Annotated Bibliography: Cupping Therapy for Pain and Recovery in Collegiate Athletes

DISCLAIMER: Wix will not let me format this to exact APA format

Annotated Bibliography

Chen, C.-L., & Tang, J.-S. (2025). Effects of dry cupping on exercise, autonomic activity and sleep in baseball players during preseason and in-season conditioning. PLoS ONE, 20(2), e0319479–e0319479. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0319479

This quasi-experimental study examined the effects of dry cupping in competitive baseball players during both preseason and in-season training. After cupping sessions, researchers assessed both exercise performance and autonomic nervous system activity along with sleep quality. Results from this indicated improvements in autonomic recovery markers as well as sleep measures after upping interventions. The study did lack a sham controlled group and only focused on one sport thus reducing generalizability. Randomized controlled trials were recommended by the authors to consist across a span of various athletic programs. This is a useful study since it provides athlete-specific evidence that cupping therapy plays into the influence of the physiological recovery processes which is extremely relevant to collegiate sports. 

Hou, X., Wang, X., Griffin, L., Liao, F., Peters, J., & Jan, Y.-K. (2021). Immediate and delayed effects of cupping therapy on reducing neuromuscular fatigue. Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology, 9(9), 678153. https://doi.org/10.3389/fbioe.2021.678153

This randomized, sham-controlled trial looked into both the delayed and immediate effects of cupping therapy on neuromuscular fatigue following exercise in a total of 20 adults, who were athletic and healthy. Objective neuromuscular performance measures were initiated in order to compare cupping and control conditions. This study found that cupping therapy itself significantly reduces fatigue as well as a way to improve recovery. Limitations included the rather small sample size along with some participants not being collegiate athletes, which has the potential to limit applicability. The authors suggest that future studies need to include collegiate athletes and longer follow-up periods. This research supports the recovery piece of my PICO question since it demonstrates clear measurable improvements in neuromuscular recovery after the use of cupping therapy. 

Jia, Y., Dong, X., Chai, Y., Bai, Z., Sun, T., & Hou, X. (2025). Effects of cupping therapy on chronic musculoskeletal pain and collateral problems: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMJ Open, 15(5), e087340. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2024-087340

This systematic review and meta-analysis synthesized randomized controlled trials that examined cupping therapy as a way to reduce intense pain and improve functional outcomes compared to not using a treatment or another type of care. The review itself identified variability in cupping techniques as well as outcome measures as limitations. In addition, the review placed emphasis on the need for standardized protocols and trials that are specific to athletes. Since this is a meta-analysis, this source provided evidence-based conclusions that were strong. It strengthens my project since it establishes that cupping therapy is actually supported in the broader literature as a means to reduce musculoskeletal pain, and this is central to my research question. 

Song, X., Ma, T., & Cui, X. (2025). Effects of different negative pressure cupping interventions on inflammatory response and motor function recovery in delayed onset muscle soreness. Frontiers in Sports and Active Living, 7(7). https://doi.org/10.3389/fspor.2025.1622688

This randomized controlled study was one that evaluated how the various pressures from cupping affected pain and inflammatory biomarkers. This study also evaluated the functional recovery following exercise-induced delayed onset muscle soreness in a total of 60 adults, who were all physically active. When it came to measuring pain, it was measured using validated scales and recovery was assessed through performance testing. This study showed how cupping therapy is a way to reduce pain significantly as well as inflammation while also improving motor function compared to control conditions. Limitations from this study do include short-term follow-up and the participants were not athletes at the collegiate level. The authors showed a desire for future studies to involve athletic populations specifically and to extend monitoring. This study aligns with my PICO question as it is in support of pain reduction and recovery outcomes. 

Yeh, Y.-A., Lu, C.-C., Chen, Y.-Y., Kuo, C.-H., & Fang, S.-H. (2025). Dry cupping attenuates inflammation markers and rated perceived exertion in table tennis players after intensive training. Journal of Physiological Investigation., 68(5), 266–273. https://doi.org/10.4103/ejpi.ejpi-d-25-00017

This experimental study looked into the effects of dry cupping therapy on inflammation markers, and it rated perceived exertion amongst competitive table tennis players after their intense training sessions. A total of 30 athletes participated in this study. Both of their physiological and subjective recovery measures were evaluated and assessed. Results from this study showed that there was reduced inflammatory markers and lower perceived exertion in cupping groups compared to controls. Limitations from this study would be the small sample size, focusing on only one sport, and the absence of direct pain measurement. For future research, the authors call for there to be more athlete samples that are broad and the inclusion of pain outcomes. This study supports my recovery piece of my PICO question since it provides athlete-centered evidence which is relevant to collegiate sports.