• Journal of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.169-191
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• 2008

Objectives : This study was performed to report the present situation of the cupping treatment to make standardization of cupping treatment in Korea. Methods : We searched relevant case reports, surveys, and review articles using a databases of online bibliography. And we had research to oriental medical doctor with questionnaire about the cupping treatment. Results : 1. Cupping treatment is used for diagnoisis, protection and treatment for many kinds of diseases such as musculoskeletal diseases, internal diseases, sequela of cerebral attacks and so on in Korea. 2. Adequate cupping area is the area of lesion. 3. Cupping time and pressure are various. 4. Adequate amount of venesection is 10cc. 5. Adequate dry cupping term is 1 time/day and adequate wet cupping term is 1 time/2~3days. 6. Cognition of adverse reaction of cupping treatment is different among the doctors. 7. Method of disinfection of cup is different among the doctors. Conclusions : The result of this study will help to make the a guideline of cupping treatment. And we have to go ahead studying to make standardization of cupping treatment.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.789-793
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• 2007

To evaluate the effectiveness of cupping and bloodletting therapy in the treatment of musculoskeletal diseases. Systematic searches were conducted on KSI, KISTI, DB Pia, KIOM Database, and Koreamed until January 2007 Hand-searches included conference proceedings and our own files. There were no restrictions regarding the language of journals published in Korea. Controlled trials of dry cupping, wet cupping, or blood letting for patients with musculoskeletal disease were considered for inclusion. Trials testing other forms of dry cupping therapy were included. Methodological quality was assessed by two doctors. 20 possibly relevant studies were identified and 5 studies were included. One trial tested wet cupping for ankle sprain and reported positive result. Two trials tested blood letting for low back pain, one was positive and the other one was neutral. One trial tested the types of dry cupping for low back pain, and Ki-gong cupping therapy was superior to other two types of cupping. One trial compared wet cupping with dry cupping for low back pain and the result was negative. The effectiveness of bloodletting plus acupuncture for treating patients with low back pain is superior to acupuncture in spite of low quality. One trial of wet cupping for ankle sprain had effects in reducing pain. However, I suggest that the rigorous RCTs of cupping and blood letting therapy will be conducted in well designed features.

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.181-212
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• 2023

Objectives: To examine the efficacy and safety of cupping therapy for insomnia disorder and provide clinical evidence that could contribute to further research. Methods: We searched randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that verified effects of cupping therapy for insomnia disorder from 11 domestic and foreign databases. Included studies were evaluated using Risk of Bias (RoB). Results: Nineteen RCTs were selected. Wet cupping was more frequently used than dry cupping. Moving cupping was mostly used among dry cupping methods. Dry cupping was mainly performed in Bladder Meridian on the back. Wet cupping was mainly performed on BL18, LR14, and BL15. The most common treatment period was 4 weeks. The average number of treatments per week was about 2.4 times for all types of cupping, about 3.2 times for dry cupping and about 1.9 times for wet cupping. All selected studies showed a significant sleep improvement compared to the control group. As a result of the meta-analysis, in terms of effective rate, SAS score, and SDS score, the wet cupping in combination with acupuncture was significantly more effective than acupuncture alone, although the quality of selected RCTs was low. Conclusions: Cupping therapy is effective for insomnia disorder. Based on results of this study, it is reasonable to use wet cupping two times per week on BL18, LR14, and BL15 or use moving cupping three times per week in Bladder Meridian on the back for 4 weeks to treat insomnia disorder.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.119-125
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• 2011

Objectives : This study was to investigate the effectiveness of cupping therapy on peripheral facial paralysis. Methods : We investigated 39 cases of patients with peripheral facial paralysis, and devided patients into two groups : We treated one group by complex oriental medical treatment with cupping therapy, and did the other group by complex oriental medical treatment without cupping therapy. To evaluate the effectiveness of treatment applied for two groups, we used gross grading system of House-Brackmann(HB score), Yanagihara's unweighed grading system(Y score) at baseline and final. Results : 1. In cupping group and non-cupping group, compared with baseline, at final, HB score was significantly decreased and Y score was significantly increased. 2. At final, cupping group showed significant decrease on HB score and significant increase on Y score compared with non-cupping group. Conclusions : Cupping therapy can be available for relieving symptoms related with peripheral facial paralysis.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.159-164
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• 2021

Background: Cupping is widely used in Korean medicine, but there is a risk of bacterial infection if the suction pump (used for inducing negative pressure) and the patients' skin are not separated. This study aimed to investigate the effect of layer cupping by comparing the pressure changes between layer cupping and conventional cupping. Methods: To evaluate pressure changes the study was designed with 3 types of conditions applied to a skin model: (1) a Dongbang cup with a manual or motor suction pump (conventional cupping); (2) layer cupping with 2 Dongbang cups; and (3) layer cupping with a cup made by 3D printing and a Dongbang cup. Results: When a manual suction pump was used (conventional cupping), the pressure did not decrease steadily, and in 1 section there was an increase in pressure. When layer cupping was used, the pressure in the lower cup (which would be directly applied to the patient's skin), decreased steadily. Conclusion: In the pressure change graph for layer cupping in this skin model, the pressure in the lower cup (which would be placed on the patient's skin) steadily decreased, and reached equilibrium. Therefore, the layer cupping model may help to reduce the risks of bacterial infection.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.41-45
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• 2018

