Can dry cupping relieve chronic lower back pain?

A study published in the journal BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine showed that dry cupping is an effective alternative remedy for chronic lower back pain. The study examined the effect of two different forms of dry cupping in people with chronic lower back pain.

• The study included 110 people with chronic lower back pain.
• The participants were randomly divided into three groups: one group received regular pulsatile cupping with eight treatments along with paracetamol on demand; another group received minimal cupping with eight treatments along with paracetamol on demand; and a control group that received paracetamol on demand only.
• In pulsatile cupping, strong negative pressure is generated with a pump. On the other hand, minimal cupping involves generating weak negative pressure.
• The researchers assessed the intensity of pain, back function, and quality of life of the participants after four and 12 weeks.
• The results showed that pulsatile cupping and minimal cupping both reduced pain intensity and improved back function.
• The researchers also observed that pulsatile cupping improved the quality of life in people with chronic lower back pain.
• There were no significant differences on the beneficial effects of the two types of cupping.

Overall, these findings indicate that dry cupping is an effective alternative for treating chronic lower back pain.

To read more studies on natural treatments for chronic lower back pain, visit BackPain.news.

Journal Reference:

Teut M, Ullmann A, Ortiz M, Rotter G, Binting S, Cree M, Lotz F, Roll S, Brinkhaus B. PULSATILE DRY CUPPING IN CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN – A RANDOMIZED THREE-ARMED CONTROLLED CLINICAL TRIAL. BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine. 2 April 2018; 18(1): 115. DOI: 10.1186/s12906-018-2187-8