Investigation of Wet Cupping Therapy on Heavy Metal Levels of Steel Industry Workers

Investigation of Wet Cupping Therapy on Heavy Metal Levels of Steel Industry Workers: A Self Controlled Interventional Study

This interventional study investigates the efficacy of Wet cupping therapy on heavy metal levels.The levels of the selected heavy metals will be measured in the blood samples obtained from the participants before and after the interventions

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Heavy Metal Toxicity
• Intervention / Treatment: Procedure: Wet cupping therapy

Detailed Description

Wet cupping therapy (WCT) is a traditional therapy which was used for centuries especially for detoxifiying purposes.Current literature also points out its blood clarifiying capacity in order to illuminate the underlying mechanism of this ancient treatment.

Steel industry workers, different from the general population are exposed to heavy metals more often.Conducting a study in this special group where we will evaluate the levels of selected heavy metals in blood before and after the three sessions of WCT might let us know its detoxifiying capacity based on measurable parameters.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 44
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Turkey
  • Karabuk
    • Safranbolu, Karabuk, Turkey, 78070
      • Suleyman Ersoy

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 55 years (Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: Male

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Healthy individuals
• Iron and Steel industry workers

Exclusion Criteria:

• having any chronic disorder
• being on daily medication
• wet cupping application in the last 6 months

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: N/A
• Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

1

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Intervention / Treatment

Experimental: Wet Cupping; wet cupping therapy will be applied to all participants

Procedure: Wet cupping therapy; CT was applied using plastic disposable vacuum cups on the back in the 5 areas of C7 cervical spine (DU14 acupoint), T2-4 lateral spine bilaterally (BL41-42 acupoint) and T6-8 lateral spine bilaterally (BL44-46). The cupping technique procedure was conducted in five phases: Primary suction; cups are left attached to the skin for 5 minutes.; Area disinfection; areas are wiped with sterile gauze after disinfection with povidone iodine.; Scarification; Superficial incisions (20-30 gauge), 5 mm length and 1-2 mm depth, are made on the skin with a sterile, number 11 surgical blade.; Bloodletting and secondary suction; the cups which had been previously removed are placed again on the scarified areas Blood leaks from the capillary vessels of the skin and subcutaneous tissue and fills the cups, which are left in place for 15 minutes.; Removing and dressing; the cups full of blood are removed. The areas of application are wiped with sterile gauze and then a dressing is applied

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Levels of the selected heavy metals in venous blood samples before and after the interventions	the levels of the calculated heavy metals will be in ppm	3 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Levels of the selected heavy metals in cupping blood samples obtained during the first intervention	the levels of the calculated heavy metals will be in ppm	1 month

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Karabuk University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): September 3, 2017
• Primary Completion (Actual): August 1, 2018
• Study Completion (Actual): October 1, 2018

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: September 30, 2018
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: September 30, 2018
• First Posted (Actual): October 2, 2018

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): October 2, 2018
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: September 30, 2018
• Last Verified: July 1, 2018

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: heavy metal; wet cupping therapy; steel industry worker
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Chemically-Induced Disorders; Poisoning; Heavy Metal Poisoning
• Other Study ID Numbers: KBU-BAP-17/1-KA-071

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: Undecided

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No
• product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.: No