Effect of Dry Cupping Therapy Associated With the McKenzie Method in Patients With Chronic Low Back Pain

Introduction: Currently, clinical practice guidelines recommend exercise as a first-line approach to the treatment of chronic low back pain (LBP). On the other hand, passive techniques such as cupping therapy have gained space in the management of this population, however, important gaps regarding the combination of cupping therapy with active exercises in individuals with nonspecific chronic low back pain are still present in the literature. In this context, this protocol describes a sham-controlled, randomized and blinded study that aims to evaluate the additional effects of cupping therapy in association with McKenzie method exercises on pain and functional outcomes of individuals with nonspecific chronic low back pain. Methods: 108 individuals with nonspecific and localized chronic low back pain in the age group of 18 to 59 years will be recruited and evaluated, regarding the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Subsequently, they will be randomized to one of 2 groups: intervention group, in which they will be submitted to the McKenzie method intervention and later the addition of the dry suction cup; and sham group, in which, after the intervention of the McKenzie method, the application of the sham cup will be added.

NCT Number	NCT05459376
Lead Sponsor	Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte
Conditions	Low Back Pain
Enrollment	80 participants
Start Date	2026-01-01
Primary Completion	2027-01-01 (estimated)
Study Completion	2028-01-01 (estimated)
Updated on ClinicalTrials.gov	2025-04-02