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. 2016 Dec 12;8(1):223-229.
doi: 10.1364/BOE.8.000223. eCollection 2017 Jan 1.

Significant and sustaining elevation of blood oxygen induced by Chinese cupping therapy as assessed by near-infrared spectroscopy

Ting Li  1 , Yaoxian Li  2 , Yu Lin  3 , Kai Li  2
Affiliations

Significant and sustaining elevation of blood oxygen induced by Chinese cupping therapy as assessed by near-infrared spectroscopy

Ting Li et al. Biomed Opt Express. .

Abstract

Cupping therapy has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for thousands of years to relieve muscle pain/tendency/fatigue and to cure or reduce symbols of other diseases. However, its therapeutic effect is sparsely interpreted in the language of modern physiology. To objectively evaluate its therapeutic effect, we focused on dry cupping treatment and utilized near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) to assess the concentration change in oxy-hemoglobin ([HbO2]), deoxy-hemoglobin ([Hb]), and blood volume in the course of cupping therapy over 13 volunteers on the infraspinatus muscle, where is usually applied for shoulder pains. Both a prominent drop in [Hb] and a significant elevation in [HbO2] in the tissue surrounding the cupping site were observed during both cupping and post-treatment, manifesting the enhancement of oxygen uptake. This resulting promotion indicates potential positive therapeutic effect of cupping therapy in hemodynamics for facilitating muscular functions.

Keywords: (170.4580) Optical diagnostics for medicine; (170.6510) Spectroscopy, tissue diagnostics.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
The experiment device and protocol. (a) The NIRS system composed of a probe, a control module, and the software in a computer. (b) The cupping kit set. (c) Timeline of the measurement (d) A subject under treatment. (e) Treatment vestige.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Blood oxygen response in the course of cupping therapy. (a) Typical response from a representative individual subject during the experiment. (b) The mean response over 11 subjects. The bar represents the standard deviation.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
The means and standard deviation bar of all measured hemodynamic parameters during the periods of baseline, cupping, and post-cupping. T-test results were shown by p-values.
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Scatterplots of hemodynamics elevations during cupping (x axis) and post-cupping (y axis) periods respectively. Correlation results were reported with by R and p values. The regression line was drawn only when a significant correlation is found.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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