***TASK*** the task is to summarize an input biomedical literature in six sentences 
    ***INPUT*** the input is a biomedical literature 
    ***OUTPUT*** the output is the summary of an input biomedical literature in six sentences 
    ***DOCUMENTATION*** 
    ***EXAMPLES*** 
    Input: OBJECTIVES This was a r and omized controlled pilot trial to evaluate the effectiveness of cupping therapy for neck pain in video display terminal ( VDT ) workers . METHODS Forty VDT workers with moderate to severe neck pain were recruited from May , 2011 to February , 2012 . Participants were r and omly allocated into one of the two interventions : 6 sessions of wet and dry cupping or heating pad application . The participants were offered an exercise program to perform during the participation period . A 0 to 100 numeric rating scale ( NRS ) for neck pain , measure yourself medical outcome profile 2 score ( MYMOP2 score ) , cervical spine range of motion ( C-spine ROM ) , neck disability index ( NDI ) , the EuroQol health index ( EQ-5D ) , short form stress response inventory ( SRI-SF ) and fatigue severity scale ( FSS ) were assessed at several points during a 7-week period . RESULTS Compared with a heating pad , cupping was more effective in improving pain ( adjusted NRS difference : -1.29 [ 95 % CI -1.61 , -0.97 ] at 3 weeks ( p=0.025 ) and -1.16 [ -1.48 , -0.84 ] at 7 weeks ( p=0.005 ) ) , neck function ( adjusted NDI difference : -0.79 [ -1.11 , -0.47 ] at 3 ( p=0.0039 ) and 7 weeks ( p<0.0001 ) ) and discomfort ( adjusted MYMOP2 difference score : -0.72 [ -1.04 to -0.40 ] at 3 weeks and -0.92 [ -1.24 , -0.60 ] at 7 weeks ) . Significant improvement in EQ-5D was observed at 7 weeks ( 1.0 [ 0.88 , 1.0 ] with cupping and 0.91 [ 0.86 , 0.91 ] with heating pad treatment , p=0.0054 ) . Four participants reported mild adverse events of cupping . CONCLUSION Two weeks of cupping therapy and an exercise program may be effective in reducing pain and improving neck function in VDT workers Introduction . Cupping has been used since antiquity in the treatment of pain conditions . In this pilot study , we investigated the effect of traditional cupping therapy on chronic nonspecific neck pain ( CNP ) and mechanical sensory thresholds . Methods . Fifty CNP patients were r and omly assigned to treatment ( TG , n = 25 ) or waiting list control group ( WL , n = 25 ) . TG received a single cupping treatment .  Pain at rest ( PR ) , pain related to movement ( PM ) , quality of life ( SF-36 ) , Neck Disability Index ( NDI ) , mechanical detection ( MDT ) , vibration detection ( MDT ) , and pressure pain thresholds ( PPT ) were measured before and three days after a single cupping treatment . Patients also kept a  pain  and medication diary ( PaDi , MeDi ) during the study . Results . Baseline characteristics were similar in the two groups . After cupping TG reported significantly less pain ( PR : −17.9 mm VAS , 95%CI −29.2 to −6.6 ; PM : −19.7 , 95%CI −32.2 to −7.2 ; PaDi : −1.5 points on NRS , 95%CI −2.5 to −0.4 ; all P < 0.05 ) and higher quality of life than WL ( SF-36 , Physical Functioning : 7.5 , 95%CI 1.4 to 13.5 ; Bodily Pain : 14.9 , 95%CI 4.4 to 25.4 ; Physical Component Score : 5.0 , 95%CI 1.4 to 8.5 ; all P < 0.05 ) . No significant effect was found for NDI , MDT , or VDT , but TG showed significantly higher PPT at pain- areas than WL ( in lg(kPa ) ; pain-maximum : 0.088 , 95%CI 0.029 to 0.148 , pain-adjacent : 0.118 , 95%CI 0.038 to 0.199 ; both P < 0.01 ) . Conclusion . A single application of traditional cupping might be an effective treatment for improving pain , quality of life , and hyperalgesia in CNP Background : Chronic neck pain is a major public health burden with only limited evidence for the effectiveness of complementary therapies . This study aim ed to test the efficacy of cupping massage in patients with neck pain . Patients and Methods : Patients with chronic non-specific neck pain were r and omly assigned to cupping massage or a wait list control . The intervention group received 5 cupping massages on a twice-weekly basis while the control patients continued their usual treatments . The primary outcome measure was neck pain intensity ( 0 - 100 mm visual analogue scale ( VAS ) ) after 3 weeks . Secondary outcomes included pain on