The good and the bad of cupping therapy: case report and review of the literature

M. Vaccaro, M. Coppola, M. Ceccarelli, M. Montopoli, C. Guarneri

Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Section of Dermatology, University of Messina, Messina, Italy. cguarneri@unime.it

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• Pharmacology

Cupping therapy (CT) represents a cornerstone of traditional Chinese and Persian medicine, but it has its roots in the history of therapy. Although its exact mechanisms of action have been not fully understood, it is widely used as an alternative or complementary treatment of a broad spectrum of diseases, mainly musculoskeletal pain and muscular tension. Some practitioners use CT to cure dermatoses, but the most common adverse events occur at the skin level. We describe a case and briefly review the related literature.

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