FREQUENCY OF CUPPING THERARY USAGE AMONG PHYSIOTHERAPISTS IN THE REPUBLIC OF CROATIA

Cupping terapija smatra se alternativnom metodom liječenja, porijeklom iz Azijskih zemalja, a zadnjih je desetljeća sve više prihvaćena u Zapadnoj medicini. Definira se kao terapija koja koristi čašice za stvaranje vakuuma unutar čašice i tako povlači kožu unutar iste. Točan mehanizam djelovanja ove terapije nije poznat, ali smatra se da dovodi do smanjenja boli, napetosti, te kod nekih stanja do poboljšanja funkcije i kvalitete života. Cupping terapija prepoznata je tisućama godina unazad, a prvi se puta dokazi o postojanju pronalaze na Eberovom papirusu iz starog Egipta. U povijesti se ova terapija prepoznaje kao učinkovita u liječenju problema sa probavom, gubitkom apetita, nesvjesticom, glavoboljom, a danas se najčešće koristi kod liječenja boli u leđima, vratu, ramenima, koljenima, a kontraindicirana je kod otvorenih rana, oštećenja kože, trudnica, osoba mlađih od dvije i starijih od 60 godina. Prema literaturi, postoje razne klasifikacije cupping terapije, trenutno popularna je klasifikacija prema: tehnici, metodi, snazi usisavanja, području tijela koje se tretira i ostale cupping metode. Među fizioterapeutima u Republici Hrvatskoj cupping još uvijek nije najpopularnija metoda u liječenju, najčešće se koristi za tretiranje boli u leđima i boli u vratu. Ključne riječi:Cupping therapy is considered an alternative method of treatment, originating from Asian countries, and in recent decades it has been increasingly accepted in Western medicine. It is defined as a therapy that uses cups to create a vacuum inside the cup and thus pull the skin inside it. The exact mechanism of action of this therapy is not known, but it is believed to lead to a reduction in pain, tension, and in some cases to an improvement in function and quality of life. Cupping therapy was recognized thousands of years ago, and the first evidence of its existence was found on the Eber papyrus from ancient Egypt. Historically, this therapy has been recognized as effective in the treatment of problems with digestion, loss of appetite, fainting, headaches, and today it is most often used in the treatment of pain in the back, neck, shoulders, and knees, and is contraindicated in open wounds, skin damage, pregnant women, persons younger than two and older than 60 years. According to the literature, there are various classifications of cupping therapy, currently the popular classification is according to: technique, method, strength of use, area of the body to be treated and others. Among physiotherapists in the Republic of Croatia, cupping is still not the most popular method of treatment, and it is most often used to treat back pain and neck pain