CUPPING THERAPY – AN EFFECTIVE PAIN MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUE IN KATIGRAHA

Abstract

Pain is a subjective criterion that differs from person to person, but it is given great importance when it hampers the quality of their lives and the wellbeing of the individuals and their families. Pain due to lumbago is very common, which is medically and economically devastating for the patient. Katigraha is one such condition in Ayurveda where the patient have pain and stiffness over the low back region, which affects their day-to-day activities. Such patients, even though look for a permanent solution for the condition, also seeks medical advice for sudden relief from the pain. Cupping therapy which follows the same principal as that of Ghata Prayoga mentioned in our Samhita’s is one such procedure that imparts sudden relief of musculoskeletal pain. Following this principle, a pilot study was conducted on 18 patients at Alva’s Ayurveda Medical college and Hospital to evaluate the efficacy of cupping therapy in Katigraha. It was assessed with VAS and Oswestry’s low back pain disability scale, which yielded a significant reduction in pain and improvement was observed in the range of movements and scale scorings. The results were analysed with Wilcoxon signed rank test and were found statistically significant. Thus, concluding that cupping therapy is an effective means for the management of pain in Katigraha both clinically and statistically. It is economic and quick in action. So, an active utilization of this technique can assist us in the better patient management along with other medications.