Objective： To observe wet cupping therapy（WCT） on local blood perfusion and analgesic effects in patients with nerve-root type cervical spondylosis（NT-CS）. Methods： Fifty-seven NT-CS patients were randomly divided into WCT group and Jiaji acupoint-acupuncture（JA） group according a random number table. WCT group（30 cases） was treated with WCT for 10 min, and JA group（27 cases） was treated with acupuncture for 10 min. The treatment efficacies were evaluated with a Visual Analogue Scale（VAS）. Blood perfusion at Dazhui（GV 14） and Jianjing（GB 21） acupoints（affected side） was observed with a laser speckle flowmetry, and its variations before and after treatment in both groups were compared as well. Results： In both groups, the VAS scores significantly decreased after the intervention（P〈0.01）, while the blood perfusion at the two acupoints significantly increased after intervention（P〈0.05）; however, the increasement magnitude caused by WCT was obvious compared with JA（P〈0.05）. Conclusion： WCT could improve analgesic effects in patients with NT-CS, which might be related to increasing local blood perfusion of acupunct points.
MENG Xiang-wenWANG YingPIAO Sheng-aiLV Wen-taoZHU Cheng-huiMU Ming-yuanLI Dan-danLIU Hua-pengGUO Yi
Objective To observe the effects of cupping on blood flow under different skins of back in healthy human. Methods With meridian-cupping dredging apparatus to set cupping pressure at -0.04 MPa, cupping was applied at Dhzhui （大椎 GV 14） and bilateral Dazhu （大杼 BL 11） for 10 min in healthy subject. Blood flow monitoring video system of laser speckle was used to record blood flow of GV 14, Shenzhu （身柱 GV 12）, bilateral Feishu （肺俞 BL 13） and Xinshu （心俞 BL 15） before cupping therapy, immediate time of cupping removal and 5 min, 10 rain, 15 min, 20 min, 25 rain and 30 rain after cupping removal. Results Compared before cupping therapy, the blood flow of GV 14, GV 12 and bilateral BL 13 was obviously increased at immediate time of cupping removal （all P〈0.05）. Compared with immediate time of cupping removal, the blood flow of GV 14 at each time point after 20 rain of cupping removal, GV 12 at 10 min and 15 min after cupping removal, bilateral BL 13 at each time point after cupping removal was all obviously decreased （all P〈0.05）. The difference of blood flow of Shendao （神道 GV 11） and bilateral BL 15 before and after cupping therapy was not significantly different （all P〉0.05）. Conclusion The cupping therapy could adjust skin blood flow, which is more obvious near the cupping area.
