NCT07102355

Comparative Effectiveness of Dry Cupping and Graston Techniques in Scapulocostal Syndrome.

Comparative Effectiveness of Dry Cupping and Graston Techniques in Office Workers With Scapulocostal Syndrome; A Randomised Clinical Trail

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 46 (actual)
• Sponsor: University of Management and Technology Sialkot Pakistan · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 30 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to check the comparative effectiveness of Graston Techniques and Dry cupping in Office Workers with Scapulocostal syndrome. The main questions it aims to answer are: 1. To evaluate the relative effectiveness of dry cupping and the Graston technique. 2. How well each technique reduces symptoms and enhances work productivity and functional outcomes. 3. To assess whether integrating either Graston Technique or Dry Cupping provides more beneficial effects than conventional treatment alone. 1\) Be divided into 2 Groups (Group A= Dry Cupping; B: Graston Techniques) 2) get the treatment for 4 weeks (3 days a week). 3) Receive the same conventional treatment.

Detailed description

This study aims to compare the effectiveness of Graston and Dry cupping in treating Scapulocostal syndrome in office workers, focusing on specific outcomes like pain severity, functional outcomes, and work productivity. This study will be a randomized clinical trial with a sample size of 46 participants with work-related SCS. The participants will be obtained by non-probability convenient sampling based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Participants will be randomly assigned into two groups, with 23 subjects in each group. Group A will receive dry cupping along with conventional therapy while Group B will receive IASTM along with conventional therapy.

Conditions

• Scapulocostal Syndrome

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
OTHER	Experimental: Group A = Dry Cupping	Dry cupping, originating in Middle Eastern and Asian countries, gained popularity in the United States after the 2016 Summer Olympics. It has two main forms: wet and dry cupping. Wet cupping involves laceration of the skin, while dry cupping uses negative pressure to pull the skin into the cup. Cupping is used to reduce musculoskeletal or myofascial pain, with the most accepted mechanism being localized hyperemia, which improves microcirculation and promotes healing
OTHER	Experimental: Group B = Graston Technique	Instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization (IASTM), derived from Cyriax cross-friction massage, is a popular alternative to traditional manual therapy techniques, with its first controlled study published in 1997 (Seffrin \& Gardiner-Shires, 2019) .The Graston Technique(GT), also known as instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization (IASTM), is used by chiropractors, doctors, and therapists to alleviate pain and range-of-motion restrictions caused by musculoskeletal injuries and scar tissue. (McKivigan, J. M., \& Tulimero, G. et al. , 2020) . The Graston technique, is also used to alleviate upper cervical pain.

Timeline

• Start date: 2024-10-01
• Primary completion: 2025-01-25
• Completion: 2025-09-13
• First posted: 2025-08-03
• Last updated: 2025-12-30

Locations

4 sites across 1 country: Pakistan