The Effect of Cupping on Spasticity and Function of the Lower Extremity During Rehabilitation After Stroke
For patients and families
In plain language
An automatic summary of structured registry data. It is an orientation aid, not a substitute for the official protocol or a physician assessment.
- What is being studied
- The protocol lists: Dry Static Cupping, Placebo cupping, Standard physical therapy treatment.
- Who it may be relevant to
- Registry conditions: Stroke Gait Rehabilitation. Basic parameters: 30 years — 80 years · All.
- What needs checking
- Age, condition and sex are only basic indicators. Prior treatment, laboratory values and other mandatory requirements appear in the eligibility criteria below.
- Where it takes place
- United States
- Next step
- Save the trial, show it to the treating physician, and confirm current recruitment with the study center. Costs, documents and travel →
Unsure about the terms? Read our patient guide →
Overview
Physical therapists use dry static cupping for the treatment of many conditions, including spasticity for patients post-stroke. While research better describes the effects of dry static cupping for patients with orthopedic conditions, information is lacking on central conditions, such as stroke and resulting spasticity.
Detailed description
Cupping is an ancient alternative medicine. A common form of cupping, called dry static cupping, involves creating negative pressure inside a therapeutic cup. The cup is then placed on the skin, creating a light suction effect. In Eastern Medicine, cupping has been used to treat a variety of diseases. More recently, in Western society, cupping has been used after injury, and among other effects, has been found to improve blood volume and tissue oxygenation to an area. These effects have originally been thought to be peripheral in nature, occurring at the cupping site, hence, why cupping has been used for treatment for conditions like carpal tunnel syndrome, spinal pain, knee osteoarthritis, and other musculoskeletal conditions.
However, a recent systematic review found cupping to be beneficial for rehabilitation after stroke. These conclusions raise the question of a possible mechanism for cupping to improve impairments related to the central nervous system, such as spasticity after stroke. However, many of the studies to date have serious methodological flaws that limit the direct causation of cupping to the reduction of spasticity. As well, the majority of studies only involve the upper extremity. No study has yet looked at the therapeutic effects of dry static cupping on lower extremity spasticity reduction after stroke.
Interventions
- Other Dry Static Cupping
A myofascial decompression cupping set with a precision pressure pump will be used to perform dry static cupping to the adductor and hamstring muscle groups of the affected limb, using a negative pressure of 300mmHg for eight minutes each. - Other Placebo cupping
The same protocol will be used as stated for the Dry static cupping intervention, with the only difference being that the cup will be pumped to 50mmHg instead of 300mmHg. - Other Standard physical therapy treatment
Treatment will consist of typical physical therapy interventions performed for patients with spasticity of the lower extremity after stroke. These may include, but not be limited to: * Balance exercise * Therapeutic exercise * Neuromuscular/muscular coordination exercise * Manual (hands on) therapy * Gait training The treating physical therapist is left with the autonomy of the standard physical therapy treatment (within the above stated groups of interventions) because patients with the diagn
Primary outcome measures
- Modified Ashworth Scale [Time frame: At enrollment and then at 1, 2, and 3 months of treatment.]
Secondary outcome measures (3)
- Six-Minute Walk Test (6MWT) [Time frame: At enrollment and then at 1, 2, and 3 months of treatment.]
- Timed Up and Go (TUG) Test [Time frame: At enrollment and then at 1, 2, and 3 months of treatment.]
- Berg Balance Scale (BBS) [Time frame: At enrollment and then at 1, 2, and 3 months of treatment.]
Eligibility criteria
Inclusion criteria
- Age 30-80
- Acute stroke (within 6 months of stroke), with spasticity \& hemiparesis of LE
- Referred by doctor for rehabilitation for a stroke-related condition
- Attending Ascension Rehabilitation of Joliet for rehabilitation
- Able to read or verbally understand English or Spanish
Exclusion criteria
- Absent sensation of the areas to be cupped
- Significant cognitive impairment
- Pregnancy
- Prescription anticoagulant medications
- Blood clotting disorder
- Uncontrolled hypertension
- Uncontrolled diabetes
- Open wounds within the cupping area
- Current DVT
- Hematoma over the cupping area
- Fracture over the cupping area
- Active cancer within the cupping area
- Current use of Baclofen
- Current use of Botox
- Current use of an anti-spasticity medication
Criteria are shown verbatim from the registry (in English). Final eligibility is always assessed by the study center.
Healthy volunteers: No
Study design
- Allocation
- Randomized
- Model
- Parallel assignment
- Masking
- Triple blind
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
Study locations
United States · 1 center
- Ascension Rehabilitation of Joliet — Joliet
Publications
- Kim M, Han C ho. The effectiveness and safety of cupping therapy for stroke survivors: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. J Korean Med. 2021;42(4):75-101. doi:10.13048/jkm.21039
- Choi TY, Ang L, Ku B, Jun JH, Lee MS. Evidence Map of Cupping Therapy. J Clin Med. 2021 Apr 17;10(8):1750. doi: 10.3390/jcm10081750. PMID 33920643
- Pontes NS, Barbosa GM, Almeida Silva HJ, Scattone Silva R, Souza CG, Lins CAA, de Souza MC. Effects of dry cupping on pain, function and quality of life in women with knee osteoarthritis: a protocol for a sham-controlled randomised trial. BMJ Open. 2020 Dec 24;10(12):e039857. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2020-039857. PMID 33361075
- Shen WC, Jan YK, Liau BY, Lin Q, Wang S, Tai CC, Lung CW. Effectiveness of self-management of dry and wet cupping therapy for low back pain: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Medicine (Baltimore). 2022 Dec 23;101(51):e32325. doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000032325. PMID 36595746
- Michalsen A, Bock S, Ludtke R, Rampp T, Baecker M, Bachmann J, Langhorst J, Musial F, Dobos GJ. Effects of traditional cupping therapy in patients with carpal tunnel syndrome: a randomized controlled trial. J Pain. 2009 Jun;10(6):601-8. doi: 10.1016/j.jpain.2008.12.013. Epub 2009 Apr 19. PMID 19380259
- Kim JI, Lee MS, Lee DH, Boddy K, Ernst E. Cupping for treating pain: a systematic review. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2011;2011:467014. doi: 10.1093/ecam/nep035. Epub 2011 Jun 23. PMID 19423657
- Al-Bedah A, Aboushanab TS, Alqaed M, et al. Classification of Cupping Therapy: A Tool for Modernization and Standardization. J Complement Altern Med Res. 2016;1(1):1-10. doi:10.9734/JOCAMR/2016/27222
- Qureshi NA, Ali GI, Abushanab TS, El-Olemy AT, Alqaed MS, El-Subai IS, Al-Bedah AMN. History of cupping (Hijama): a narrative review of literature. J Integr Med. 2017 May;15(3):172-181. doi: 10.1016/S2095-4964(17)60339-X. PMID 28494847
Identifiers
NCT: NCT06653855 · RIL20240041