EVALUATING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF CUPPING THERAPY IN ENHANCING MUSCULOSKELETAL RECOVERY IN ATHLETES
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Keywords
Cupping therapy, delayed onset muscle soreness, range of motion, athlete satisfaction, sports physiotherapy, pain relief, recovery intervention
Abstract
Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) impairs athletic performance by causing pain, stiffness, and reduced joint mobility. Cupping therapy, a traditional technique increasingly used in sports recovery, is claimed to mitigate DOMS, but robust evidence is scarce.
Objective: To compare the efficacy of cupping therapy versus standard recovery methods (static stretching and ice application) in alleviating DOMS, improving joint range of motion (ROM), and enhancing athlete satisfaction.
Methods: In a randomized controlled trial, 50 athletes (56% male, mean age 24.98 ± 2.48 years) with DOMS (baseline VAS ≥4) were assigned to either a cupping therapy group (10-minute dry cupping sessions, three times weekly) or a control group (15-minute static stretching and ice sessions, three times weekly) for 6 weeks. Outcomes included DOMS intensity (Visual Analog Scale, VAS), knee ROM (goniometer), and satisfaction (5-point Likert scale), assessed at baseline, week 3, and week 6. Data were analyzed using paired and independent t-tests.
Results: At week 6, the cupping group showed significantly lower VAS scores (M = 3.08, SD = 1.55) than the control group (M = 5.56, SD = 1.04; t = -6.63, p < 0.001, Cohen’s d = -1.88). ROM improved significantly overall (p = 0.001, Cohen’s d = -0.50), but group differences were not assessed. Satisfaction averaged 2.86 (SD = 1.33) without group-specific analysis.
Conclusion: Cupping therapy effectively reduces DOMS intensity, supporting its role in sports recovery. Larger studies with group-specific ROM and satisfaction comparisons are warranted.
References
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Dr Monika Sharma
Professor and Head of Department, Institute of Applied Medicines & Research (IAMR), Atal Bihari Vajpayee Medical University, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh.
Aksha
Institute of Applied Medicines & Research (IAMR), Atal Bihari Vajpayee Medical University, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh.