• Abdullah AlBedah, Mohamed Khalil, Ahmed Elolemy, Asim A Hussein, Meshari AlQaed, Abdullah Al Mudaiheem, Raid A Abutalib, Faisal Mohamed Bazaid, Ahmad Saeed Bafail, AboBakr Essa, and Mohammed Yahia Bakrain.
• 1 National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine , Ministry of Health, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia .
• J Altern Complement Med. 2015 Aug 1; 21 (8): 504-8.

ObjectivesTo evaluate the effectiveness and safety of wet cupping therapy as a single treatment for persistent nonspecific low back pain (PNSLBP).DesignRandomized controlled trial comparing wet cupping versus no treatment in PNSLBP.SettingOutpatient clinic in three secondary care hospitals in Saudi Arabia.PatientsEighty eligible participants with PNSLBP for at least 3 months were randomly allocated to an intervention group (n=40) or to a control group (n=40).InterventionsSix wet cupping sessions within 2 weeks, each of which were done at two bladder meridian (BL) acupuncture points among BL23, BL24, and BL25. Only acetaminophen was allowed as a rescue treatment in both groups.Outcome MeasuresThe Numeric Rating Scale (NRS), McGill Present Pain Intensity (PPI), and Oswestry Disability Questionnaire (ODQ) were used as outcome measures. Numbers of acetaminophen tablets taken were compared at 4 weeks from baseline. Adverse events were recorded.ResultsAt the end of the intervention, statistically significant differences in the three outcome measures favoring the wet cupping group compared with the control group were seen: NRS score, 29.2 (95% confidence interval [CI], 24.6-33.8) versus 57.9 (95% CI, 53.3-62.6), respectively; PPI score, 1.17 (95% CI, 0.96-1.4) versus 2.3 (95% CI, 2.1- 2.7); and ODQ score, 19.6 (95% CI, 16.5-22.7) versus 35.4 (95% CI, 32.3-38.5) (p=0.0001). This improvement continued for another 2 weeks after the end of the intervention. Acetaminophen was used less in the wet cupping group, but this difference was not statistically significant. No adverse events were reported.ConclusionsWet cupping is potentially effective in reducing pain and improving disability associated with PNSLBP at least for 2 weeks after the end of the wet cupping period. Placebo-controlled trials are needed.

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