Swimmer Michael Phelps’s continued dominance at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics was accompanied by worldwide awareness of cupping. Cupping therapy has re-emerged as a potential approach to boost post-exercise metabolic recovery, reduce pain, and improve range of motion by increasing local microcirculation. But what does science tell us about the effectiveness or safety of cupping?

A new systematic review that examines the results of eleven clinical trials encompassing nearly 500 participants is published in The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine (JACM), a peer-reviewed publication from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. The article is available free on JACM website until March 13, 2018.Co-author Lauche states: “Cupping therapy is a classic example in which research lags behind clinical practice. We are confident that this review will point out the need for and encourage further high-quality research of cupping, a therapy which has been around for millennia.”
“This systematic review by Lauche and her international team squarely place this therapy in evidence limbo,” says JACM Editor-in-Chief John Weeks, johnweeks-integrator.com, Seattle, WA. He adds: “There is evidence here for advocates, evidence for detractors, and evidence for researchers – that we need more of it!”

Source: Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., Publishers
Full bibliographic information:
Effects of Cupping Therapy in Amateur and Professional Athletes: Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials

Bridgett Rhianna, Klose Petra, Duffield Rob, Mydock Suni, and Lauche Romy. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. November 2017,