The Effects of Cupping Massage in Patients With Chronic Neck Pain - A Randomized Controlled Trial

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Neck Pain; Mechanical/Motor Problems With Neck and Trunk
• Interventions: Procedure: Cupping massage

• Registration Number: NCT02651766
• Lead Sponsor: Universität Duisburg-Essen

Brief Summary

The study aims to investigate the influence of 5 cupping massage treatments on chronic non specific neck pain. 50 patients with neck pain are randomised into cupping treatment and waiting list control group. Before and after the intervention the investigators evaluate the neck pain (VAS), the neck related disability (NDI), pain on movement (POM) and the quality of life (SF36) and safety. To investigate neurophysiological effects of cupping the investigators also measure mechanical detection threshold (MDT), vibration detection threshold (VDT) and pressure pain threshold (PPT) and the two point discrimination threshold at pain related and control areas.

The treatment group receives 5 cupping treatments over a period of 3 weeks.

Detailed Description

see above

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2009-05
• Primary Completion: 2011-02
• Study Completion: 2011-02
• Study First Submitted: 2016-01-07
• Study First Submitted QC: 2016-01-08
• Study First Posted: 2016-01-11
• Status Verified: 2018-04
• Last Update Submitted: 2018-04-30
• Last Update Posted: 2018-05-02

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 50

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)

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.

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Cupping massage treatment	Cupping massage	Received the 5 cupping treatments, application twice a week on the upper back and neck

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Pain intensity	3 weeks	100mm Visual Analogue Scale from 0mm 'no pain' to 100mm 'maximal pain'

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
pressure pain threshold PPT	3 weeks	with a pressure gauge algometer to determine threshold for painful pressure (Rolke, Pain, 2006) on the area of maximal neck pain, the adjacent and hand and foot
Adverse events	3 weeks	Number of patients with adverse events
two point discrimination threshold	3 weeks	using a pair of circles, determining the distance necessary between those to perceive them as separate sensations
Pain on movement (POM)	3 weeks	100mm Visual Analogue Scale from 0mm 'no pain' to 100mm 'maximal pain' Intensity rated for 6 movement directions flexion, tension, and rotation
Neck disability index	3 weeks	NDI measures neck pain complaints (Vernon und Mior 1991)
Quality of Life SF-36	3 weeks	the sf-36 is a short form health survey consisting of 8 scales to measure functional health and wellbeing (Bullinger \& Kirchberger 1998)
mechanical detection threshold MDT	3 weeks	by von Frey filaments to measure perception threshold for light touch (Rolke, Pain, 2006)
vibration detection threshold VDT	3 weeks	with a tuning fork to measure perception threshold for vibration (Rolke, Pain, 2006)

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Knappschaftskrankenhaus; 🇩🇪 Essen, NRW, Germany