Researchers have developed a new noninvasive approach to analyze compounds released from the skin during cupping therapy, according to a Jul. 9 report. Cupping therapy, a traditional Chinese medicine technique, is used to treat chronic pain and expedite muscle recovery by increasing blood flow through suction on the skin.
The research team, including Zenobi and Xiaowen Yan, created a method using polymer-coated membranes that adsorb and concentrate airborne molecules inside cupping jars. These captured compounds are then released by heating the membrane and identified through mass spectrometry. In initial tests with pig skin treated with five common human skin compounds, all were successfully captured and detected in samples.
A proof-of-concept study was conducted with 12 healthy volunteers who underwent standard cupping procedures for ten minutes on their backs and waists. The researchers compared air samples inside cups with vacuum suction (during treatment) versus without suction (before treatment). They observed significant differences in 13 metabolites commonly found on the skin's surface, including aldehydes, ketones, alcohols, terpenes, and organic acids. Some of these compounds increased after cupping, while others decreased.
Zenobi said these results show that "the metabolic effects of TCM therapies can be studied with modern analytical techniques, which is something that has largely been lacking." He also cautioned that the findings are preliminary: "Firm conclusions that are statistically significant should only be drawn when many more patients and controls have been analyzed."
The researchers plan further clinical studies at a local hospital focused on traditional Chinese medicine to compare individuals with chronic pain conditions to those without, in order to better understand how cupping therapy impacts the body. The study received approval from the Ethics Committee of Xiamen University.
