Abstract
Objectives: This was a randomized controlled pilot trial to evaluate the effectiveness of cupping therapy for neck pain in video display terminal (VDT) workers. Methods: Forty VDT workers with moderate to severe neck pain were recruited from May, 2011 to February, 2012. Participants were randomly allocated into one of the two interventions: 6 sessions of wet and dry cupping or heating pad application. The participants were offered an exercise program to perform during the participation period. A 0 to 100 numeric rating scale (NRS) for neck pain, measure yourself medical outcome profile 2 score (MYMOP2 score), cervical spine range of motion (C-spine ROM), neck disability index (NDI), the EuroQol health index (EQ-5D), short form stress response inventory (SRI-SF) and fatigue severity scale (FSS) were assessed at several points during a 7-week period. Results: Compared with a heating pad, cupping was more effective in improving pain (adjusted NRS difference: –1.29 [95% CI –1.61, -0.97] at 3 wk (p=0.025) and –1.16 [–1.48, –0.84] at 7 wk (p=0.005)), neck function (adjusted NDI difference: –0.79 [–1.11, –0.47] at 3 (p=0.0039) and 7 wk (p< 0.0001)) and discomfort (adjusted MYMOP2 difference score: –0.72 [–1.04 to –0.40] at 3 wk and –0.92 [–1.24, –0.60] at 7 wk). Significant improvement in EQ-5D was observed at 7 wk (1.0 [0.88, 1.0] with cupping and 0.91 [0.86, 0.91] with heating pad treatment, p=0.0054). Four participants reported mild adverse events of cupping. Conclusion: Two weeks of cupping therapy and an exercise program may be effective in reducing pain and improving neck function in VDT workers.
