Table 1.
Summary of the included systematic reviews of cupping therapy.
| First Author (year) (Ref) Country |
Condition Search Date No. of Primary Studies |
Cupping Therapy | Comparator | Outcome | Overall Risk of Bias | Effect Estimates for Main Outcomes (Meta-Analysis) | Conclusion (Quoted from the Original Paper) |
Overall Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Moura (2018) [9] Brazil |
Chronic back pain May 2018 16 RCTs |
All types | -Sham -Waiting list -WM -None |
Pain | High | MD −1.59 (−2.07, −1.10), p = 0.001 | …has shown positive results … | Effective |
| Kim (2018) [10] Korea |
Neck pain Jan 2018 18 RCTs |
All types | -Usual care -AT -Waiting list -No treatment |
(1)Pain (2)Function |
High | vs. no treatment (1) MD −2.42 (−3.98, −0.86), p < 0.00001 (2) MD −4.34 (−6.77, −1.19), p = 0.0005 vs. active control (1) MD −0.89 (−1.42, −0.37), p = 0.0009 (2) MD −4.36 (−8.67, −0.04), p = 0.05 |
… reduce neck pain... | Potentially effective |
| Lu (2018) [11] China |
Hypertension May 2018 7 RCTs |
Wet cupping | -WM -AT |
(1) SBP (2) DBP (3) Antihypertensive effect (4) Effective rate |
High | (1) MD −2.24 (−9.13, 4.65), p = 0.52 (2) MD −2.11 (−8.85, 4.64), p = 0.54 (3) RR 1.09 (0.99, 1.20), p = 0.07 (4) RR 1.22 (1.05, 1.40), p = 0.007 |
… no firm conclusions … | Unclear |
| Ma (2018) [18] China |
Ankylosing spondylitis Dec 2017 5 RCTs |
All types | -Sham/placebo -WM |
(1) BASFI (2) BASDAI (3) ESR |
High | (1) MD −16.63 (−17.75, −15.51), p < 0.00001 (2) MD −9.93 (−10.34, −9.52), p < 0.00001 (3) MD −3.96 (−4.69, −3.23), p < 0.00001 |
…weak evidence … | Potentially effective |
| Li (2017) [19] China |
Knee osteoarthritis Jan 2017 7 RCTs |
All types | -Sham/placebo -WM |
WOMAC (1) Pain (2) Stiffness (3) Physical function |
High | vs. WM (1) MD −1.01 (−1.61, −0.41), p < 0.01 (2) MD −0.81 (−1.14, −0.48), p < 0.01 (3) MD −5.53 (−8.58, −2.47), p < 0.01 |
…weak evidence … cupping therapy… | Potentially effective |
| Zhang (2017) [20] China |
Several conditions Mar 2017 23 RCT (Cervical spondylosis, 7 RCTs; lateral femoral cutaneous neuritis, 2 RCTs; scapulohumeral periarthritis, 2 RCTs; Others, 12 RCTs) |
All types | AT | Effective rate | High | Cervical spondylosis RR 1.13 (1.01, 1.26), p = 0.04 Lateral femoral cutaneous neuritis RR 1.10 (1.00, 1.22), p = 0.71 Scapulohumeral periarthritis RR 1.31 (1.15, 1.51), p = 0.84 |
Cupping …safe… relieving pain. | Unclear |
| Cao (2010) [21] China |
Herpes zoster Feb 2009 8 RCTs |
Wet cupping | -No treatment -Placebo -WM |
Effective rate | High | vs. WM RR 1.15 (1.91, 3.24), p = 0.0.005 |
…appears to be effective… | Potentially effective |
| Cao (2012) [22] China |
Several conditions Dec 2010 135 RCTs Herpes zoster (15 RCTs) Facial paralysis (15 RCTs) Acne (6 RCTs) Cervical spondylosis (6 RCTs) Other conditions (93 RCTs) |
All types | -WM -AT |
Effective rate | High | vs. WM Herpes zoster RR 2.07 (1.77, 2.43), p < 0.00001 Facial paralysis RR 1.49 (1.35, 1.65), p < 0.00001 Acne RR 2.14 (1.40, 2.65), p = 0.0003 Cervical spondylosis RR 2.07 (1.77, 2.43), p < 0.00001 |
No confirm conclusion… | Unclear |
| Lee (2010a) [23] Korea |
Stroke rehabilitation Mar 2010 5 studies (3 RCTs, 2 UOS) |
All types | -AT | (1) Effective rate (2) VAS |
High | (1) p < 0.05 (2) p = 0.004 |
Insufficient… | Unclear |
| Seo (2018) [24] Korea |
Migraine Sep 2016 7 RCTs |
All types | -WM -AT |
(1) Effective rate (2) VAS |
High | vs. WM (1) RR 1.22 (1.08, 1.37), p = 0.001 (2) MD −3.29 (−8.22, 1.64), p = 0.19 Cupping + AT vs. AT (1) RR 1.05 (0.99, 1.12), p = 0.13 |
…improves…effect of migraine … | Potentially effective |
| Xing (2020) [17] China |
Plaque psoriasis Mar 2020 16 RCTs |
Moving cupping | -Oral Chinese medicine -Placebo -WM |
(1) Recovery rate (2) Recurrence rate (3) VAS |
High | (1) SMD −1.22 (−1.58, −0.85), p < 0.00001 (2) RR 0.33 (0.16, 0.68), p = 0.003 (3) WMD −0.27 (–0.71, 0.17), p = 0.22 |
…could be an effective… | Potentially effective |
| Xiao (2020) [25] China |
Chronic urticaria May 2019 12 RCTs |
All types | -AT -WM |
(1) Effective rate (2) Recurrence rate |
High | Wet cupping vs. WM (1) RR 1.10 (0.97, 1.25), p = 0.14 (2) RR 0.56 (0.23, 1.36), p = 0.20 Cupping + WM vs. WM (1) RR 1.18(1.01, 1.39), p = 0.03 (2) RR 0.52(0.32, 0.84), p = 0.007 |
… it may enhance the efficacy | Potentially effective |
| Yang (2020) [26] China |
Obesity June 2019 13 RCTs |
All types | -AT -Cupping |
(1) Effective rate (2) Weight (3) BMI (4) Waist circumference |
High | AT + cupping vs. AT (1) OR 2.28 (1.56, 3.32), p < 0.0001 (2) SMD −0.21 (−0.36, −0.06), p = 0.007 (3) SMD −0.69 (−0.85, −0.54), p < 0.00001 (4) SMD −0.46 (−0.75, −0.17), p = 0.002 AT + cupping vs. cupping (1) OR 8.79 (4.20, 18.40), p < 0.0001 (2) SMD −0.54 (−0.79, −0.29), p < 0.001 (3) SMD −0.42 (−0.67, −0.17), p = 0.001 (4) SMD −0.46 (−0.75, −0.17), p = 0.002 |
Insufficient… | Unclear |
AT: acupuncture; BASFI: Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index; BASDAI: Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index; BMI: body mass index; DBP: diastolic blood pressure; ESR: Erythrocyte sedimentation rate; LAI: Lequesne Algofunctional Index; NR: Not reported; NRS: numerical rating scale; OR: odd ratio; PHN: Postherpetic neuralgia; RR: risk ratio; RCT: randomized controlled trials; SBP: systolic blood pressure;; UOS: uncontrolled observational studies; VAS: Visual analog scale; WM: Western medicine; WMD: weighted mean difference; WOMAC: Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index.