Complementary Medicine Use in Sports Medicine

Background: Complementary medicine therapies are used globally. Around 88% of the countries that are members of the World Health Organization (WHO) reported using such practices while there is no information reported from the remaining 12% of countries . Cupping therapy is an ancient therapy trending to be used among athletes . Other complementary medicine therapies such as chiropractic are also used in sports medicine . This narrative review aims to provide an update on the current status of complementary medicine therapies used in sports medicine. Methods: A comprehensive search using three medical databases (PubMed, Cochrane, TRIIP) was conducted using this search Boolean: (“cupping therapy” + “sports medicine”), (“complementary medicine” +” Sports medicine”), (“cupping therapy” + “athletes”), (“complementary medicine” + ”athletes”) from inception to June 2021. Inclusion criteria were: articles in English language, systematic reviews, reviews, and clinical trials which are in direct relation to the aim of this narrative review. Results: From the 725 retrieved results, only 17 articles were included in this narrative review after excluding duplicates, non-relevant articles, and applying inclusion/exclusion criteria (). Cupping therapy, chiropractic, and acupuncture were identified for their use in sports medicine (). Complementary medicine therapies were used among a variety of sports such as football, basketball, and martial art players for treating pain, musculoskeletal disorders, and rehabilitation. The use of complementary medicine modalities for sports performance had controversial results. Conclusion: Complementary medicine modalities such as cupping therapy, acupuncture, and chiropractic are used by a variety of athletes with promising effects. The current evidence is still limited. Hence; conducting high-quality clinical trials is highly encouraged.