title: Cupping for treating neck pain in video display terminal (VDT) users: a randomized controlled pilot trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  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 weeks (p=0.025) and -1.16 [-1.48, -0.84] at 7 weeks (p=0.005)), neck function (adjusted NDI difference: -0.79 [-1.11, -0.47] at 3 (p=0.0039) and 7 weeks (p<0.0001)) and discomfort (adjusted MYMOP2 difference score: -0.72 [-1.04 to -0.40] at 3 weeks and -0.92 [-1.24, -0.60] at 7 weeks). Significant improvement in EQ-5D was observed at 7 weeks (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.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Two weeks of cupping therapy and an exercise program may be effective in reducing pain and improving neck function in VDT workers.
authors.affiliation: Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, South Korea. rockandmineral@gmail.com
authors.forename: Tae-Hun
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jung Won
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Kun Hyung
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Min Hee
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Jung Eun
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Joo-Hee
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Seunghoon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Mi-Suk
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.forename: So-Young
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.forename: Ae-Ran
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Hyo-Ju
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Kwon Eui
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Hong
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000529:Complementary Therapies / Q000379:methods*; D016288:Computer Terminals; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006979:Hyperthermia, Induced; D008297:Male; D019547:Neck Pain / Q000628:therapy*; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000628:therapy; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care / Q000379:methods; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011788:Quality of Life; D056910:Republic of Korea; D013396:Suction; D055815:Young Adult