Effect of Wet Cupping Therapy in Reducing Serum Uric Acid Levels Among Patients With Gout Arthritis
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Background: Gout remains one of the most common metabolic inflammatory disorders worldwide, with a significant increase in prevalence in the past decade. Hyperuricemia is strongly associated with lifestyle factors, obesity, and reduced renal excretion. Complementary therapies, including wet cupping, have been increasingly used to manage inflammatory and metabolic disorders.
Purpose: This study aimed to determine the effect of wet cupping therapy on changes in uric acid levels among patients with gout.
Methods: A quasi-experimental design with a pre-test and post-test without control was used. A total of 29 respondents with gout were selected using accidental sampling. Uric acid levels were assessed using a digital uric acid meter before and after a single wet cupping session following standard operating procedures. Data were analyzed using the Shapiro–Wilk test for normality and the Wilcoxon signed-rank test for paired comparison.
Results: The median uric acid level before cupping was 8.5 mg/dL, which decreased to 6.0 mg/dL after therapy. The Wilcoxon test yielded Z-value of −4.712 with p-value = 0.000 (p < 0.05), indicating a significant reduction in uric acid levels following wet cupping.
Conclusion: Wet cupping therapy is associated with a significant reduction uric acid levels among patients with gout. This complementary approach can be considered as a supportive non-pharmacological intervention in gout management.
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