Wet cupping therapy in the modulation of inflammation in patients with pain

Abstract

Abstract Objectives Wet cupping therapy (WCT) is a complementary treatment used for a wide range of diseases associated with pain. Inflammatory cytokines play an important role in the clinical symptoms related to pain. The objective of this study is to assess the changes in inflammatory markers (different interleukins (IL) and tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interferon-gamma (IFN-γ), granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) and granulocyte stimulating factor (G-CSF)) in patients with pain who went a 6 weeks of WCT as a complementary approach. Methods This is a retrospective record review study from the Prophetic Medicine Clinics for Cupping Therapy Clinics, at King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Saudi Arabia. It consists of 93 adult patients; these patients were referred from different specialty clinics with various diagnoses due to pain for performing WCT as an integrative treatment. Measurements of various biomarkers in patients with pain before and after 6 weeks of WCT were carried out. Key findings Serum IL-1β, IL-5, IL-6, IL-7, IL-8, IL-12, IL-13, TNF-α, GM-CSF, G-CSF, MCP-1 and MIP-1β were significantly (P < 0.001) decreased in patients after 6 weeks of WCT. Other biomarkers did not significantly change. Conclusions WCT showed favourable effects on pro-inflammatory markers (cytokines and chemokines) in patients with pain.