movement , functional disability , health-related quality of life , mechanical detection and pain thresholds and adverse events . Results : 50 patients ( 52.6 ± 10.3 years , 92 % female ) were r and omised to either cupping massage or a wait list ( N = 25 each ) . Patients in the cupping group reported significantly less neck pain post intervention ( difference per protocol -14.3 mm , 95 % confidence interval ( CI ) -27.7 to -1.0 , p = 0.037 ; difference intention-to-treat -10.8 mm , 95 % CI -21.5 to -0.1 , p = 0.047 ) . Significant group differences in favour of the intervention were further found for pain on movement ( p = 0.019 ) and functional disability ( p < 0.001 ) , the quality -of-life subscales pain ( p = 0.002 ) and mental health ( p = 0.003 ) and the mental component summary ( p = 0.036 ) . Changes were also found for pressure pain sensitivity at the site of maximal pain ( p = 0.022 ) . Five adverse events were reported . Conclusions : Cupping massage appears to be effective in reducing pain and increasing function and quality of life in patients with chronic non-specific neck pain . More rigorous studies are needed to confirm and extend these results Chronic neck pain is a major public health problem with very few evidence -based complementary treatment options . This study aim ed to test the efficacy of 12 weeks of a partner-delivered home-based cupping massage , compared to the same period of progressive muscle relaxation in patients with chronic non-specific neck pain . Patients were r and omly assigned to self-directed cupping massage or progressive muscle relaxation . They were trained and asked to undertake the assigned treatment twice weekly for 12 weeks . Primary outcome measure was the current neck pain intensity ( 0–100 mm visual analog scale ; VAS ) after 12 weeks . Secondary outcome measures included pain on motion , affective pain perception , functional disability , psychological distress , wellbeing , health-related quality of life , pressure pain thresholds and adverse events . Sixty one patients ( 54.1±12.7 years ; 73.8%female ) were r and omized to cupping massage ( n = 30 ) or progressive muscle relaxation ( n = 31 ) . After treatment , both groups showed significantly less pain compared to baseline however without significant group differences . Significant effects in favor of cupping massage were only found for wellbeing and pressure pain thresholds . In conclusion , cupping massage is no more effective than progressive muscle relaxation in reducing chronic non-specific neck pain . Both therapies can be easily used at home and can reduce pain to a minimal clinical ly relevant extent . Cupping massage may however be better than PMR in improving well-being and decreasing pressure pain sensitivity but more studies with larger sample s and longer follow-up periods are needed to confirm these results . Trial Registration Clinical Trials.gov OBJECTIVES To determine the efficacy of wet-cupping for treating persistent nonspecific low back pain . BACKGROUND Wet-cupping therapy is one of the oldest known medical techniques . It is still used in several contemporary societies . Very minimal empirical study has been conducted on its efficacy . DESIGN R and omized controlled trial with two parallel groups . Patients in the experimental group were offered the option of referral to the wet-cupping service ; all accepted that option . The control group received usual care . SETTING Medical clinic in Kermanshah , Iran . PARTICIPANTS In total , 98 patients aged 17 - 68 years with nonspecific low back pain ; 48 were r and omly assigned to experimental group and 50 to the control group . INTERVENTION Patients in the experimental group were prescribed a series of three staged wet-cupping treatments , placed at 3 days intervals ( i.e. , 0 , 3 , and 6 days ) . Patients in the control group received usual care from their general practitioner . MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Three outcomes assessed at baseline and again 3 months following intervention : the McGill Present Pain Index , Oswestry Pain Disability Index , and the Medication Quantification Scale . RESULTS Wet-cupping care was associated with clinical ly significant improvement at 3-month follow-up . The experimental group who received