therapy on Postpartum Lactation and Mastitis in Puerpera

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effects of acupoint massage combined with cupping therapy on postpartum lactation and mastitis. METHODS: A total of 360 women who had breastfeeding needs after hospitalization in the Second People's Hospital of Hefei were selected from August to December in 2018. A total of 180 women who had no contraindications and were willing to cooperate were included in the observation group, and 180 women who were unwilling to participate in the intervention were the control group. Routine postpartum care was performed on both groups of pregnant women, and acupoint massage and cupping therapy were performed on the maternal women in the observation group. During the hospitalization period, the starting time of lactation in the 2 groups, and the lactation volume at 1 day, 2 days, and 3 days after delivery, and the incidence of mastitis and cracked nipple, and the situation of exclusive breastfeeding were recorded and analyzed. Comparative analysis of the effects of acupoint massage combined with cupping therapy on postpartum lactation and mastitis in primipara were made. RESULTS: In the observation group, 145 women had a moderate amount of lactation 1 day after delivery, and the lactation amount of remaining 35 cases were small. There were 22 women with a high amount of lactation 2 days after delivery, and 132 women had a moderate amount of lactation, and the lactation amount of the remaining 26 cases were small. 138 women had a high amount of lactation 3 days after delivery, and 37 women had a moderate amount of lactation, and the lactation amount of the remaining 5 cases were small. All the women in the observation group did not have cracked nipple or mastitis, and the postpartum effect was significantly better than that of the control group(P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Acupoint massage combined with cupping therapy can promote early lactation, increase breastfeeding rate, and reduce the incidence of mastitis.

The effect of hot intermittent cupping on pain,stiffness and disability of patients with knee osteoarthritis

Objective:The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of hot intermittent cupping on pain,stiffness and inability of patients with knee osteoarthritis(KO).Methods:The present study was a clinical trial,which was performed on 38 patients with KO referring to Gonabad Rheumatology Specialty Clinic.Based on permutation block method,the research units were divided into cupping therapy and control groups.For the cupping therapy group,four sessions of cupping therapy were performed every four days.To collect data,the form of demographic information,Visual Analogue Scale(VAS)and the Western Ontario and McMaster(WOMAC)osteoarthritis scale were used,and the data were analyzed by SPSS software v.16 using descriptive statistics and independent t-test,paired t-test,Chi-square test and Fishers exact test with a significance level of P<0.05.Results:Findings showed that there was no significant difference between the cupping therapy and control groups in terms of demographic characteristics and they were homogeneous.Findings indicated that,based on VAS,the mean pain intensity in the left(P<0.001)and the right knees(P<0.001),as well as based on WOMAC,stiffness(P=0.006),pain intensity(P<0.001)and disability(P<0.001)in the cupping therapy group significantly decreased compared to the control group.Conclusion:Findings showed that hot intermittent cupping therapy reduced the pain intensity,stiffness and disability in patients with KO.

CLINICAL OBSERVATION ABOUT THE EFFECT OF BLOOD-LETTING OF JING-POINTS ON CEREBRAL BLOOD FLOW IN STROKE PATIENTS AT THE EARLY STAGE AND EXPERIMENTAL STUDY ON ITS MECHANISMS IN THE RABBIT

