Objective

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To explore the perceptions and attitudes of 50 acupuncturists in China on the factors influencing cupping colors and the relationship between the colors and efficacy.

Methods

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60 acupuncturists who participated in a training program were invited to join in this survey. A questionnaire containing twelve questions covering 6 domains was used to understand the participants’ attitude and understanding of the influencing factors and significance of cupping colors.

Results

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53 acupuncturists signed the informed consent and filled the questionnaire

3 of them were excluded due to the missing of key information. A total of 50 valid questionnaires were included in the analysis. Half of the respondents have senior professional titles

of which 36% were deputy chief physicians. According to the 95% confidence interval of the population proportion

more than 50% of the acupuncturists believe that the negative pressure

retention time

the health status of the recipient

traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) body constitutions

and TCM pattern type are possible factors affecting the color change of cupping marks. In addition

the color may be related to the severity of diseases

especially locomotor and respiratory diseases. The color may also reflect the therapeutic effect of cupping. Five respondents mentioned that the color tends to become lighter with the continuous progress of treatment and the relief of symptoms. There was no significant difference in all these views among subgroups with different professional titles and ages.

Conclusion

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Five factors may affect the color of cupping marks. The color may not only reflect the severity of the disease but also have an important connection with the clinical curative effect. However

due to the small sample size of the survey

a larger clinical trial is needed to further explore the relationship between cupping colors and the treatment efficacy.