COMPARISON BETWEEN AURICULOTHERAPY AND CUPPING THERAPY IN REDUCING ANXIETY IN PHYSIOTHERAPY STUDENTS DURING THE EXAM PERIOD: RANDOMIZED CLINICAL STUDY

Abstract

The study compared the effects of auriculotherapy and cupping therapy on anxiety symptoms during the exam period in physiotherapy students. It was a randomized clinical trial conducted with 17 students from the 1st to 6th semester at Universidade Santa Cecília (UNISANTA), divided into two intervention groups. Participants completed anxiety questionnaires before and after the exam period, as well as the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). Interventions were applied on a weekday prior to exams, with an average duration of 20 minutes. Both therapies reduced anxiety symptoms, with cupping therapy showing more pronounced effects