Diabetes mellitus has become one of the chronic diseases that continues to increase in number worldwide.
This disease occurs when the body is unable to produce or use insulin effectively, causing blood sugar levels to rise.
This condition not only affects quality of life, but also poses a risk of serious complications such as organ damage, nerve disorders, and heart disease.
As the number of diabetes patients increases, various treatment approaches continue to be developed, not only through conventional medical methods but also through complementary therapies.
One of the therapies that is currently gaining popularity is cupping or wet cupping therapy, a classical treatment method that has been used for thousands of years in various cultures.
These are the results of medical research presented by Dr. Indri Seta Septadina and Dr. Rizka Fadilah from the Faculty of Medicine, Sriwijaya University, Palembang, South Sumatra, Indonesia.
According to this medical journal, cupping is performed by placing special cups on the surface of the skin to create negative pressure (vacuum).
This pressure causes the skin to lift and increases blood flow in the area. In practice, there are several types of cupping such as dry cupping (without incision) and wet cupping.
Wet cupping involves small scratches or incisions to release blood, and fire cupping uses heat to create a vacuum.
Historically, cupping has been known since ancient Egyptian times around 1550 BC and was also used in traditional Chinese and Middle Eastern medicine.
In various traditions, cupping is believed to help remove “harmful substances” from the body and improve energy balance and blood circulation.
In the context of diabetes, several studies show that cupping has potential as a complementary therapy to help lower blood sugar levels.
One of the main reasons is the effect of cupping on improving blood circulation. When a vacuum occurs on the skin, blood vessels in the area dilate (vasodilation), allowing blood flow to become smoother.
This helps the process of physiological clearance, which is the removal of metabolic waste from the body.
In addition, cupping is also thought to play a role in increasing insulin receptor sensitivity.
In people with diabetes, one of the main problems is insulin resistance, a condition in which body cells do not respond properly to insulin.
Through the cupping process, certain substances are released from body tissues that help open insulin receptor pathways.
As a result, insulin can work more effectively in lowering blood sugar levels.
Another mechanism explaining the reduction in blood sugar is the effect of cupping on metabolism in the liver and muscles.
Cupping is believed to help remove metabolic waste from the liver’s portal circulation, thereby optimizing the liver’s function in regulating glucose.
In addition, increased blood flow to muscles can enhance glucose utilization by muscle cells as energy, which directly lowers blood sugar levels.
Not only that, cupping is also said to influence pancreatic function, the organ responsible for producing insulin.
With improved blood circulation to the pancreas, beta cells that produce insulin receive better nutrient supply.
This has the potential to help improve insulin production and regulation in the body. Several clinical studies strongly support these benefits of cupping.
Studies show that type 2 diabetes patients who undergo a combination of aerobic exercise and wet cupping experience a more significant reduction in HbA1c levels.
Compared to those who only exercise, the reduction in blood sugar levels is not as fast as those who also undergo cupping.
HbA1c is an important indicator for assessing long-term blood sugar control.
Other studies also found that wet cupping can improve fasting blood glucose, kidney function, and vascular parameters.
This shows that the benefits of cupping are not limited to lowering blood sugar, but also contribute to overall health improvement.
Therefore, cupping therapy should be performed by highly experienced practitioners.
With the right approach, cupping can become one of the complementary therapies that helps manage diabetes more holistically.
However, the main key remains a healthy lifestyle, regular cupping, and routine blood sugar monitoring.
Download Journal: Cupping and Diabetes
