Despite the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics being momentarily postponed, it is nice to reminisce about the record-breaking performances and breakthroughs of Rio 2016. The Rio 2016 Summer Olympics had a total of 27 new world records and 91 new Olympic records. Within all this, cupping therapy had also made it to the mainstream headlines, with its striking, red bruises captivating and bewildering its audience. 

Although it has gained popularity recently through athletes and celebrities such as Michael Phelps and Alex Naddour, cupping therapy traces its roots to ancient Chinese and Egyptian medicine. In fact, it was documented in Ebers Papyrus, one the oldest and most important medical papyri of ancient Egypt, which was written in 1550 B.C. There are many different types of cupping treatment with dry and wet cupping being the main ones. During dry cupping, the skin is pulled into the cup for a few minutes using suction. This suction is created either through a manual pump or a fire-induced vacuum. The treatment can also be combined with a massage, acupuncture, or other alternative therapies. On the other hand, wet cupping involves puncturing the skin before starting the procedure; the skin is lacerated and blood is drawn into the cup. In both cases, cupping is supposed to draw fluid into a specific area; its prominent, trademark red circles are caused by the broken blood vessels underneath the skin. 

So what are the benefits of cupping? In over 60 countries, cupping is used to treat a broad spectrum of conditions, which include “headaches, musculoskeletal pain, infections, insect bites, hypertension, respiratory conditions, skin disorders, digestive problems, and infertility” (NCCAOM). In the past, it was believed that cupping could improve lung conditions like bronchitis and pneumonia. However in current times, cupping is widely used for pain relief and musculoskeletal injuries which include strains, sprains, back and neck pain, and inflammation. There are many theories on the mechanisms of cupping and why it may possibly work. Since the skin is well vascularized, it has a rich blood supply. It is speculated that the suction created by the cup encourages blood flow, which dilates the capillaries and causes them to rupture. This forms the pronounced circular bruises on the skin, but it is also theorized to promote lymphatic circulation and possibly reduce musculoskeletal pain. In addition, there are other claims that cupping as a treatment can “strengthen the body’s resistance, restore balance between positive and negative forces, and remove disease-causing factors” (Robert H. Shmerling).  

However, cupping therapy has mixed statements with regards to scientific proof of its effectiveness. One issue is the limitations to perform higher-quality studies with regards to cupping therapy. The gold standard in medical research involves using RCTs or Randomized Controlled Trials. In these trials, a specific intervention is studied relative to no treatment or placebo. However, in regards to cupping, no placebo can be given as either the cup is placed on the body or it isn’t. In addition, neither the practitioner nor the patient can be blinded during the study process as well. A 2015 NIH review and analysis of cupping concluded that “cupping could be effective in treating the pain and disability associated with chronic neck pain and chronic low-back pain in the short term” (Yuan). Other studies have also shown that cupping may relieve tension and migraine headaches as 95% of the patients experienced 12.6 fewer days of headaches per month. These results indicate that cupping is a relatively safe and possible non-pharmacological approach to pain relief. However, further rigorous designed trials in relevant conditions are needed to support this use of practice.

Despite the fact that most experts agree that cupping is safe with minimal side effects, how cupping therapy works exactly is still not well known. In other words, while the data suggests that cupping therapy may not be just a placebo, further investigations must be studied and performed in order to fully understand its potential benefits and mechanism. However, bringing more awareness to cupping therapy will encourage more research and possibly open a new, scientifically proven, non-pharmacological approach to pain relief. 

References:

https://www.cedars-sinai.org/blog/cupping-therapy.html

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6435947/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25710765

https://www.nccaom.org/science-of-cupping/

https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/what-exactly-is-cupping-2016093010402