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This systematic review and meta-analysis, published in 2026, examined the effectiveness and safety of cupping therapy for adults suffering from chronic neck pain lasting three months or longer. Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses 2020 guidelines and registered with the international prospective register of systematic reviews, the researchers searched major medical databases up to January 2025 for randomised controlled trials comparing cupping therapy against control interventions.
Nine randomised controlled trials involving 401 participants were included in the analysis. The pooled results showed that cupping therapy produced a statistically significant and clinically meaningful reduction in pain intensity, with a large effect size. Improvements in functional disability were also consistent across studies, with particularly reliable results and no meaningful variation between trials for this outcome. Secondary outcomes, including quality of life and range of motion, also favoured cupping therapy. Importantly, no serious adverse events were reported across the included studies.
The authors acknowledge that while the evidence base has strengthened compared to earlier reviews, some included trials carried methodological limitations, and the certainty of evidence was considered stronger for functional outcomes than for pain relief. The overall conclusion supports cupping as a beneficial, function-enhancing component within a broader, multidisciplinary approach to managing chronic neck pain.
Conclusion: This updated meta-analysis provides encouraging evidence that cupping therapy offers meaningful pain relief and functional improvement for adults with chronic neck pain, supporting its careful integration into clinical practice alongside other treatments.
Source: Torad AA, Taha MM, Elbosaty RF and colleagues. Journal of back and musculoskeletal rehabilitation (2026). View on PubMed (PMID 42105092) · doi:10.1177/10538127261446411