Objectives : To investigate minimum pressure by verifying changes in pressure due to bleeding amount during bloodletting-cupping therapy. Methods : (1) We compared adhesion performance of four different cupping cups of same size: two disposable cupping cups(A, B) and two reusable cupping cups(A, B) each were vacuumed three times and kept in place for 10 minutes. (2) We vacuumed two different sized disposable cupping cups(A), size.1(InnerDiameter 48.8 mm) and size.3(InnerDiameter 39.1 mm), twice each(-200 mmHg) on silicon plate. We injected water and air at regular intervals in cupping cups by using a syringe, and then measured change of pressure in cupping cups and pressure at the time of dropout. Results : (1) Pressure reduction was $4.75{\pm}2.78%$ on average in the order of 'Disposable[A]>reusable[B]>Disposable[B]>reusable[A]', so that pressure retention performance of disposable cups can't be regarded as inferior to that of reusable cups. (2) Pressure of disposable cupping B(size.1) decreased by an average of -40.08 mmHg per 5 ml of water. At -24.8 mmHg, when 22 ml of water has been injected, cup has come off. Pressure of disposable cupping B(size. 3) decreased by an average of -99.4 mmHg per 5 ml of water. At -48.6 mmHg, when 13 ml of water was injected, cupping came off. Conclusions : Considering reduction rate of pressure due to water injection, in case of bleeding more than 15 ml, size.3 cup always comes off, therefore it needs to be re-operated at least once. Meanwhile, size.1 cup does not always come off in the same condition, depending on the initial pressure and therefore, re-operation may be considered.

• Journal of Acupuncture & Meridian Studies
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• v.11 no.6
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• pp.375-379
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• 2018

Background and aim: Heavy metals have been recognized as toxins for centuries. Cupping therapy has been shown to aid in the excretion of accumulated fluids and toxins from the interstitial fluid. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of wet cupping therapy on blood levels of heavy metals. Methods: Thirteen healthy male individuals [mean age ${\pm}$ standard deviation, $28.47{\pm}6.18$] participated in this study. Venous blood samples were collected 5 min before and 30 days after the wet cupping therapy. Five points of the posterior neck and bilateral perispinal areas of the neck and thoracic spine were selected for cupping therapy. The levels of aluminium (Al), zinc (Zn), and cadmium (Cd) were measured using an atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Results: The levels of heavy metals (Al, Zn, and Cd) after cupping therapy were significantly lower than the levels before therapy. Conclusions: These results suggest that wet cupping therapy has an excretory effect on the kidney. Wet cupping therapy may clear blood from excess heavy metals.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.89-95
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• 2022

This systematic review aimed to evaluate the effects of wet cupping on the treatment of mental illness. A total of 2,670 studies were retrieved using PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and Science Direct databases, and of these, 2,661 were excluded due to not meeting the inclusion criteria. There were 9 articles included in this review including 1,124 individuals who received wet cupping. Mental health was explored in, those who had migraines, metabolic syndrome, smoking addiction, post-traumatic stress, chronic medical disease, and depression. As an intervention procedure, the triple S technique was used in all studies. Only 3 studies reported that none of the participants complained of adverse events during or after the cupping therapy. In all studies, wet cupping was reported to be effective in reducing psychological symptoms. However, there are few randomized controlled trials testing the e?ectiveness of wet cupping in the treatment of mental health, and most are of poor quality. Therefore, more rigorous studies are required before the effectiveness of wet cupping for the treatment of mental illness can be determined.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.1-14
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• 2021

PURPOSE: This study aims to reveal the prevalence, therapeutic efficacy and undesirable side effects of cupping therapy all over the world from past to present. METHODS: This meta-analysis is based on the data obtained by scanning the keyword "cupping therapy" from the Pub-Med system, which is an international database. The date range has been set as 1950-2019. Local databases were not included. Cupping therapy studies combined with other complementary therapies such as acupuncture, moxa and hirudotherapy are also included in the meta-analysis. RESULTS: A total of 381 scientific studies were found on cupping therapy. Of these studies 127 wererandomized controlled trials (RCSs). Cupping treatment has been found effective in studies of painful conditions such as herpes zoster pain, fibromyalgia, back pain, neck pain, headache and acute injury pain. In addition, the effectiveness of cupping therapy was found to be high in studies related to bone / muscular system diseases such as osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, gout, carpal tunnel syndrome, cervical spondylosis. In addition, cupping treatment is also promising in studies on skin diseases, neurological diseases, respiratory system diseases and cardiovascular system diseases. CONCLUSION: Recently, there has been an increase in the number of RCSs related to cupping therapy. The vast majority of this increase has been made in European and American countries rather than in Far Eastern countries. Studies on cupping therapy, which have been and will be carried out in the future, will provide evidence-based indication of whether cupping therapy is effective. and it will allow more patients to benefit from this treatment, which has a very low rate of side effects and complications.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.250-259
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• 2012

Objectives : In this study, it has aimed to search cupping therapy standardization research course by reviewing former studies. Methods : It has reviewed articles about cupping therapy, published in South Korea. Review focused on cupping therapy treating methods. Results : Articles about cupping therapy is slightly increasing. Clinical study was the most popular study method. It has most used non-bleeding cupping therapy, and bleeding cupping therapy is next. Treating time was very various and there were no tendency or trends about treating time. Pressure inside cup has used from 30 mmHg to 600 mmHg, and pressure of 600 mmHg used mostly. Conclusions : As a result of this study, it is considered that data and standard about pressure and treating time is required. And it should be focus on pressure and treating time to standardizing cupping therapy.