Lin ML, et al. – An analysis was performed to assess the effectiveness of laser acupuncture plus Chinese cupping in lower back pain (LBP) treatment. In chronic nonspecific LBP, laser acupuncture plus Chinese cupping at the Weizhong (BL40) and Ashi acupoints effectively reduced pain and inflammation. For LBP treatment, this therapy could be a suitable option in clinical settings.

• The researchers enrolled patients with chronic nonspecific LBP for a randomized controlled trial.
• They assigned them to the laser acupuncture group (laser acupuncture plus Chinese cupping) and control group (sham laser plus Chinese cupping).
• They applied laser acupuncture (808 nm; 40 mW; 20 Hz; 15 J/cm²) and Chinese cupping on the Weizhong (BL40) and Ashi acupoints for 5 consecutive days.
• They assessed plasma cortisol levels before and after the 5-day treatment session.
• They recorded the visual analog scale (VAS) scores at baseline and throughout the 5-day treatment session.

• The plasma cortisol levels and VAS scores decreased significantly in both groups after the treatment session.
• The VAS scores decreased significantly on days 4 and 5 in the laser acupuncture group, and an enhanced reduction in VAS scores was observed.