Examining the Efficacy of Cupping Therapy for Alleviating Rheumatoid Arthritis Symptoms

Aamna Qazi; Saadia Abubakar; Waris Rafique; Shafique Rehman; Furqan Khan; Arshad Bhutto; Azka Qazi; Zunaira Qazi

doi:10.29054/apmc/2022.811

Aamna Qazi Fellow Resident, Department of Rheumatology, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center, Karachi Pakistan
Saadia Abubakar Post Graduate Resident, Department of Cardiology, Liaquat National Hospital, Karachi Pakistan
Waris Rafique Resident, Department of Medicine, Patel Hospital, Karachi Pakistan
Shafique Rehman Assistant Professor & Head, Department of Rheumatology, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center, Karachi Pakistan
Furqan Khan Senior Registrar, Department of Rheumatology, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center, Karachi Pakistan
Arshad Bhutto Post Graduate Resident, Chandka Medical College (CMC), Larkana Pakistan
Azka Qazi Resident, Department of Medicine, Civil Hospital, Karachi Pakistan
Zunaira Qazi MBBS Student, Dow Medical College, Karachi Pakistan

DOI: https://doi.org/10.29054/apmc/2022.811

Keywords: Cohort study, Cupping, Rheumatoid arthritis, Inflammatory markers, Biochemical parameters, Hematological changes

Abstract

Background: Cupping therapy is used to treat various illnesses of the body, there is increasing interest in the use of the technique to treat a variety of musculoskeletal disorders. Objective: This study evaluated the effectiveness of cupping therapy for managing persistent rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and associated disabilities in RA patients. Study Design: This is a cross-sectional study. Settings: A large tertiary care hospital in Karachi, Pakistan. Duration: Seven months from March 2022 to September 2022. Methods: The study included 30 RA patients between the ages of 25-50 years, out of 50 patients who received cupping therapy in a at our center. The researchers collected blood samples before and after wet cupping therapy to evaluate hematological changes, ESR, CRP, and RF as diagnostic tools for RA. Results: The post-treatment results showed a significant decrease in inflammatory markers, particularly RF (p<0.007), CRP (p<0.05), WBCs (p=0.03), and neutrophils (p<0.011), which are sensitive markers of inflammation. No adverse effects were reported by the patients after the therapy. Conclusion: In conclusion, the study suggests that cupping therapy has a beneficial effect on RA symptoms by reducing inflammatory markers, and it is recommended as an adjunctive therapy for RA. However, further studies are needed to confirm these findings and develop new concepts of cupping therapy in the future.