Cupping Helps Relieve Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Symptoms

An external healing method called cupping helps relieve pain caused by carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), according to a new study.

Researchers at Immanuel Hospital (Berlin, Germany) conducted an open randomized trial that examined the effectiveness of cupping, a traditional method of treating musculoskeletal pain used in Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and parts of Africa, in patients with CTS. The researchers randomly assigned 52 outpatient participants to two equal groups. The 26 patients in the study group were treated with a single application of wet cupping glasses applied to the skin in the shoulder-neck area, following 5 to 10 skin punctures with a sterile lancet; a partial vacuum was then created using either electromechanical or manual suction within the cupping glass after it was applied to the skin. The 26 control patients received a single local application of heat within the region overlying the trapezius muscle.

The researchers found that the severity of CTS symptoms was reduced significantly in the cupping group on day 7 after the application, compared to the control group. Significant treatment effects were also found for the Levine CTS-score, neck pain, functional disability (DASH-Score), and physical quality of life. The treatment was safe and well tolerated in all patients. The study was published in the June 2009 issue of the Journal of Pain.

"Cupping is applied to defined zones of the shoulder triangle which are connective tissue zones at the shoulder-neck region,” said lead author Professor Andreas Michlson, M.D., of the department of internal and complementary medicine. "The technique is believed to increase microcirculation to help relieve [carpal tunnel syndrome] symptoms.”

CTS (also known as median neuropathy) is a condition in which the median nerve is compressed at the wrist, leading to paresthesias, numbness, and muscle weakness in the hand. Most cases of CTS are idiopathic; genetic factors determine most of the risk, and the role of arm use and other environmental factors is disputed. The role of medications, including corticosteroid injection into the carpal canal, is also unclear. Surgery to cut the transverse carpal ligament is effective at relieving symptoms and preventing ongoing nerve damage, but established nerve dysfunction in the form of static numbness, atrophy, or weakness are usually permanent and do not respond predictably to surgery.

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