An updated review of the efficacy of cupping therapy (2024)

Cao, H., Li, X., & Liu, J. (2012). An updated review of the efficacy of cupping therapy. PLoS One, 7(2), Article e31793. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0031793

Cao, Huijuan ; Li, Xun ; Liu, Jianping. / An updated review of the efficacy of cupping therapy. In: PLoS One. 2012 ; Vol. 7, No. 2.

@article{d69cc15df8184e72a1bda1f377502fdb,

title = "An updated review of the efficacy of cupping therapy",

abstract = "Background: Since 1950, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) cupping therapy has been applied as a formal modality in hospitals throughout China and elsewhere in the world. Based on a previous systematic literature review of clinical studies on cupping therapy, this study presents a thorough review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to evaluate the therapeutic effect of cupping therapy. Method: Six databases were searched for articles published through 2010. RCTs on cupping therapy for various diseases were included. Studies on cupping therapy combined with other TCM treatments versus non-TCM therapies were excluded. Results: 135 RCTs published from 1992 through 2010 were identified. The studies were generally of low methodological quality. Diseases for which cupping therapy was commonly applied were herpes zoster, facial paralysis (Bell palsy), cough and dyspnea, acne, lumbar disc herniation, and cervical spondylosis. Wet cupping was used in most trials, followed by retained cupping, moving cupping, and flash cupping. Meta-analysis showed cupping therapy combined with other TCM treatments was significantly superior to other treatments alone in increasing the number of cured patients with herpes zoster, facial paralysis, acne, and cervical spondylosis. No serious adverse effects were reported in the trials. Conclusions: Numerous RCTs on cupping therapy have been conducted and published during the past decades. This review showed that cupping has potential effect in the treatment of herpes zoster and other specific conditions. However, further rigorously designed trials on its use for other conditions are warranted.",

keywords = "medicine, Chinese traditional, cupping therapy, acupuncture, randomized controlled trials as topic",

author = "Huijuan Cao and Xun Li and Jianping Liu",

year = "2012",

doi = "10.1371/journal.pone.0031793",

language = "English",

volume = "7",

journal = "PLoS One",

issn = "1932-6203",

publisher = "Public Library of Science",

number = "2",

}

Cao, H, Li, X & Liu, J 2012, 'An updated review of the efficacy of cupping therapy', PLoS One, vol. 7, no. 2, e31793. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0031793

An updated review of the efficacy of cupping therapy. / Cao, Huijuan; Li, Xun; Liu, Jianping.
In: PLoS One, Vol. 7, No. 2, e31793, 2012.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

TY - JOUR

T1 - An updated review of the efficacy of cupping therapy

AU - Cao, Huijuan

AU - Li, Xun

AU - Liu, Jianping

PY - 2012

Y1 - 2012

N2 - Background: Since 1950, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) cupping therapy has been applied as a formal modality in hospitals throughout China and elsewhere in the world. Based on a previous systematic literature review of clinical studies on cupping therapy, this study presents a thorough review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to evaluate the therapeutic effect of cupping therapy. Method: Six databases were searched for articles published through 2010. RCTs on cupping therapy for various diseases were included. Studies on cupping therapy combined with other TCM treatments versus non-TCM therapies were excluded. Results: 135 RCTs published from 1992 through 2010 were identified. The studies were generally of low methodological quality. Diseases for which cupping therapy was commonly applied were herpes zoster, facial paralysis (Bell palsy), cough and dyspnea, acne, lumbar disc herniation, and cervical spondylosis. Wet cupping was used in most trials, followed by retained cupping, moving cupping, and flash cupping. Meta-analysis showed cupping therapy combined with other TCM treatments was significantly superior to other treatments alone in increasing the number of cured patients with herpes zoster, facial paralysis, acne, and cervical spondylosis. No serious adverse effects were reported in the trials. Conclusions: Numerous RCTs on cupping therapy have been conducted and published during the past decades. This review showed that cupping has potential effect in the treatment of herpes zoster and other specific conditions. However, further rigorously designed trials on its use for other conditions are warranted.

AB - Background: Since 1950, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) cupping therapy has been applied as a formal modality in hospitals throughout China and elsewhere in the world. Based on a previous systematic literature review of clinical studies on cupping therapy, this study presents a thorough review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to evaluate the therapeutic effect of cupping therapy. Method: Six databases were searched for articles published through 2010. RCTs on cupping therapy for various diseases were included. Studies on cupping therapy combined with other TCM treatments versus non-TCM therapies were excluded. Results: 135 RCTs published from 1992 through 2010 were identified. The studies were generally of low methodological quality. Diseases for which cupping therapy was commonly applied were herpes zoster, facial paralysis (Bell palsy), cough and dyspnea, acne, lumbar disc herniation, and cervical spondylosis. Wet cupping was used in most trials, followed by retained cupping, moving cupping, and flash cupping. Meta-analysis showed cupping therapy combined with other TCM treatments was significantly superior to other treatments alone in increasing the number of cured patients with herpes zoster, facial paralysis, acne, and cervical spondylosis. No serious adverse effects were reported in the trials. Conclusions: Numerous RCTs on cupping therapy have been conducted and published during the past decades. This review showed that cupping has potential effect in the treatment of herpes zoster and other specific conditions. However, further rigorously designed trials on its use for other conditions are warranted.

KW - medicine, Chinese traditional

KW - cupping therapy

KW - acupuncture

KW - randomized controlled trials as topic

UR - http://hdl.handle.net/1959.7/uws:14454

U2 - 10.1371/journal.pone.0031793

DO - 10.1371/journal.pone.0031793

M3 - Article

SN - 1932-6203

VL - 7

JO - PLoS One

JF - PLoS One

IS - 2

M1 - e31793

ER -

Cao H, Li X, Liu J. An updated review of the efficacy of cupping therapy. PLoS One. 2012;7(2):e31793. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0031793