ABSTRACT
Objective:This article collected, organized, and summarized the medical literatures of cupping therapy from three major Chinese databases including China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Chongqing VIP (VIP), and WanFang, with cupping, moving cupping, flash cupping, pricking cupping, or medicinal cupping as the retrieve title or key words, and the retrieve range was from 1953 to July 15, 2015. This article was to give an overall review of cupping therapy from the clinical application and mechanism research based on its application form, indications, and mechanism research progress. The results showed that there are various types of cupping methods; its indications cover multiple subjects such as internal medicine, external medicine, gynecology and pediatrics; and its major action mechanisms include negative pressure suction, increasing pain threshold, promoting dermal blood flow and improving body immunity.
ABSTRACT
Objective To observe the clinical efficacy of hydro-medicinal cupping using Chinese medicinal granules in treating discogenic low back pain. Methods Sixty patients with discogenic low back pain were randomized into a treatment group and a control group, 30 in each group. The two groups were both intervened by hydro-medicinal cupping at Yaoyangguan (GV 3) and two sides of the point, while the Chinese medicinal granules were used in the treatment group and the conventional form of medicine was used in the control group. The pain score was observed before treatment and after 4 treatment courses, and the clinical efficacies were also compared. Results The pain scores were significantly changed after intervention in both groups (P0.05). The total effective rate was 93.3%in the treatment group versus 96.7% in the control group, and the difference was statistically insignificant (P>0.05). Conclusions Hydro-medicinal cupping is an effective approach in treating discogenic low back pain, and there is no marked difference in efficacy between the Chinese medicinal granules and conventional form of medicine.