Alternations of hemodynamic parameters during Chinese cupping therapy assessed by an embedded near-infrared spectroscopy monitor.

Cupping therapy is a promising method to cure or reduce the symptoms of some diseases including muscle pain/tendency/fatigue. Although the applications of cupping therapy have a thousand-year history in traditional Chinese medicine, the therapeutic effect of cupping is still questionable due to a lack of scientific evidence and the absence of physiological observations. In our previous study, we utilized near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) to assess the concentration change surrounding the cupping site and found a significant elevation in oxy-hemoglobin (HbO). To further investigate the therapeutic effect of dry cupping treatment, we embedded a NIRS sensor into a suction cup to monitor the hemodynamic changes including HbO, deoxy-hemoglobin ([Hb]) and blood volume on the cupping site in this study. Both a prominent elevation in [Hb] and a significant drop in [HbO] in the tissue of the cupping site were observed during cupping. We also observed similar hemodynamic changes during post-cupping, which may demonstrate how cupping therapy works for treatment. This study showed that the embedding of NIRS sensor in a cupping system could offer a better understanding of the mechanism of cupping therapy.