Effect of Cupping Therapy on Microcirculation in Healthy Volunteers

NCT ID: NCT06872216

Last Updated: 2025-03-12

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 20 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2022-08-01
• Study Completion Date: 2023-05-01

Brief Summary

Twenty healthy volunteers were included in the study. The NIRS was placed on the thenar region of the hand. The vascular occlusion protocol had been done before and after cupping therapy (CT). Regional oxygen saturation (rSO2), the times to the lowest and highest values were recorded. The occlusion slope, the recovery slope and the first 10 second recovery slope were calculated.

Detailed Description

Participants rested in a seated position at standard temperature for at least 10 minutes. A blood pressure cuff was applied to the upper arm, and the NIRS device (Covidien INVOS™ 5100C Cerebral/Somatic Oximeter, Dublin) was used to monitor regional oxygen levels in the thenar region of the hand throughout the protocol. After a 3-minute stabilization period, the vascular occlusion protocol commenced: the blood pressure cuff was inflated rapidly within 3-4 seconds to 50 mmHg above the baseline systolic blood pressure and maintained for 3 minutes, then deflated within 1 second. The participant rested for another 10 minutes before a certified cupping therapist placed a plastic therapy cup on the forearm, 5 cm from the medial and lateral epicondyles. The size of the cup was based on the participant's forearm, covering 50% of the area. The cup was vacuumed twice using a manual hand pump and left in place for 5 minutes before the air was released through the valve. Following a 3-minute stabilization period, the vascular occlusion protocol was repeated. During the test, rSO2 values and the time to reach the lowest and highest values were recorded. Using this data, the occlusion slope, recovery slope, and 10-second recovery slope were calculated. The occlusion slope was determined by the formula [(baseline rSO2 - minimum rSO2) / time to lowest rSO2], in %/minute. The recovery slope was calculated as [(minimum rSO2 - maximum rSO2) / time to reach the highest rSO2], in %/second. The 10-second recovery slope was calculated as [(minimum rSO2 - rSO2 at 10 seconds) / 10 seconds].

Conditions

Microcirculation

Study Design

• Allocation Method: NA
• Intervention Model: SINGLE_GROUP
• Primary Study Purpose: SUPPORTIVE_CARE
• Blinding Strategy: NONE

Study Groups

cupping therapy

nırs monitored during vot test pre-post cupping therapy

Group Type: OTHER

cupping therapy

Intervention Type: PROCEDURE

After the initial vascular occlusion test and a subsequent 10-minute rest period, the plastic therapy cup was placed on the forearm, 5 cm away from the medial and lateral epicondyles by a certified cupping therapist. The size of used cup was determined according to the size of the volunteer's forearm which cover 50% of the area. The cup was vacuumed two times full pumping with a manual hand pump and remained in place for 5 minutes. And then the air was removed by releasing the cups through the release valve.

Vascular occlusion test

Intervention Type: DIAGNOSTIC_TEST

A blood pressure cuff was placed on the upper arm. The adult probe of the NIRS device (Covidien INVOS™ 5100C Cerebral/Somatic Oximeter, Dublin) was placed on the thenar region of the ipsilateral hand and the regional oxygen value was recorded during all study term. Baseline arterial pressure and oxygen saturation were monitored (GE Healthcare Oy, Helsinki, Finland) from the side of dominant hand and recorded. After a 3-minute stabilization period, the vascular occlusion protocol was started. The blood pressure cuff was rapidly inflated within 3-4 seconds to 50 mmHg above baseline systolic blood pressure and kept at this pressure during 3 minutes. Following this, the cuff was deflated within 1 second. Five minutes after cupping therapy this protocol had done again.

Interventions

cupping therapy

After the initial vascular occlusion test and a subsequent 10-minute rest period, the plastic therapy cup was placed on the forearm, 5 cm away from the medial and lateral epicondyles by a certified cupping therapist. The size of used cup was determined according to the size of the volunteer's forearm which cover 50% of the area. The cup was vacuumed two times full pumping with a manual hand pump and remained in place for 5 minutes. And then the air was removed by releasing the cups through the release valve.

Intervention Type: PROCEDURE

Vascular occlusion test

A blood pressure cuff was placed on the upper arm. The adult probe of the NIRS device (Covidien INVOS™ 5100C Cerebral/Somatic Oximeter, Dublin) was placed on the thenar region of the ipsilateral hand and the regional oxygen value was recorded during all study term. Baseline arterial pressure and oxygen saturation were monitored (GE Healthcare Oy, Helsinki, Finland) from the side of dominant hand and recorded. After a 3-minute stabilization period, the vascular occlusion protocol was started. The blood pressure cuff was rapidly inflated within 3-4 seconds to 50 mmHg above baseline systolic blood pressure and kept at this pressure during 3 minutes. Following this, the cuff was deflated within 1 second. Five minutes after cupping therapy this protocol had done again.

Intervention Type: DIAGNOSTIC_TEST

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• 18-65 years old
• Healthy

Exclusion Criteria

• Smoking or using tobacco products
• Taking alcohol or other substances, or any medication
• Have conditions affecting microcirculation
• Have acute or chronic pain
• Anemia
• Obesity
• Reynaud's phenomenon
• Baseline blood pressure being 140-90mmHg or above
• sPO2 value being below 96%

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 65 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

Tokat Gaziosmanpasa University

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Tuğba Karaman

Professor

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Locations

Tokat Gaziosmanpaşa üniversity

Tokat Province, , Turkey (Türkiye)

Countries

Turkey (Türkiye)

References

Liu W, Piao S, Meng Xi, Wei L. Effects of cupping on blood flow under skin of back in healthy human. World Journal of Acupuncture - Moxibustion. 2013; 23 (3): 50-52. doi.org/10.1016/S1003-5257(13)60061-6.

Reference Type: BACKGROUND

Gomez H, Torres A, Polanco P, Kim HK, Zenker S, Puyana JC, Pinsky MR. Use of non-invasive NIRS during a vascular occlusion test to assess dynamic tissue O(2) saturation response. Intensive Care Med. 2008 Sep;34(9):1600-7. doi: 10.1007/s00134-008-1145-1. Epub 2008 Jun 4.

Reference Type: BACKGROUND

PMID: 18523754 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

NIRS-CUPPİNG

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id