Effects of Pulsatile Cupping on Body Pain and Quality of Life in People with Suboptimal Health:A Randomized Controlled Exploratory Trial

Abstract

Objective: The curative effect of pneumatic pulsatile cupping on pain has been shown. This study was conducted to investigate effects of the pulsating frequency of pneumatic pulsatile cupping, compared with traditional cupping (TC), on body pain and quality of life (QoL) in people with suboptimal health status (SHS). Materials and Methods: Ninety-six participants with SHS were randomized to low-frequency (LF; n = 24) or high-frequency (HF; n = 24) pulsating cupping, traditional cupping (TC; n = 24), or wait-list (WL; n = 24) groups. The LF, HF, and TC groups received 4 sessions of cupping over 2 weeks. Visual analogue scale (VAS; 0-100 mm) pain level and Short-Form-36 (SF-36) QoL measurements were taken before and after the intervention.

All around suboptimal health — a joint position paper of the Suboptimal Health Study Consortium and European Association for Predictive, Preventive and Personalised Medicine

“…A four-arm, randomised clinical trial was conducted to investigate effects of the pulsating frequency of pneumatic pulsatile cupping, compared with traditional cupping, on body pain and quality of life in people with SHS [ 142 ]. This study recruited 96 SHS participants randomised to low-frequency (LF) or high-frequency (HF) pulsating cupping (see Fig.…”

“…In the field of TCM, the mainstream and accepted forms of therapy include acupuncture, dietary therapy, herbal medicine, moxibustion, massage, qigong (e.g., Tai Chi, Baduanjin , and Wuqinxi ) applied singularly or in combination to treat and prevent diseases or maintain wellbeing [ 176 , 177 ]. For instance, the evidence-based TCM treatment for SHS proved that Baduanjin exercise (one of the most common forms of Qigong consisting of eight separate, delicate, and smooth exercise movements) [ 135 ], moxibustion (a form of heat therapy in which dried plant materials called “moxa” are burned on acupoints) [ 138 ], and cupping (application of heated cups on the skin to remove stagnation and stimulate the flow of “ Qi ”) [ 142 ] are valuable approaches for preventing SHS.…”