Effects of foot dry cupping in diabetic distal polyneuropathy: A pilot controlled clinical trial

Introduction: Distal polyneuropathy is a common complication of diabetes mellitus with a considerable negative impact on the quality of life. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of dry cupping on distal polyneuropathy in diabetic patients.Methods: This controlled clinical trial was performed on ۳۴ patients with diabetic polyneuropathy (DPN) for eight weeks. The non-invasive dry and fixed cupping therapy was performed on the sole of the right foot in the patients three times a week for ۱۰ min, and the left foot of the same patient was considered as a control. The severity of diabetic neuropathy was measured using the modified Toronto Clinical Neuropathy Score (mTCNS), and the symptom and sensory test scores were determined.Results: ۲۰ patients (۴۰ feet) completed the study. There was a significant difference between the control foot and the treated foot in terms of the mTCNS after four and eight weeks (p-values = ۰.۰۰۴ and ۰.۰۰۱, respectively), in terms of the sensory test scores after four and eight weeks (p-values = ۰.۰۰۷ and ۰.۰۰۵, respectively), and in terms of the symptom scores after eight weeks (p-value = ۰.۰۰۲).Conclusion: For the first time, this study demonstrated that cupping therapy might be effective as a complementary treatment in alleviating the symptoms of DPN, although understanding the underlying mechanism requires further investigation.

Keywords:

Diabetes , Neuropathy , Dry cupping , Persian medicine