In this paper, the authors sum their research results about the effect of blood-letting of Jing (Well)-point on cerebral blood flow both in stroke patients and in experimental cerebral ischemia, cerebral hematoma and hypertension rabbits. In 30 cases of stroke (cerebral hemorrhage and cerebral infarction) patients, blood flow state of the anterior cerebral artery (ACA), middle cerebral artery (MCA) and the posterior cerebral artery (PCA), and the blood flow velocity of the bilateral vertebral artery (VA) and the basil artery (BA) are determined before and after pricking blood of the Twelve Jing-points. In experimental cerebral ischemia (by occlusion of the common carotid artery) rabbits, cerebral hematoma model rabbits and intravenous injection of noradrenaline induced hypertension rabbits, rheoencephalogram (REC) is detected before and after blood letting of the twelve "Jing"-points. In these 30 stroke patients, ultrasound Doppler examination’s results show that in 22 cases (73.33%) whose blood flow velocity decreases, after blood-letting of the 12 Jing-points, it increases significantly (P<0.01); in the rest 8 cases ( 26.67%) whose blood flow velocity speeds up, after treatment, it decreases evidently (P<0.01), showing a good dual-directional regulative effect of blood-letting therapy. In experimental cerebral ischemia rabbits, cerebral hematoma rabbits and hypertension rabbits whose REG lowers in the amplitude apparently (P<0.01), after blood letting stimulation of the 12 Jing-points, it increases at different degrees. Three patterns of stimulation as blood letting stimulation, pain stimulation and Jing-point stimulation, also the 3 factors of blood-letting therapy, may contribute to their effect on improvement of the cerebral blood flow. Somatic afferent nerve, sympathetic nerve of the vascular wall, central cholinergic nerve (M receptors) and adrenergic nerve (α receptors) participate in the effect of blood letting on cerebral blood flow.

Dry cupping therapy and the wellness management of health travelers

Objective:Individuals travel locally and internationally in order to find alternative treatments which are less-toxic and more beneficial to their health and wellness.Despite the popularity of the western system of medicine,cupping therapies are gaining enormous attention in Pakistan as a system of traditional and complementary medicine to ensure the quality of life and wellness notions of the people.The present study aims to examine the effectiveness of dry cupping therapy(DCT)on the health,wellness,and quality of life preferences of health-seeking travelers in a sample of Faisalabad.Methods:DCT was performed for 15-20 minutes on subjects by using 3-5 disposable cupping glasses.Study participants filled the questionnaires before and after DCT interventions.Partial least square structural equation modeling technique is used in order to statistically analyze the data.Results:A total of 187 subjects participated in two DCT interventions at Coural Wellness Center Faisalabad and provided their final responses after 30 days from 2nd DCT.Respondents’perceptions of their physical feelings were generally found in a significantly positive and direct relation with DCT and health status(HS),i.e.,body pain(β=0.019),vitality(β=0.138),and bodily movement(β=0.207).This trend was observed in the psychological feelings of respondents as well,i.e.,emotional feelings(β=0.169).DCT significantly mediated the overall phenomenon and variance account for values were found between 20%and 80%for all the study constructs.The scores of all the health and wellness items on the questionnaire were significantly improved in 79.68%of studied participants after 1st and 2nd DCT interventions except for social functioning.Conclusion:Findings of the present study suggest that DCT has an important role in determining the health perceptions and HS of health travelers without potential side-effects.It can improve the health and overall quality of life of the people by positively influencing their physical and psychological health perceptions.It additionally leads to improve travelers’emotion,behavior,and other daily matters.

TREATMENT OF 102 CASES OF ACUTE ABDOMEN BY BLOODLETTING PUNCTURE AND CUPPING THERAPY

102 cases of the acute abdominal disease were treated with the blood-lettingpuncture and cupping. 56 cases were cured, 22 markedly effective, 17 improved and 7 ineffective.Total effective rate was 93.1%.

The Effects of Cupping Therapy on Skin’s Biomechanical Properties in Wistar Rats

Cupping therapy has been widely used for clinical treatment of soft tissue lesions. The current study investigated the effects of cupping therapy on biomechanical properties of the skin in Wistar rats. 20 rats were divided into two groups: 10 in experimental and 10 in control group. Either the right or the left lower quadrants of the lumbar regions in the experimental group underwent 10 minutes daily cupping therapy for 12 days. The skin stiffness and ultimate tensile strength of all the rats were measured using tensiometer. The skin stiffness and ultimate tensile strength were decreased significantly in cupping side of the experimental group as compared with the non-cupping side and the control group. There were no significant differences between the non-cupping side of the experimental group and the control group. In conclusion, cupping therapy can be useful as a treatment method to reduce the skin stiffness and ultimate tensile strength.