• Felix J Saha, Gianna Brummer, Romy Lauche, Thomas Ostermann, Kyung-Eun Choi, Thomas Rampp, Gustav Dobos, and Holger Cramer.
• Department of Internal and Integrative Medicine, Kliniken Essen-Mitte, Faculty of Medicine, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany. Electronic address: f.saha@kliniken-essen-mitte.de.
• Complement Ther Clin Pract. 2019 Feb 1; 34: 64-69.

ObjectiveTo test the efficacy of Gua Sha therapy in patients with chronic low back pain.Methods50 patients with chronic low back pain (78% female, 49.7 ± 10.0 years) were randomized to two Gua Sha treatments (n = 25) or waitlist control (n = 25). Primary outcome was current pain intensity (100-mm visual analog scale); secondary outcome measures included function (Oswestry Disability Index), pain on movement (Pain on Movement Questionnaire), perceived change in health status, pressure pain threshold, mechanical detection threshold, and vibration detection threshold.ResultsAfter treatment, patients in the Gua Sha group reported lower pain intensity (p < 0.001) and better overall health status (p = 0.002) compared to the waitlist group. No further group differences were found. No serious adverse events occurred.ConclusionsGua Sha appears to be an acceptable, safe, and effective treatment for patients with chronic low back pain. Further rigorous studies are needed to confirm and extend these results.Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

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