title: The Effect Dry Cupping Therapy at Acupoint BL23 on the Intensity of Postpartum Low Back Pain in Primiparous Women Based on Two Types of Questionnaires, 2012; A Randomized Clinical Trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Continuous low back pain is associated with the symptoms of the pregnancy period. In spite of the improvement of low back pain within 6 months after the delivery, some women may develop chronic problems. This study aimed to investigate the effect of dry cupping therapy at BL23 point on the intensity of low back pain in primiparous women.
  
  
  METHODS
  In the present randomized clinical trial, 100 samples were randomly allocated to either the cupping therapy or the control group (each containing 50 subjects). Cupping therapy was performed for 15-20 minutes every day up to 4 consecutive times. Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and short-form McGill pain questionnaire were completed by the two groups before the intervention and immediately, 24 hours, and 2 weeks after that. Then, the data were entered into the SPSS statistical software (v. 16) and analyzed using chi-square test and repeated measures ANOVA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  According to VAS, the mean intensity of low back pain in the cupping therapy group decreased from 7.8±2.7 before the intervention to 3.7±1.8, 2.5±1.7, and 1.4±1.4 immediately, 24 hours, and 2 weeks after the intervention, respectively. Besides, these measures were respectively obtained as 31.8±10.8, 9.0±6.7, 7.5±6.6, and 3.6±4.1 in the short-form McGill pain questionnaire. According to repeated measures ANOVA, a significant difference was observed among the various stages of follow-up (P=0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study results showed cupping therapy to be effective in sedation of pain. Thus, it can be used as an effective treatment for reducing the low back pain.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  2013072611944N3.
authors.affiliation: Community Based Psychiatric Care Research Center, Department of Midwifery, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran;
authors.forename: Marzieh
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Akbarzadeh
authors.affiliation: Department of Midwifery, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran;
authors.forename: Mehrnoush
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ghaemmaghami
authors.affiliation: Department of Midwifery, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran;
authors.forename: Zahra
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yazdanpanahi
authors.affiliation: Department of Bio-Statistics, Infertility Research Center Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran;
authors.forename: Najaf
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Zare
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacognosy, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
authors.forename: Amir
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Azizi
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacognosy, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
authors.forename: Abdolali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mohagheghzadeh
keywords: Acupuncture Point BL23; Dry Cupping; Low Back Pain; Postpartum