Cupping and bloodletting as stroke treatments lack scientific foundation and pose serious patient risks. No reliable clinical evidence supports the idea that skin incisions, blood pricking, or suction cupping can clear brain vessels or restore brain tissue damaged by stroke.

Stroke occurs when blood flow to the brain is interrupted by a blocked or ruptured blood vessel. This is a medical emergency where every minute counts. Patients require immediate hospital transport to accurately diagnose the stroke type and cause, enabling doctors to select appropriate treatment.

External blood pricking or suction does not affect damaged blood vessels within the brain. For ischemic stroke patients, removing a small amount of blood from the skin cannot clear a clot in a brain artery. Similarly, for hemorrhagic stroke, blood pricking cannot control intracranial bleeding.

Crucially, using these methods can cause patients to lose valuable emergency time. Delayed stroke treatment increases the risk of widespread brain damage. The American Stroke Association estimates that during an ischemic stroke, approximately 1,9 million brain cells can be lost each minute without reperfusion. Furthermore, applying suction devices to the neck, near the carotid artery, risks damaging blood vessels, potentially causing thrombosis or severe vascular complications. Such inappropriate interventions are particularly risky for individuals exhibiting stroke symptoms.

While some forms of cupping may be employed in traditional medicine or supportive care for specific symptoms, under proper indication and technique, this does not imply cupping can treat the cause of stroke. Sudden facial drooping, one-sided body weakness or paralysis, speech difficulty, slurred speech, blurred vision, loss of balance, or an unusually severe headache signal an emergency. Family members should not await symptom resolution or resort to cupping or blood pricking. Instead, they must call 115 and promptly transport the patient to a medical facility capable of providing emergency stroke care.

Doctor Doan Du Manh

Vietnam Vascular Association