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Wet cupping therapy and acupuncture applications in migraine patients: A randomized controlled trial.

Explore (New York, N.Y.)
March 27, 2025
Rana Celikkol et al. (5 authors)
Journal ArticleHuman StudyClinical
Study Details

Study Goal

The researchers aimed to compare the effectiveness of acupuncture versus wet cupping therapy in improving disability status and pain intensity in migraine patients.

Results Summary

Acupuncture significantly reduced MIDAS and VAS pain scores in migraine patients, with effects comparable to wet cupping therapy. No significant differences were found between the two treatments, but both outperformed the control group.

Population

Migraine patients (demographics not specified beyond age and sex similarity across groups).

Effective Dosage

10 sessions of acupuncture, once a week.

Duration

Intervention duration not explicitly stated, but sessions occurred weekly.

Interactions

None mentioned

Extracted Claims (16)
InterventionDirectionEndpointPopulationDosageImpactClaim #
wet cupping therapy
decrease
Migraine Disability Assessment Scale scores
patients with migraine
-
decreased significantly
#1
wet cupping therapy
decrease
Visual Analogue Scale pain scores
patients with migraine
-
decreased significantly
#2
acupuncture
decrease
Migraine Disability Assessment Scale scores
patients with migraine
-
decreased significantly
#3
acupuncture
decrease
Visual Analogue Scale pain scores
patients with migraine
-
decreased significantly
#4
waiting list
no change
Migraine Disability Assessment Scale scores
patients with migraine
-
remained similar
#5
waiting list
no change
Visual Analogue Scale pain scores
patients with migraine
-
remained similar
#6
wet cupping therapy
decrease
post-treatment MIDAS values
patients with migraine
-
were significantly lower
#7
wet cupping therapy
decrease
post-treatment VAS values
patients with migraine
-
were significantly lower
#8
acupuncture
decrease
post-treatment MIDAS values
patients with migraine
-
were significantly lower
#9
acupuncture
decrease
post-treatment VAS values
patients with migraine
-
were significantly lower
#10
wet cupping therapy
no change
post-treatment values
patients with migraine
-
were similar
#11
acupuncture
no change
post-treatment values
patients with migraine
-
were similar
#12
wet cupping therapy
decrease
disability status
patients with migraine
-
effective in improving
#13
wet cupping therapy
decrease
pain intensity
patients with migraine
-
effective in improving
#14
acupuncture
decrease
disability status
patients with migraine
-
effective in improving
#15
acupuncture
decrease
pain intensity
patients with migraine
-
effective in improving
#16
Abstract

AIM: Although there are numerous complementary treatments for migraine, comparisons among themselves are relatively rare. This study aimed to investigate and compare the effectiveness of wet cupping therapy (WCT) and acupuncture applications in treating migraine patients. MATERIALS AND METHOD: This was a randomized controlled clinical trial conducted between 01.03.2022 and 01.10.2023 in the Traditional and Complementary Medicine Center of a tertiary hospital. Patients diagnosed with migraine were included in the study and randomized into three arms. The WCT group received cupping 3 times, once a month. The acupuncture group received 10 sessions of acupuncture once a week. The waiting list was assigned as the control group. VAS and MIDAS scales were applied to all groups at the beginning and the end of the treatment, and the results were compared. RESULTS: All three groups were similar regarding age and sex. Migraine Disability Assessment Scale (MIDAS) and Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) pain scores decreased significantly in both treatment groups after the applications, while they remained similar for the same period in the control group. Additionally, the post-treatment values of MIDAS and VAS in both the WCT and acupuncture groups were significantly lower compared to controls, while they were similar when compared in between. CONCLUSION: Both of these applications were found to be similarly effective in improving disability status and pain intensity in patients with migraine.

Study Links
Quality Scores
SafetyNot Assessed
Efficacy80/10
Quality80/10
Research Impact Scores
APT Score0.05
Weight Score2.60
Normalized Score0.68
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