Herb & supplement monograph

Cupping Drug Interactions, Uses, Effectiveness, Safety & More

Medically reviewed by Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS ·Updated July 2026

What is this page for?

First and foremost: how Cupping interacts with medications. The heart of this page is the interaction list — every drug Cupping is known to interact with, and how serious each one is.

But these pages have grown well beyond that into a full monograph — what Cupping is, what people use it for and how strong the evidence is, its safety and side effects, and answers to the questions we’re asked most — written and reviewed by the clinical staff at HelloPharmacist. It’s educational information from our licensed clinical databases, not medical advice, and we don’t sell or endorse products. Our editorial policy

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Reviewed by licensed pharmacists Sourced from Natural Medicines

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Interaction report

Drugs that interact with Cupping

0 medications have a known interaction with Cupping, graded by severity. Select any drug for the full evidence-based detail.

We don’t currently list any known drug interactions for Cupping. This doesn’t guarantee none exist — always confirm with your pharmacist before combining supplements with your medications.

Read The List Like a Pharmacist

What Severity, Likelihood & Evidence Mean

Severity — How Serious It Can Be

Major. Clinically significant; generally best avoided, or used only under direct professional supervision.
Moderate. May need monitoring, a dose adjustment, or separating the times you take each one.
Minor. Generally not clinically significant, but still worth noting and mentioning to your pharmacist.
No known interaction. Checked against our sources with nothing documented — not the same as proven safety.

Likelihood — How Well It’s Documented

Likely. Well-controlled human studies have demonstrated the likely existence of this interaction
Probable. Interaction has not been documented in well-controlled studies, however, the interaction has been demonstrated in some small human studies or in controlled animal studies in conjunction with multiple case reports.
Possible. Interaction has been documented in animal or in lab research, or the interaction has been documented in humans but is limited to case reports or conflicting clinical research exists
Unlikely. Interaction has been demonstrated in animal or in lab research but has been shown not to occur in humans.

Where This Data Comes From

Interaction records are evidence-graded and sourced from the Natural Medicines database (TRC Healthcare), the same reference used by pharmacists and hospitals.
Each drug listed above links to the full report for that exact Cupping combination — clinical detail, likelihood, evidence level, and citations.
Content is reviewed by licensed HelloPharmacist pharmacists — see our data sources and editorial standards.

Monograph

Cupping: Uses, Safety & Side Effects

Medically reviewed by Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS · Reviewed July 2026 ·

The bottom line

Cupping is a traditional therapy that uses suction cups on the skin and is most often tried for muscle and back pain. The evidence is weak and mixed, and while it is generally low-risk when done by a trained practitioner, it commonly leaves temporary round bruises and is not a substitute for medical care.

Part used: Not applicable (Cupping is a therapy, not a plant or supplement)
Common forms: Dry cupping, wet cupping (hijama), fire cupping, and massage (sliding) cupping

People commonly use it for

Back and neck pain
Muscle tension and soreness
Headaches
Athletic recovery
General well-being and relaxation

Popular and traditional uses — not proof it works. See “Uses & effectiveness” below for the evidence.

Safety at a glance

OverallUse caution

Often low-risk when performed by a trained practitioner, but it can cause bruising, skin irritation, and rarely infection.

PregnancyInsufficient reliable information

Insufficient reliable information available; avoid use.

Read the full pregnancy detail

BreastfeedingInsufficient reliable information

Insufficient reliable information available; avoid use.

Read the full breastfeeding detail

Pregnancy & breastfeeding ratings are from Natural Medicines (Therapeutic Research Center). Safety guidance is general; always confirm with your pharmacist or doctor for your situation.

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Overview

Cupping is an ancient practice, not an herb or supplement. A practitioner places special cups on your skin and creates suction, which pulls the skin and surface tissue up slightly into the cup. The cups may be made of glass, bamboo, silicone, or plastic.

Cupping has roots in traditional Chinese medicine as well as Middle Eastern, Egyptian, and other healing traditions. Today it is used in many countries and has become popular among athletes, who are sometimes seen with the round marks it leaves behind.

There are several types. Dry cupping uses suction alone. Wet cupping (also called hijama) involves making tiny skin cuts to draw out a small amount of blood. Fire cupping uses a flame to create suction inside glass cups, and massage or sliding cupping moves the cups across oiled skin.

How it works

The exact way cupping might help is not well understood. The suction pulls on the skin and increases blood flow to the treated area, which some believe relaxes muscles and eases discomfort.

Other proposed ideas include stimulating nerves, reducing inflammation, or triggering the body's own pain-relieving responses. In traditional medicine, cupping is said to move "qi" (energy) and blood and remove stagnation, but this is a traditional concept rather than a proven biological mechanism.

Much of the support for these ideas comes from small studies, theory, or tradition rather than strong clinical proof. The round marks left after cupping are caused by tiny broken blood vessels under the skin, similar to a bruise.

Effectiveness

Does Cupping work?

Here’s what the research actually shows for each use — graded by Natural Medicines and reviewed by Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD.

Evidence overview · 31 uses evaluated

1 Possibly effective 1 Leans ineffective 29 Insufficient evidence

How to read these evidence grades

Natural Medicines’ 7-point scale. We show each rating’s label word-for-word.

1EffectiveStrong, consistent evidence it works.

2Likely EffectiveGood evidence, though not yet conclusive.

3Possibly EffectiveSome evidence suggests a benefit.

4Possibly IneffectiveSome evidence it may not help.

5Likely IneffectiveFairly strong evidence it doesn’t help.

6IneffectiveStrong evidence it doesn’t work.

7Insufficient Reliable Evidence to RateToo little research to say either way.

Possibly Effective Back pain