A randomized controlled trial investigating the impact of a single flash cupping session on patients with chronic lower back pain using multichannel surface electromyographic assessment
Affiliations: [a] Acupuncture and Moxibustion Department, The Fourth Clinical Medical College of Guangzhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China | [b] CAS Key Laboratory of Human-Machine Intelligence-Synergy Systems, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology (SIAT), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Shenzhen, Guangdong, China | [c] Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Joint Laboratory of Human-Machine Intelligence-Synergy Systems, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
Correspondence:
[*]
Corresponding author: Xue-Mei Cao, Acupuncture and Moxibustion
Department, The Fourth Clinical Medical College of Guangzhou University of Traditional
Chinese Medicine, No. 1 Fuhua Road, Futian District, Shenzhen 518000, Guangdong, China.
E-mail: caoxuemeicxmsg@outlook.com. Nai-fu Jiang, CAS Key Laboratory of Human-Machine Intelligence-Synergy Systems, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology (SIAT), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), No. 1068, Xili Shenzhen University Town Xueyuan Avenue, Nanshan District, Shenzhen 518055, Guangdong, China..
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Chronic lower back pain (CLBP) is one of the most common disorders worldwide. Flash cupping has the ability to relieve CLBP; nevertheless, its impact on CLBP and the likely mechanism of action have not been studied. OBJECTIVE: The goal of this study was to assess the impact of a single, brief cupping session on CLBP and low back muscle activity using multichannel surface electromyography (sEMG). METHODS: In this randomized controlled trial, 24 patients with CLBP were enrolled and randomly assigned to the control group (treated by acupuncture) and cupping group (treated by acupuncture and flash cupping). Acupuncture was applied on the shen shu (BL23), dachang shu (BL25), and wei zhong (BL40) acupoints in both the groups. A brief cupping treatment was applied to the shen shu (BL23), qihai shu (BL24), dachang shu (BL25), guanyuan shu (BL26), and xiaochang shu (BL27) acupoints on both sides of the lower back in the cupping group. The numeric rating scale (NRS) was used to assess therapy efficacy for lower back pain (LBP) before and after treatment. Surface EMG data collected during symmetrical trunk flexion-extension movements were utilized to measure lower back muscle activity and the effectiveness of LBP therapy. RESULTS: There was no statistically significant difference (P= 0.63) in pain intensity between the two groups before and after treatment. There was a statistically significant difference (P= 0.04) between the control group and the cupping group in the sEMG topographic map parameter CoGx-To-Midline. CONCLUSION: This study established a connection between the action mechanism of flash cupping and enhanced horizontal synchronization of lower back muscular activity.
Keywords: Acupuncture, chronic lower back pain, electromyography, flash cupping, surface
