The effect of wet-cupping on the severity of migraine headaches: Randomized controlled clinical trial

Abstract

Introduction: This study aimed to determine the effect of wet-cupping on pain intensity in patients with migraines.
 Method: 132 patients were diagnosed with migraines. Pain intensity was evaluated based on the visual analogue scale. After homogenizing the data, patients were randomly divided into two (wet-cupping and control) groups. Paired t-test, Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney tests were used to analyze the data.
 Results: The mean of pain intensity of wetcupping (7.61+/-1.29) and control (7.22+/-1.21) before the intervention showed no significant difference (p=0.401). There was a significant difference between the mean of pain relief intensity of wet-cupping (2.4+/-1.9) and control (0.6+/-0.8) groups before and after interventions (p<0.001).
 Conclusion: Wet-cupping is an effective tool to treat migraine headaches.
 Trial registration: Current Controlled Trials IRCT201110314495N2

Role of wet-cupping therapy in physiological and mental pains in patients with migraine: A quasi-clinical trial

“…The intervention group exhibited reduced pain and disability, with this improvement sustained during ongoing cupping therapy. Similarly, a study by Zarei et al [ 16 ] randomly assigned patients to a wet-cupping group and a control group. The cupping group underwent 3 sessions every 2 weeks, while the control group solely received medication without any additional intervention.…”

“…[15] Furthermore, cupping therapy is gaining traction in certain regions due to its affordability and fewer reported side effects. [16] For over 2000 years, cupping therapy has been practiced across diverse cultures such as Chinese, Greek, Arab, Turkish, Persian, and Kurdish, as an alternative medicine approach. [17] The literature acknowledges various types of cupping therapy, including dry cupping, flash cupping, wet-cupping, and massage cupping.…”

“…[ 15 ] Furthermore, cupping therapy is gaining traction in certain regions due to its affordability and fewer reported side effects. [ 16 ]…”