wet-cupping care had significantly lower levels of pain intensity ( [ 95 % confidence interval ( CI ) 1.72 - 2.60 ] mean difference=2.17 , p<0.01 ) , pain-related disability ( 95 % CI=11.18 - 18.82 , means difference=14.99 , p<0.01 ) , and medication use ( 95 % CI=3.60 - 9.50 , mean difference=6.55 , p<0.01 ) than the control group . The differences in all three measures were maintained after controlling for age , gender , and duration of lower back pain in regression models ( p<0.01 ) . CONCLUSIONS Traditional wet-cupping care delivered in a primary care setting was safe and acceptable to patients with nonspecific low back pain . Wet-cupping care was significantly more effective in reducing bodily pain than usual care at 3-month follow-up Background In this preliminary trial we investigated the effects of dry cupping , an ancient method for treating pain syndromes , on patients with chronic non-specific neck pain . Sensory mechanical thresholds and the participants ' self-reported outcome measures of pain and quality of life were evaluated . Methods Fifty patients ( 50.5 ± 11.9 years ) were r and omised to a  treatment group ( TG ) or a waiting-list control group ( WL ) . Patients in the TG received a series of 5 cupping treatments over a period of 2 weeks ; the control group did not . Self-reported outcome measures before and after the cupping series included the following : Pain at rest ( PR ) and maximal pain related to movement ( PM ) on a 100-mm visual analogue scale ( VAS ) , pain diary ( PD ) data on a 0 - 10 numeric rating scale ( NRS ) , Neck Disability Index ( NDI ) , and health-related quality of life ( SF-36 ) . In addition , the mechanical-detection thresholds ( MDT ) , vibration-detection thresholds ( VDT ) , and pressure-pain thresholds ( PPT ) were determined at pain-related and control areas . Results Patients of the TG had significantly less pain after cupping therapy than patients of the WL group ( PR : Δ-22.5 mm , p = 0.00002 ; PM : Δ-17.8 mm , p = 0.01 ) . Pain diaries ( PD ) revealed that neck pain decreased gradually in the TG patients and that pain reported by the two groups differed significantly after the fifth cupping session ( Δ-1.1 , p = 0.001 ) . There were also significant differences in the SF-36 subscales for bodily pain ( Δ13.8 , p = 0.006 ) and vitality ( Δ10.2 , p = 0.006 ) . Group differences in PPT were significant at pain-related and control areas ( all p < 0.05 ) , but were not significant for MDT or VDT . Conclusions A series of five dry cupping treatments appeared to be effective in relieving chronic non-specific neck pain . Not only subjective measures improved , but also mechanical pain sensitivity differed significantly between the two groups , suggesting that cupping has an influence on functional pain processing . Trial registration The trial was registered at clinical trials.gov ( NCT01289964 ) The research aim ed to investigate the effectiveness of cupping therapy ( CT ) in changes on skin surface temperature ( SST ) for relieving chronic neck and shoulder pain ( NSP ) among community residents . A single-blind experimental design constituted of sixty subjects with self-perceived NSP . The subjects were r and omly allocated to two groups . The cupping group received CT at SI 15 , GB 21 , and LI 15 acupuncture points , and the control group received no intervention . Pain was assessed using the SST , visual analog scale ( VAS ) , and blood pressure ( BP ) . The main results were SST of GB 21 acupuncture point raised from 30.6 ° C to 32.7 ° C and from 30.7 ° C to 30.6 ° C in the control group . Neck pain intensity ( NPI ) severity scores were reduced from 9.7 to 3.6 in the cupping group and from 9.7 to 9.5 in the control group . The SST and NPI differences between the groups were statistically significant ( P < 0.001 ) . One treatment of CT is shown to increase SST . In conjunction with the physiological effect the subjective experience of NSP is reduced in intensity . Further studies are required to improve the underst and ing and potential long-term effects of CT Background : Pneumatic pulsation therapy may combine the effects of 
    Output:
    
Cupping was found to reduce neck pain in patients compared with no intervention or active control groups , or as an add-on treatment .