Wet Cupping Therapy Improves Health Related Quality of Life: A Self-Controlled Interventional Study

Abstract

Objectives: Wet cupping therapy is an ancient treatment method which has been an integral part of Traditional Anatolian Medicine. In the current study we aimed to assess the efficacy of wet cupping therapy on health-related quality of life in healthy volunteers.

Materials and Methods: This was a single arm pre-test and post-test interventional study conducted in Traditional and Complementary Medicine Clinic of Karabuk Education and Research Hospital between August 1, 2017 and August 1, 2018. Fifty-three healthy volunteers were enrolled in the study. They received three wet cupping therapy sessions once every month for three months (On 0, 30, and 60 days). WHOQOL-BREF-TR questionnaire was applied to all participants both before the sessions and after the third one. Wilcoxon signed rank test was employed to compare pre and post test scores. A p value <0.05 assumed to be statistically significant. All analyzes were carried out using Minitab 17 Statistical Software.

Results: The study sample consisted of 26 female and 27 male subjects. Mean age was 43.68 ± 9.41 years. It was found 46.34 ± 9.78 years for females and 40.63± 8.43 years for males. Initial WHOQOL-BREF-TR scores regarding general health (p<0.001) and the four domains which were physical (p<0.001), psychological (p<0.001), social relations (p<0.001) and the environmental domain (p<0.005) showed significant improvements after three WCT sessions

Conclusion: Our results suggest that quality of life may be improved in healthy adults by wet cupping therapy.

Keywords

• Wet cupping therapy,WHOQOL-BREF-TR,Quality of life

Hacamat Sağlıkla İlgili Yaşam Kalitesini Arttırmakta: Kendinden Kontrollü Girişimsel Çalışma

Öz

Amaç: Geleneksel Anadolu Tıbbına ait bir uygulama olarak bilinen hacamat kadim tedavi metotlarından biridir. Bu çalışmada hacamat uygulamasının sağlıklı gönüllülerde yaşam kalitesi üzerine olan etkisini araştırdık.

Materyal ve Metot: Tek kol, test öncesi ve sonrası girişimsel bir çalışma olarak planlanan araştırmamız 1 Ağustos 2017 ve 1 Ağustos 2018 tarihleri arasında Karabük Eğitim ve Araştırma Hastanesi Geleneksel ve Tamamlayıcı Tıp Merkezinde gerçekleştirildi. Çalışmaya 53 sağlıklı gönüllü iştirak etti. Katılımcıların her birine ayda bir kez olmak üzere toplamda üçer kez hacamat uygulandı. Ayrıca gönüllülerin tümüne WHOQOL-BREF-TR ölçeği hacamat uygulamalarının öncesi ve üçüncü uygulamayı takiben olmak üzere iki kez uygulandı.  Elde edilen skorların karşılaştırılmasında Wilcoxon signed rank test kullanıldı ve p <0.05 değeri anlamlı kabul edildi. İstatistiksel hesaplamalar Minitab 17 Statistical Software kullanılarak yapıldı.

Bulgular: 26 kadın ve 27 erkek gönüllünün katıldığı çalışmada yaş ortalaması 43,68 ± 9,41 yıl bulundu. Yaş ortalaması kadınlarda 46,34 ± 9,78 iken erkeklerde 40,63± 8,43 yıl bulundu. Uygulamalar öncesi ölçülen WHOQOL-BREF-TR skorlarını üç seans Hacamat uygulamasını takiben elde edilen skorlarla karşılaştırdığımızda; genel sağlık (p<0,001) ve fiziksel (p<0,001), psikolojik (p<0,001), sosyal ilişkiler (p<0,001) ve çevre (p=0,005) başlıklarından oluşan 4 ana grubun tamamında yaşam kalitesinin anlamlı olarak arttığı gözlendi.

Sonuç: Çalışmamızın neticesinde Hacamat tedavisinin sağlıklı bireylerde yaşam kalitesini arttırdığını göstermiş olduk.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Hacamat,WHOQOL-BREF-TR,Yaşam kalitesi

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