Immediate effect of interscapular cupping on blood pressure, oxygen saturation, pulse rate and chest expansion in sedentary smoker students

Abstract

Abstract Objectives Increased sympathetic stimulation in smokers may be a risk factor for pulmonary and cardiovascular diseases. This study was conducted to assess the immediate effect of interscapular cupping on blood pressure (BP), oxygen (O2) saturation, chest expansion (CE), pulse rate (PR) in sedentary male smoker students. Methods Forty sedentary male smoker students– aged 18–25 years -were divided randomly into two equal numbered groups; wet cupping (WC) and dry cupping (DC) groups. Systolic and diastolic BP, upper and lower CE, O2 saturation and PR were measured immediately before and after a single cupping session in both groups. Results Both WC and DC types showed improvements in all measurements with a high statistically significant difference (p<0.05). Conclusions Interscapular cupping enhanced CE, O2 saturation, BP and PR in sedentary male smoker students.