Continue or stop applying wet cupping therapy (al-hijamah) in migraine headache:A randomized controlled trial

Background: and purpose: Although wet cupping therapy (WCT) is currently in use, clinical investigations of its efficiency are scarce. The aim of this study was to evaluate the short- and long-term effects of WCT on headache and disability associated with migraine. Materials and methods: This was an open-label trial conducted at Karabuk University Training and Research Hospital between May 2016 and January 2018. WCT was applied once a month to migraine patients. At the end of 3 months, patients were randomized into two groups using block randomization method. Control group (Group 1) consisted of 53 patients and the intervention group (Group 2) 56 patients. Evaluation was performed to both groups before treatment and at the 6th and 12th months using the migraine disability assessment (MIDAS). Results: Group 1 received three sessions, whereas Group 2 continued treatment for 12 months. Visual analog scale (VAS) and MIDAS values at the 12th month were significantly higher compared with 6-month values in Group 1 (p < 0.001) and lower in Group 2 (p < 0.001). Both VAS and MIDAS scores of the patients in Group 2 improved significantly better than those in Group 1. No adverse effects were seen. Conclusion: WCT reduced pain and disability in patients with migraine, and the efficacy increased when the application was continued.