Infrared thermal imaging-based skin temperature response during cupping at two different negative pressures

Cupping therapy can relieve muscle fatigue and pain after exercise by increasing blood flow at the treatment site, which may lead to dynamic changes of the local skin temperature. This study aimed to analyze the effect of cupping on local skin temperature under two different negative pressures using infrared thermography (IRT). Cupping therapy was performed on the forearms of 22 healthy subjects using the negative pressures of − 0.03 and − 0.04 MPa. IRT was used to record the dynamic changes in skin temperature before, during, and after cupping. Both cupping pressures induced a non-linear skin temperature response: temperature decreased first and then increased during cupping, while it first increased and then decreased after cupping. A significant difference was noted between the two negative pressure groups in the maximum temperature increment after cupping (P < 0.001). Compared with the basal temperature before cupping, the maximum increase in skin temperature after cupping in the − 0.03 and − 0.04 MPa groups was 0.92 and 1.42 °C, respectively. The findings of this study can lay the foundation evaluating the curative effect of cupping based on IRT and provide an objective reference for selecting the cupping negative pressure.