Clinical Effects of Laser Acupuncture plus Chinese Cupping on the Pain and Plasma Cortisol Levels in Patients with Chronic Nonspecific Lower Back Pain: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Abstract

Objectives Chronic nonspecific lower back pain (LBP) is a common disease. Insufficient data is currently available to conclusively confirm the analgesic effects of laser acupuncture on LBP. This study evaluated the effectiveness of laser acupuncture plus Chinese cupping in LBP treatment. Methods Patients with chronic nonspecific LBP were enrolled for a randomized controlled trial and assigned to the laser acupuncture group (laser acupuncture plus Chinese cupping) and control group (sham laser plus Chinese cupping). Laser acupuncture (808 nm; 40 mW; 20 Hz; 15 J/cm2) and Chinese cupping were applied on the Weizhong (BL40) and Ashi acupoints for 5 consecutive days. Plasma cortisol levels were assessed before and after the 5-day treatment session. The visual analog scale (VAS) scores were recorded at baseline and throughout the 5-day treatment session. Results After the treatment session, the plasma cortisol levels and VAS scores decreased significantly in both groups. In the laser acupuncture group, the VAS scores decreased significantly on days 4 and 5, and an enhanced reduction in VAS scores was observed. Conclusion Laser acupuncture plus Chinese cupping at the Weizhong (BL40) and Ashi acupoints effectively reduced pain and inflammation in chronic nonspecific LBP. This therapy could be a suitable option for LBP treatment in clinical settings.

Cupping therapy and chronic back pain: systematic review and meta-analysis

“…All articles selected were published in English language and were conducted in Germany 9 , 22 - 27 , Taiwan 28 - 30 , Iran 31 - 33 , South Korea 34 - 35 and in Saudi Arabia 36 . Participants were a total of 1049 people, aged between 18 and 79 years, of whom 519 were in the groups receiving the experimental therapy and 530 in the control groups (sham, waiting list, standard medical treatment/active treatment or no treatment).…”

“…Participants were a total of 1049 people, aged between 18 and 79 years, of whom 519 were in the groups receiving the experimental therapy and 530 in the control groups (sham, waiting list, standard medical treatment/active treatment or no treatment). Of these, all had chronic pain conditions 15 , being the cervical spine/neck the most affected area 9 , 23 - 27 , 29 , 34 , followed by the lumbar region 22 , 28 , 30 - 33 , 35 - 36 . Two other studies 31 , 33 , although they did not make clear the temporality of the pain, were selected because this information could be inferred with great accuracy.…”

Photobiomodulation Therapy (PBMT) as a Complementary Medicine for Women to Adjust Their Autonomic Nervous Systems and Induce Specific Brain Waves - A Case Report

“…PBMT stimulation might be conducive to helping people fall asleep with patients with sleep problems [14]. In 2017, laser acupuncture plus cupping at the Weizhong and Ashi acupoints effectively reduced pain and inflammation in chronic nonspecific low back pain by cortisol level and visual analog scale (VAS) analysis [15]. In 2018, a plantar incision (PI) model using rats was used to mimic human postsurgical pain with 830nm and 650nm LA treatments on Zusanli acupoints.…”

Dry cupping in the treatment of individuals with non-specific chronic low back pain: a protocol for a placebo-controlled, randomised, double-blind study

“…However, the study had a small number of participants, poor methodological quality (eg, inappropriate randomisation, no evaluator blinding and no placebo group), indicating the need for high-quality studies in this area. Another recent randomised clinical trial36 combined dry cupping therapy with low-intensity laser, observing a reduction of two points on the analogue visual pain scale in individuals with non-specific chronic low back pain.…”