Beta and Gamma EEG Oscillatory Waves of the Frontal Cortex Increase After Wet Cupping Therapy in Healthy Humans
Author(s): Faruk Abdullahi, Cevat Unal, Menizibeya O Welcome, Emelda Nwenendah Mpi, Nafisa Umar, Afaf Muhammed, Salma U Faruk, Hauwa Kazaure and Senol Dane*
Abstract
Introduction: Wet cupping therapy is a traditional complementary therapy that alleviates pain, stress and the symptoms of several ailments in humans. However, the effect of wet cupping therapy as recorded with the electroencephalography (EEG) has not been reported. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of compare beta and gamma activities in the EEG before and after wet cupping therapy in healthy subjects.
Materials and Methods: The EEG tracing was recorded from eight healthy right-handed volunteers according to the standard international 10/20 system, using PowerLab 26T (AD Instruments, Bella Vista, Australia) before and after wet cupping therapy. Wet cupping was performed only once per person on 5 points of the posterior neck, bilateral perispinal areas of the neck, and thoracic spine. 3 ml-5 ml of blood was removed per cupping site.
Results: In the present study, both beta and gamma activities were significantly higher after wet cupping therapy, compared to the activities of these oscillatory waves recorded before therapy.
Conclusion: Wet cupping therapy increases beta and gamma activity in healthy subjects (p˂0.05). Beta and gamma activities can be used as a measure of frontal activation in wet cupping therapy. This increase in oscillatory beta and gamma cortical waves may be mediated by stimulation of the peripheral nervous system, and possibly, corresponding increase in secretion of certain neurohumoral factors.