The Effectiveness of Traditional Chinese Medicine Integrated with Self-Slump Stretching on Chronic Low Back Pain among Hill Tribe Farmers in Thailand: a pilot randomized controlled trial

Objectives: Low back pain (LBP) is a widely prevalent musculoskeletal problem that can affect individuals at some point in their lives. To date, research focusing on the integration of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) with self-slump stretching (SS) in the management of chronic LBP is limited. To assess the feasibility of a randomized controlled trial (RCT) evaluating the efficacy of TCM with SS for chronic LBP among hill tribe farmers in Thailand. Methods: A pilot RCT was conducted on 36 hill tribe farmers with chronic LBP aged between 18 and 65 years. The participants were assigned to one of three groups: acupuncture + cupping (AC) group (n = 12), SS group (n = 12), and AC + SS group (n = 12). All participants received weekly treatment for 4 consecutive weeks. Outcomes were the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and the Roland–Morris Disability Questionnaire (RMDQ), and the assessments were performed at baseline, once a week during the 4-week treatment, and at the 4-week follow-up. Results: The change scores of VAS improved in the AC and AC + SS groups than in the SS group (p < 0.01). Of the former two groups, the AC + SS group had more improvement than the AC group, although there were no statistical differences between them. Regarding disability outcome, the change scores of RMDQ improved in the AC group than in the SS group (p = 0.03). Conclusion: A full-scale RCT of TCM with SS is feasible. This study provides significant new insights into the effectiveness of AC and AC + SS in the treatment of chronic LBP. These interventions may serve as valuable adjuncts to the existing treatment options available for chronic LBP.