Therapeutic effect of cupping therapy on lumbar myofascial pain syndrome in soldiers

Objective To observe the effect of cupping therapy on lumbar myofascial pain syndrome in soldiers and provide a simple solution of training injuries for grass-root military personnel. Methods Sixty soldiers diagnosed with lumbar myofascial pain syndrome from April to July in 2019 were selected as the research subjects,and they were randomly divided into cupping group and sticking-plaster group according to the order of registration,with 30 cases in each group.The cupping group was treated with silicone soft cupping by medical non-commissioned officer in the same class,while the sticking-plaster group was treated with plaster application,once every other day for 2 weeks.Visual analogue pain score (VAS) was recorded before treatment,at 30 minutes,1 week and 2 weeks after treatment,the lumbar spine joint activity was recorded before treatment and 2 weeks after treatment,and the total effective rate and cost-effectiveness after 2 weeks of treatment were calculated. Results The VAS score in the cupping group and the sticking-plaster group decreased significantly at 30 minutes,1 week,and 2 weeks after treatment (all P<0.05);and it was lower in the cupping group than the sticking-plaster group at each timepoint (P<0.05).After 2 weeks of treatment,the lumbar vertebral joint mobility increased (P<0.05) in both groups and it was better in cupping group than the sticking-plaster group (P<0.05).The total effective rate in the cupping group (93.33%) was significantly higher than that in the sticking-plaster group (46.67%) at 2 weeks after treatment (P<0.001).The cost-effectiveness in the cupping group was significantly lower than that in the sticking-plaster group,which was about 1/63 of that of the plaster group. Conclusion The effect of cupping therapy on lumbar myofascial pain syndrome is superior to that of the sticking-plaster group,with less costs,and is worth promoting.