Acute Effects of Dermal Suction on Passive Muscle and Joint Stiffness

A pilot study of skin stretching and blood circulation effects of dermal suctioning in dogs

Dermal suctioning has been reported to yield effects similar to those of cupping therapy in humans and horses, including pain reduction, increased blood circulation, improved flexibility, and healing. However, there is a dearth of reported outcomes concerning cupping or dermal suctioning in dogs. In this study, we examined the physiological effects of dermal suctioning in dogs. Employing the Medicell MINI pro8 device, dermal suctioning was applied to the dorsal surfaces of eight healthy beagle dogs for 20 min. Metrics such as body surface temperature, rectal temperature, pulse rate, respiratory rate, and skin pinch test results were gauged. Seven healthy beagle dogs were used as controls, and the same measurements were performed without dermal suctioning. The results showed a significant increase in the body surface temperature and skin pinch test results after dermal suctioning. We believe that the elimination of torsion in the blood vessels and nerves in the shallow fascia positively affected the thermoregulatory mechanism, resulting in an increase in body surface temperature, and also improving skin flexibility. Thus, dermal suctioning promotes subcutaneous blood circulation and improves skin flexibility in dogs. Further research is needed to identify the mechanisms underlying the effects of dermal suctioning and evaluate the stress in dogs caused by the implementation of the process.

Acute and Prolonged Effects of Dermal Suction on Joint Range of Motion and Passive Muscle Stiffness: A Preliminary Study

This study aimed to investigate the acute and prolonged effects of dermal suction on joint range of motion (ROM) and passive muscle stiffness. Eight-minute dermal suction was prescribed for the quadriceps femoris in 15 participants. Hip extension ROM, knee flexion ROM, and passive muscle stiffness of the rectus femoris (RF) and vastus lateralis (VL) were measured before and immediately, 30 min, 60 min, 120 min, 24 h, and 48 h after dermal suction. Passive muscle stiffness was measured using shear wave elastography. Hip extension ROM significantly increased immediately (p = 0.032), 60 min (p = 0.029), and 120 min (p = 0.031) after dermal suction compared with before dermal suction; however, it was not significantly different at 30 min, 24 h, and 48 h after dermal suction (p > 0.05). Passive muscle stiffness of the RF and VL and knee flexion ROM did not significantly change at any measurement time compared with before dermal suction (p > 0.05). Our preliminary results suggest that dermal suction improves hip extension ROM immediately after dermal suction of the quadriceps femoris, followed by a return to the pre-prescription level 30 min after. However, the effect was prolonged for 120 min and disappeared before 24 h.

Acute effects of dermal suctioning on back pain in racehorses: a pilot study

Back pain is a common clinical condition that leads to poor performance in racehorses. Therefore, horse owners would benefit from a suitable and effective treatment that results in the early recovery of their horses. Dermal suctioning significantly improves chronic lower back pain in humans. Thus, if a similar effect were to be found in racehorses, it could become a new treatment for back pain in horses. In this study, we examined the acute effects of dermal suctioning on back pain in racehorses. Twelve Thoroughbred racehorses with back pain underwent 10 min of dermal suctioning in the thoracolumbar region. The pain score, mechanical nociceptive threshold (MNT), heart rate variability (HRV), and plasma cortisol concentrations were measured. Results showed that pain scores were significantly improved immediately after dermal suctioning (P=0.028), while MNT, HRV, and plasma cortisol concentrations did not show significant changes (P>0.05). These results indicate that dermal suctioning immediately relieves pain but has a limited effect on the other three parameters.

The effects of eccentric exercise on passive hamstring muscle stiffness: Comparison of shear-wave elastography and passive knee torque outcomes

The aim of our study was to assess eccentric-exercise-induced changes in passive knee joint torque, passive knee joint stiffness and shear modulus at of the hamstring muscles. We hypothesized that eccentric exercise would elicit an increase in all outcomes. Fourteen healthy volunteers (age = 25.5±4.7 years) performed eccentric exercise protocol. Before and after 0h, 1h, 24h and 48h, we measured the shear modulus of hamstring muscles using shear-wave elastography and passive knee joint stiffness on isokinetic dynamometer. After eccentric exercise, the shear modulus of biceps femoris increased after 0h (22.4 ± 34.1 %; p = 0.021) and for semitendinosus after 0h (14.5 ± 4.9 %), 1h (16.2 ± 6.5 %) and 24h (16.6 ± 8.3 %) (p = 0.005-0.015). There were no changes for semimembranosus and no changes in passive knee joint moment measures. There were also no correlations between the two methods. Eccentric exercise increased shear modulus of hamstring muscles, while passive joint torque was not affected. This suggests that shear-wave elastography could be more sensitive than torque measures to intra-muscular changes induced by eccentric exercise.