The Effect of 5 Times Dry Cupping in the Treatment of Chronic Neck Pain

NCT ID: NCT01289964

Last Updated: 2011-08-19

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 50 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2009-07-31
• Study Completion Date: 2009-12-31

Brief Summary

The study aims to investigate the influence of 5 dry cupping treatments on chronic non specific neck pain. 50 patients with neck pain are randomised into cupping treatment and waiting list control group at T0 (Day 0). At T1 (Day 7)the investigators evaluate the neck pain (VAS), the neck related disability (NDI), pain related to movement (PRTM) and the quality of life (SF36). To investigate neurophysiological effects of cupping we also measure mechanical detection threshold (MDT), vibration detection threshold (VDT) and pressure pain threshold (PPT) at pain related and control areas. The treatment group then receives 5 cupping treatments over a period of two weeks. After the cupping series resp. a waiting period for the waiting list control group (T2, Day 25) all measurements from T1 are repeated (VAS, NDI, PRTM, SF36, MDT, PPT, VDT). At last, a pain and medication diary is filled in by the patients from T0(Day 0) until T2 (Day 25). The investigators hypothesize, that cupping treatment is effective against neck pain (diary, VAS, NDI, PRTM, SF36) and that it leads to changes on perceptual level (MDT, VDT, PPT), when compared to the waiting list control group.

Detailed Description

see above

Conditions

Neck Pain; Neck Pain Musculoskeletal; Mechanical/Motor Problems With Neck and Trunk

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: TREATMENT
• Blinding Strategy: NONE

Study Groups

Waiting list control group

No treatment within the study period, were allowed to continue physiotherapy and medication. Were offered the treatment after finishing the study

Group Type: NO_INTERVENTION

No interventions assigned to this group

Treatment group

Received the 5 cupping treatments, application twice a week, non standardised application - individual determinations of trigger points

Group Type: ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Dry Cupping or fire cupping

Intervention Type: PROCEDURE

5 dry cupping treatments, application twice a week, non standardised procedure

Interventions

Dry Cupping or fire cupping

5 dry cupping treatments, application twice a week, non standardised procedure

Intervention Type: PROCEDURE

Other Intervention Names

Cupping is: heating glas cups to create a vacuum on the skin

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• age between 18 and 75
• permanent neck pain for at least three months in a row
• a minimum of 40mm of neck pain on a 100mm visual analogue scale (VAS)
• having been in treatment to an orthopaedic or to a neurologist

Exclusion Criteria

• neck pain caused by trauma, inflammatory or malignant disease, by congenital malformation of the spine or if pain was accompanied by radicular symptoms such as radiating pain, paresis, prickling or tingling.
• invasive treatments within the last 4 weeks, surgery to the spine within the last year, corticosteroid or opioid treatment.
• serious acute or chronic organic disease such as diabetes or cancer, mental disorders, pregnancy, and haemorrhagic tendency or anticoagulation treatment.
• non steroidal pain medication and physiotherapy were allowed if the treatment regimen was not altered for four weeks before and continued during the study.

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 75 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Sponsors

Universität Duisburg-Essen

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

University of Duisburg-Essen, Chair of Complementary and Integrative Medicine

Principal Investigators

Gustav J Dobos, Prof. MD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

University of Duisburg-Essen, Chair of Complementary and Integrative Medicine

Locations

Knappschaftskrankenhaus

Essen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany

Countries

Germany

References

Lauche R, Cramer H, Choi KE, Rampp T, Saha FJ, Dobos GJ, Musial F. The influence of a series of five dry cupping treatments on pain and mechanical thresholds in patients with chronic non-specific neck pain--a randomised controlled pilot study. BMC Complement Altern Med. 2011 Aug 15;11:63. doi: 10.1186/1472-6882-11-63.

Reference Type: RESULT

PMID: 21843336 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

DryCupping2009

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id