The Effectiveness of Adding Cupping Therapy in Patients With Nonspecific Chronic Lumbar Pain

Low back pain is a major public health problem and is associated with a high rate of absenteeism at work, functional disability and frequent use of health services. Suction cup therapy is a common technique of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), which has been around for about 3,300 years in Asia and the Middle East and has as its main feature the decrease in signs and symptoms of chronic pain. The technique was widely used in the 19th century throughout Asia and Europe, and in recent years demand has been increasing, possibly due to the inefficiency of conventional therapies and medicines. Objective: To verify the effectiveness of the suction cup therapy technique associated with conventional physiotherapy in patients with chronic low back pain. Method: We will include individuals between 18 and 60 years old, both genders, with low back pain for more than 3 months, without having received physical therapy treatment for a period of 6 months. Individuals with severe spinal diseases, root conditions of the spine, carriers of vascular diseases and pregnant women will be excluded. They will be randomly divided into two groups, Conventional Physiotherapy (group 1) and Conventional Physiotherapy associated with suction cup therapy (group 2).