Effects of foot dry cupping in diabetic distal polyneuropathy: A pilot controlled clinical trial

Distal polyneuropathy is a common complication of diabetes mellitus with a considerable negative impact on the quality of life. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of dry cupping on distal polyneuropathy in diabetic patients. This controlled clinical trial was performed on 34 patients with diabetic polyneuropathy (DPN) for eight weeks. The non-invasive dry and fixed cupping therapy was performed on the sole of the right foot in the patients three times a week for 10 min, and the left foot of the same patient was considered as a control. The severity of diabetic neuropathy was measured using the modified Toronto Clinical Neuropathy Score (mTCNS), and the symptom and sensory test scores were determined. 20 patients (40 feet) completed the study. There was a significant difference between the control foot and the treated foot in terms of the mTCNS after four and eight weeks (p-values = 0.004 and 0.001, respectively), in terms of the sensory test scores after four and eight weeks (p-values = 0.007 and 0.005, respectively), and in terms of the symptom scores after eight weeks (p-value = 0.002). For the first time, this study demonstrated that cupping therapy might be effective as a complementary treatment in alleviating the symptoms of DPN, although understanding the underlying mechanism requires further investigation.