Cupping Therapy: From Traditional Therapy to Cardiac Remedy

Cupping therapy, also known as Hijama, is a traditional therapy applied through a break in the superficial vessels of the skin, followed by vacuum suctioning of superficial blood into suction cups. Cupping is gaining more attention nowadays as a potential treatment for chronic pain, musculoskeletal problems, metabolic disorders, and other chronic conditions. The available evidence about the cardiac outcomes and cardioprotective role of cupping therapy is lacking. While some studies support the role of cupping in treating various cardiac conditions, others did not show evidence or were skeptical about its actual effect. In this review, we aim to address the hemodynamic and adaptation mechanisms in the body postcupping, along with providing available evidence regarding the effect of cupping on hypertension, cardiac rhythm, ischemic heart disease, and possible adverse effects. A thorough analysis of the research findings showed that cupping therapy has been associated with positive consequences on blood hemodynamics, where it serves as a technique that helps eliminate toxins from the blood and improve blood flow. In addition, it could potentially lower blood pressure although some contradicting evidence suggested that it yields no effect on blood pressure. Moreover, cupping therapy could alleviate the risk of ventricular arrhythmia by its suggested mechanism of sympathovagal balance. Lastly, cupping's role in atherosclerosis has also been demonstrated, where it was shown to reduce low-density lipoprotein levels and blood viscosity, but had no effect on total cholesterol, potentially aiding in the treatment of ischemic heart diseases.