Psychosocial And Physical Improvements Among Chronic Pain Patients: The Case of Cupping As A Complementary Medicine

Abstract

Purpose of study: The main goal of this study is to determine if there are immediate psychosocial and physical improvements among chronic pain patients, as well to determine whether there are significant differences in those improvements, where it may provide insight and further understanding of cupping therapy as an alternative medical approach in health care settings. Methods: A descriptive, analytical research design was employed, in which means, standard deviations, and percentages were calculated, in addition to carrying out t-test for paired data and correlation analysis. Sample: Data were collected from 76 patients suffering from chronic pain (i.e., neck and back pain). The sample was selected from 2 different settings: a) the Arab American University Community, and b) Al-Hayaat Medical Centre for Rehabilitation and Physiotherapy. Results: Results indicate statistically significant improvements in all studied aspects, where positive effects were observed after, compared with before, cupping therapy. Paired t-test as well correlation analysis also revealed a significant outcome, where p values were found to be equal to 0.000. Conclusions: The overall results lead us to conclude that cupping therapy is of great benefits in the immediate improvement of the psychological, personal and social, functional and physical aspects of chronic pain conditions. Furthermore, cupping therapy is found to be of great significant impact holistically, not merely on the physical domain and related aspects, but also on the psychological and social ones.