Background: Migraine is the second most common primary headache disorder and is the nineteenth most common cause of disability worldwide. One of the ancient medical techniques mentioned in the Unani system of medicine is wet cupping to reduce the use of analgesics in migraine. It is a simple, effective and cost-effective treatment in several diseases. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of wet cupping in the management of migraine.
Materials and methods: A Randomized single blinded clinical study was conducted from March 2014 to November 2014 in the outpatient department of Base Ayurveda Hospital, Kappalthurai, Trincomale. 40 patients, aged 20-60 years were selected. Wet cups were applied on 0th day, 15th day and 30th day. The effectiveness of the study was assessed by using Visual Analog Score (VAS) in 3 follow ups. Data were analyzed by repeated measure of ANOVA with paired t- tests.
Results: Results suggested that, compared to the baseline, the means for pain intensity at the beginning and the end of the study were significantly decreased (p<0.01). In most patients pain was intolerable before therapy; however, after the first and second sessions of therapy, pain lessened was significant. Conclusion: This study revealed that the wet-cupping leads to clinical relevant benefits for migraine.
Keywords: Shaqeeqah; Migraine; wet cupping; ancient medical techniques; Visual Analog Score.