NCT06893185

Cupping Therapy for Neck Pain in Cervical Spondylosis

Effectiveness of Cupping Therapy in Managing Neck Pain and Improving Cervical Mobility in Cervical Spondylosis Patients: A Randomized Clinical Trial

• Status: Not Yet Recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 82 (estimated)
• Sponsor: University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 20 Years – 60 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

Cervical spondylosis is one of the common causes of chronic neck pain. It can significantly affect the quality of life, lead to disabilities, and increase the economic burden on patients. Treatment mainly includes pain relievers, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), muscle relaxants or physical therapy. The condition tends to recur frequently; therefore, long-term use of medication can lead to unwanted effects on the digestive system, kidneys, and cardiovascular system. Dry cupping therapy is a non-pharmacological method that has been shown to be effective in pain management. Cupping therapy has the advantage of being applicable to patients who are afraid of needles and has a wide area of effect. Given the limitations in evaluating treatment effectiveness and safety, along with the lack of published research discussing the analgesic effects of dry cupping for neck pain caused by cervical spondylosis, the investigators conducted the study on pain reduction and safety of cupping therapy in patients with neck pain caused by cervical spondylosis.

Detailed description

Patients diagnosed with cervical spondylosis who have neck pain will be registered for this study. They will be treated with electroacupuncture or cupping therapy. The intervention period is two weeks. Electroacupuncture will be performed five times a week while cupping therapy will be performed once every 3 days. Data on the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and side effects of electroacupuncture and cupping therapy will be recorded before the study and weekly for 2 weeks.

Conditions

• Neck Pain
• Cervical Spondylosis

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
OTHER	Dry cupping therapy	Dry cupping therapy will perform on the skin areas containing the EX-B2, A-shi, and GB21 acupuncture points every 3 days for 2 weeks.
OTHER	Electroacupuncture	Electroacupuncture therapy will be performed five times a week for 2 weeks. The acupoints are the Huatuojiaji (EX-B2), A-shi, and Jianjing (GB21).

Timeline

• Start date: 2025-06-01
• Primary completion: 2025-07-31
• Completion: 2025-08-31
• First posted: 2025-03-25
• Last updated: 2025-05-29