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.

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Background and Purpose Cupping therapy has been used widely as a safe and common method to tackle soft tissue lesions in most Asian countries, Central Europe, and parts of the United States. In this study, cupping therapy has been used for the treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), which is the most common entrapment neuropathy. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of cupping therapy on the clinical findings of patients with CTS. Methods This is a randomized clinical trial. For this research, a total of 56 hands with CTS were studied, aged 18–60 years, and of both genders. The participants were divided into two groups: test and control, regardless of the severity of their CTS. In the control group, 28 were treated with routine physiotherapy (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation and ultrasound), and in the test group, the other 28 were treated with routine physiotherapy with cupping therapy. The variables used to determine the effect of cupping were symptom severity scale, functional status scale, distal sensory latency, and distal motor latency. The severity of symptoms and functional status of patients was evaluated with the help of the Boston questionnaire, and the distal latency was evaluated through electromyography. Results The results of study demonstrated a significant improvement in symptom severity (p = 0.006) and also a significant decrease in distal sensory latency (p = 0.007) of the test group (routine physiotherapy with cupping) as compared with the control group (routine physiotherapy). Conclusions The results showed that incorporation of cupping therapy in a routine physical therapy programme can reduce the severity of symptoms and improve the distal sensory disturbance of the median nerve. Therefore, it is suggested that cupping, as a convenient and low‐cost method, can be used as a complementary therapy in the treatment of CTS.

Background: Hemophilic arthropathy (HA) causes severe joint damage and impairs the quality of life (QoL) of hemophiliacs. This study was undertaken to evaluate the effect of pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMFs) on the clinical signs and QoL of patients with severe hemophilia A experiencing moderate HA in the knee joint. Materials and Methods: Thirty-six severe hemophiliacs with HA of the knee joint were randomly assigned into the PEMF ( n = 20) or placebo ( n = 16) groups. The PEMF group received 60 min of PEMF (2 Hz, 25 Gauss for 30 min and 70 Hz, 30 Gauss for 30 min) on the knee joint, three times per week for 6 weeks. The clinical signs, QoL, and pain intensity were measured by the Hemophilia Joint Health Score, A36 Hemofilia-QoL Questionnaire, and visual analog scale, respectively, before and after treatment. Results: In the PEMF group, a significant difference before and after intervention in terms of clinical signs, QoL, and pain intensity ( P < 0.05) was founded. Between-group analysis showed a significant improvement in clinical signs (except for atrophy, strength, and swelling duration), QoL, and pain intensity in the PEMF versus control group ( P < 0.05). Conclusions: PEMF can improve the clinical signs, QoL, and pain intensity of severe hemophilia A patient with moderate knee hemophilic arthropathy.