The effect of vacuum massage (Chinese cupping) on selected skin characteristics in young women with lipodystrophy

In the study a 5.2 cm Chinese cup for massage was used. The massage was performed (11x) by a trained physiotherapist on the lower right limb in the front and back thigh area. The left lower limb was the control leg on which no treatment was performed. The massage was divided into three stages. Each stage was performed using olive oil and all movements were performed towards the heart. The entire massage lasted about 20 minutes. The massage on the front of the thigh was performed in the same way as on the back, all movements that were performed from the popliteal fossa to the buttock at the back, at the front were performed starting above the patella and ending below the inguinal crease. In the first stage (9 min.), movements from classic massage such as stroking and rubbing were used to properly prepare the area of the body where the treatment was performed. Each movement was performed for about 3 minutes: 1. longitudinal stroking from the popliteal fossa bend, moving towards the buttock area; 2. "comb" rubbing, which also begins in the popliteal bend area, moving outward towards the hip; 3. this stage was finished with stroking. The second stage (7 min) is the part using the Chinese cupping, i.e. the main massage. In this stage, each movement was repeated 3 times: 1. "fence", the movement starts from the popliteal fossa, moving upwards. The cup is brought down from under the buttock to the outer side of the thigh; 2. transverse guiding of the cupping, the movement was carried out from the outside to the inside of the thigh; 3. oblique guiding of the cupping, also from the outside to the inside, moving upwards; 4. spiral guiding of the cupping, the movement was started from the popliteal fossa towards the buttock, with bringing down on the outer side of the thigh. The third stage (4 min.) is almost the same as the first. The only difference is the shaking movement lasting about a minute, which was performed between the stroking movement and the “comb” rubbing movement. 1. longitudinal stroking from the popliteal fossa bend towards the buttock area; 2. shaking movement; 3. “comb” rubbing; 4. stroking movement. The study lasted 3 weeks, the treatments were performed every other day, a total of 11 treatments were performed.