ANALGESIC EFFECT OF WET CUPPING THERAPY COMPARED WITH CONVENTIONAL PHYSICAL THERAPY IN PATIENTS WITH KNEE PAIN
Keywords:
Complementary therapies, pain measurement, pain management, physical therapy modalities, rehabilitation, wet cuppingAbstract
Knee pain is a common cause of impaired physical function and reduced quality of life. In addition to conventional physical therapy, wet cupping therapy has attracted increasing interest as a potential complementary intervention for musculoskeletal pain. The aim of this study was to compare the short-term analgesic effects of wet cupping therapy and conventional physical therapy in patients with knee pain. A total of 59 participants with clinically confirmed knee pain were included. Thirty-three participants received conventional physical therapy, whereas 26 received wet cupping therapy. Pain intensity was assessed using the McGill Pain Questionnaire and the Visual Analog Scale before treatment and on days 1, 7, and 10 of the treatment cycle. Basic physiological parameters were monitored to assess treatment safety. A gradual reduction in pain intensity was observed in both treatment groups. In the conventional physical therapy group, the proportion of participants without pain increased from 30.3% after the first treatment to 75.8% on day 10. In the wet cupping therapy group, 50.0% of participants reported no pain on day 10. Comparison between the groups did not demonstrate a statistically significant difference in analgesic effects (p > 0.05). No serious adverse events or complications were recorded. Both conventional physical therapy and wet cupping therapy were associated with short-term pain reduction in patients with knee pain
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