Cupping – Is it reproducible? Experiments about factors determining the vacuum

Negative Air Pressure on Wet Cupping in Decreasing Blood Pressures in Hypertensive Patients

“…The procedure of cupping in both groups was begun with cleaning the back of the body using alcohol 70%; when dried, olive oil was applied all over the back, then slide the cup alongside the meridian using long strokes for three minutes to resolve blood stagnation, manipulate the excess pathogen and bring up the heat to surface of the skin. Cupping glass (5 cm in diameter) was applied in three sites at the back of the body on T1 (alkahil) point and the middle line of both shoulders blade points, continued with adjusting the vacuum power pressure using manual hand pump to create the pressure ±400 mbar that equal to two times full pumping (Huber et al, 2011) in the control group, and adding one full pumping that estimated about ±141 mbar (Tham et al, 2006) to create pressure ±540 mbar that equal to three times full pumping in the intervention group. The cup was then gently removed after three minutes, and 15 very superficial incisions were made parallel to each other using a surgical blade on cupping sites with±0.5 cm long.…”

“…The vacuum pressures corresponding to one and two pumps of the manual hand-pump were estimated to be about 141 and 254 mbar respectively (1 mbar = 1 hPa = 0.75 mmHg = 14.7 psi). Huber, Emerich, and Braeunig (2011) reported advanced practitioners were successful in holding a constant Nurse Media Journal of Nursing, 7(2), 2017, level of negative pressure, typically around −400 hPa. The effect of the cupping may be quite different by drifting low pressures.…”

“…According to an experienced cupping therapy practitioner as the expert consultant, cupping practitioners usually use twice to three time pumping when they perform cupping. Referencing to Huber et al (2011), this study assumed that the estimated negative air pressure used in the study by cupping practitioners on hypertension mentioned above was 400 mbar, and by adding one time pumping referenced to Tham et al (2006) that estimated about ±141 mbar, the vacuum pressure was about 540 mbar. Nevertheless, the appropriate negative air pressure loads to decrease BP remain an uncertainty.…”

Ameliorating Role Exerted by Al-Hijamah in Autoimmune Diseases : Effect on Serum Autoantibodies and Inflammatory Mediators

“…Reported sucking pressure (from -200 to -560 hecta Pascal, equivalent to -150 to -420 mmHg) was reported to be created inside the sucking cups during WCT. (78) This suction pressure (filtration force) is transmitted (through skin scarifications = shartatmihjam induced during WCT) to around the skin capillaries to be added to the capillary hydrostatic pressure (-33 mmHg at the arterial end of capillaries and -13 mmHg at the venous ends of capillaries) (11)(12)78) that drives fluids to the outside of the fenestrated skin capillaries against the capillary osmotic pressure (+ 20 mmHg) (11)(12)78) that drives fluids to the inside of the skin capillaries.…”

“…By mathematical calculation of pressure differences, a pressure gradient and a traction force across the skin and capillaries are created leading to increased filtration at the arterial end of capillaries at net pressure of -163 to -433 mmHg and at the venous end of capillaries at net pressure of -143 to -413 mmHg (11)(12)(77)(78) resulting in clearance of blood from fluids containing CPS of autoimmune diseases (autoantibodies, immune complexes and inflammatory cytokines) (tables 2, 5).…”