THERAPEUTIC EFFECT OF CUPPING ON NON-SPECIFIC NECK AND LOW BACK PAIN - A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW

BACKGROUND & AIMS Neck and low back pain are the major musculoskeletal problems effecting people around the globe. Increasing number of researches underpin the effects of cupping in neck and low back pain. However, empirical studies are required to confirm the efficiency of cupping therapy. Therefore, the aim of this review was to examine the efficacy of cupping treatment in non-specific neck and low back pain. STUDY SELECTION & ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA This systematic review included Randomised Controlled Trials focused on cupping therapy and its effects on neck and low back pain. Extensive search was performed on Google Scholar, PubMed, MEDLINE and Pedro databases. Studies published from 2009 to 2017 were included. RESULTS Eight RCT's with a 659 sample size were selected for review. Compared to other cupping methods ‘wet cupping', ‘fire cupping' and ‘cupping massage' were superior in reducing pain in neck and low back pain P<0.001. However, a few cupping techniques showed relatively less significant P<0.133, P<0.05, and P<0.037 in comparison to previously mentioned methods. CONCLUSION Cupping therapy can be beneficial in alleviation of non-specific cervicalgia and lumbago in short-term. However, due to weak evidence and a small sample size, the study was restricted from drawing a definite conclusion. Future high-level evidence and research work is required for confirmative and conclusive recommendation of cupping in clinical settings for musculoskeletal pain.