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

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Neck Pain; Neck Pain Musculoskeletal; Mechanical/Motor Problems With Neck and Trunk
• Interventions: Procedure: Dry Cupping or fire cupping

• Registration Number: NCT01289964
• Lead Sponsor: Universität Duisburg-Essen

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

Study Timeline

• Status Verified: 2009-07
• Study Start: 2009-07
• Primary Completion: 2009-12
• Study Completion: 2009-12
• Study First Submitted: 2011-01-31
• Study First Submitted QC: 2011-02-03
• Study First Posted: 2011-02-04
• Last Update Submitted: 2011-08-18
• Last Update Posted: 2011-08-19

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)
• 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.

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Treatment group	Dry Cupping or fire cupping	Received the 5 cupping treatments, application twice a week, non standardised application - individual determinations of trigger points

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Pain intensity	at T2 (Day 25)	100mm Visual Analogue Scale

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
pressure pain threshold PPT	at T2 (Day 25)	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
Side effects	from T1 (Day 7) to T2 (Day 25)	open question on any side effects or other experiences with the treatment
Medication diary	From T0 (Day 0) to T2 (Day 25)	patient report used medication during the study period (amount, dose)
pain related to movement	at T2 (Day 25)	100mm Visual Analogue Scale for 6 movement directions (Irnich, BMJ 2001)
pain diary	from T0 (Day 0) to T2 (Day25)	Daily rating of pain intensity (numeric rating scale from 0-10)
Neck disability index	at T2 (Day 25)	NDI measures neck pain complaints (Vernon und Mior 1991)
Quality of Life SF-36	at T2 (Day 25)	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	at T2 (Day 25)	by von Frey filaments to measure perception threshold for light touch (Rolke, Pain, 2006)
vibration detection threshold VDT	at T2 (Day 25)	with a tuning fork to measure perception threshold for vibration (Rolke, Pain, 2006)

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Knappschaftskrankenhaus; 🇩🇪 Essen, NRW, Germany