It is the new hot trend in acute and chronic pain management and we’ve seen it all over recently. As a matter of fact, this new trend is called cupping but has been used by the Chinese, Ancient Egyptians, all over the Middle East, and recently Europe and the US as purple spots were seen during the Rio Olympics last Month on the skin of sports Legend and Gold Medalist star Michael Phelps.
The oldest Medical Text books described how Ancient Egyptians use cupping therapy in 1550 B,C to treat various conditions including Herpes pain, acne, spondlyosis, facial paralysis, migraine, allergies, fibromaylgia, chronic osteoarthritis, and cancer pain …etc.
Chronic pain conditions represent a formidable challenge as pharmacological therapy choices ( Non – Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory drugs or NSAIDs lead to salt and water retention, elevation of blood pressure , cause kidney damage and peptic ulcer disease , gastritis and bleeding ulcers). Steroids as a second choice cause hypertension, diabetes, ulcers, delayed healing of wounds, depresses immune system leading to bacterial or fungal infections or both), osteoporosis and fractures of bones.Third choice is narcotic analgesics which has so many problems of addiction, constipation, potential for abuse leading to so many fatalities if we add accompanying depression into chronic pain syndromes. Also the choice of cytotoxic drugs such as Plaqunil in Rheumatoid Arthritis is harmful when used long term. So, how does this cupping therapy work?
Possible Mechanisms for dry cupping is creating negative pressure or suction force applied to skin surface using cups which will lead to increase capillary filtration and local collection of filtered and interstitial fluid. This causes dilution of inflammatory mediators and thus causing ANALGESIA and decreasing pain.
The other type is called Wet Cupping Therapy or ( WCT), it involves letting out the old blood cells with toxin that mediate inflammation and pain with release of ( endogenous opioids) causing pain relief.
WCT also increases the number of Natural Killer cells , thus boasting the immune system and reactive hyperemia or increased blood flow leading to increased levels of Nitric Oxide which is a local vasodilator leading to Analgesia.
Cupping therapy also helps migraines by removal of inflammatory mediators such as Cytokines , Interleukin 6, vasoactive substances, Neutropeptides which causes headaches and Migraines.A very comprehensive review about Cupping Therapy below, highly recommended to read
Therapeutic Benefits of Al-hijamah: in Light of Modern Medicine and …
It is estimated that about 100 million Americans are affected by chronic pain. which has a cost of $635 Billion dollars every year. This is more than cost for Heart disease $ 309 Billions and cost of Diabetes $ 188 Billion dollars annually which will certainly would make choice of Cupping Therapy an attractive low cost, low risk and reasonable alternative with or without Acupuncture for acute or chronic pain management.
Dry cupping can be used with good results but Wet Cupping should be restricted to Licensed Trained Professionals according to the recommendations of the Cupping Society and alternative Medicine in UK and Germany to optimize outcome and minimize complications. More data through double blinded placebo controlled studies are needed for further standardization and robust analysis
After all, if it is good for Micheal Phelps,it must be good for so many suffering from acute and chronic pain to give them hope for a better life with less pain.
