Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
| Name | Class |
|---|---|
| Governors State University | OTHER |
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
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.
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.
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
| Label | Type | Description | Intervention Names |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cupping group | Active Comparator | This group (arm) will receive the dry static cupping intervention, along with the standard physical therapy treatment. |
|
| Placebo cupping group | Sham Comparator | This group (arm) will receive a placebo-form of cupping (low, and non-therapeutic pressure amount in the cups), along with the standard physical therapy treatment. |
|
| Name | Type | Description | Arm Group Labels | Other Names |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry Static Cupping | Other | 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. |
| Measure | Description | Time Frame |
|---|---|---|
| Modified Ashworth Scale | The Modified Ashworth Scale measures spasticity on a 0-4 ordinal scale, with higher scores indicating greater spasticity. The grade is determined by passively moving a joint/muscle through a high velocity unidirectional quick stretch. For this study, spasticity will be assessed for the hip adductors and hamstrings of the affected side. Equipment: Mat Table Administration: Patient is positioned in supine on a mat table. For Hip Adduction: Physical therapist passively moves the affected lower extremity into hip abduction quickly keeping the knee in extension. For Hamstrings: Physical therapist passively moves the hip to 90 degrees of flexion and allows the knee to bend into knee flexion. Then, the therapist passively moves the affected knee into extension quickly. | At enrollment and then at 1, 2, and 3 months of treatment. |
| Measure | Description | Time Frame |
|---|---|---|
| Six-Minute Walk Test (6MWT) | The Six-minute Walk Test is a measure of aerobic capacity and gait. It is measured in feet on a ratio scale. Administration: The patient is instructed to walk down an unobstructed path for six minutes, while the physical therapist walks behind them with a stopwatch and rolling tape measure to monitor the time and steps of the patient during the test. The distance (in feet) that the patient walked, after six minutes, is used as the score for the test. To note: blood pressure will be taken before and after the test. |
Not provided
Inclusion Criteria:
Exclusion Criteria:
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
| Name | Role | Phone | Extension | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scott Getsoian | Contact | 815-735-9261 | sgetsoian@govst.edu | |
| Laura Nurczyk | Contact | 815-741-7114 | laura.nurczyk@ascension-external.org |
Not provided
| Facility | Status | City | State | ZIP | Country | Contacts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ascension Rehabilitation of Joliet | Recruiting | Joliet | Illinois | 60435 | United States |
| PubMed Identifier | Type | Citation | Retractions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Background | 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 | ||
| 33920643 | Background | 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. | |
| 33361075 |
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
| Release Date | Unrelease Date | Unrelease Date Unknown | Reset Date | MCP Release Number |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 17, 2026 |
| ID | Term |
|---|---|
| D009128 | Muscle Spasticity |
| D020521 | Stroke |
| ID | Term |
|---|---|
| D009135 | Muscular Diseases |
| D009140 | Musculoskeletal Diseases |
| D009122 | Muscle Hypertonia |
| D020879 | Neuromuscular Manifestations |
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
The physical therapist providing the standard physical therapy treatment and the outcomes assessment will be masked to group allocation. However, the therapist administering the cupping and placebo cupping treatments will not be masked to group allocation.
| Placebo cupping | Other | 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. |
|
| Standard physical therapy treatment | Other | 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:
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 diagnosis of stroke do not all present with the same type or level of impairment. Furthermore co-morbidities (e.g., hypertension) and/or functional level (wheelchair bound vs. independent ambulator) may necessitate different treatment strategies. Therefore, while the general categories of treatment will remain the same across all study patients, it is expected that the treating physical therapist provides patient-specific interventions. |
|
| At enrollment and then at 1, 2, and 3 months of treatment. |
| Timed Up and Go (TUG) Test | The TUG assesses mobility, ability, and fall risk in older adults. It is measured in seconds, on a ratio scale. Equipment:
Administration:
| At enrollment and then at 1, 2, and 3 months of treatment. |
| Berg Balance Scale (BBS) | The Berg Balance Scale is a 14-item test that measures static balance and fall risk in adults. Each item is scored on a 0-4 ordinal scale. At conclusion of the 14 items, the score is tallied. Equipment: Chair with arms, Chair without arms, Mat, Stopwatch, Yardstick, Slipper/sandal, 7 ¾" step, Blind fold, Tape. Items (14):
| At enrollment and then at 1, 2, and 3 months of treatment. |
| Background |
| 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. |
| 36595746 | Background | 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. |
| 19380259 | Background | 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. |
| 19423657 | Background | 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. |
| Background | 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 |
| 28494847 | Background | 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. |
| D009461 | Neurologic Manifestations |
| D009422 | Nervous System Diseases |
| D012816 | Signs and Symptoms |
| D013568 | Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms |
| D002561 | Cerebrovascular Disorders |
| D001927 | Brain Diseases |
| D002493 | Central Nervous System Diseases |
| D014652 | Vascular Diseases |
| D002318 | Cardiovascular Diseases |