Visualization Analysis of Research Literature on Cupping Therapy for Cough and Related Respiratory Disorders Based on CNKI

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Abstract

Objective: To analyze the research status, hotspots, and development trends of cupping therapy for cough and related respiratory disorders. Methods: Literature on cupping therapy for cough and related respiratory disorders published from January 1, 1990, to September 1, 2026, was retrieved from the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI). Statistical analysis was performed on publication volume, authors, institutions, journals, and keywords, and keyword co-occurrence, clustering, timeline, and burst detection analyses were conducted. Semantic topic identification was performed using titles and abstracts, while keywords were analyzed separately for frequency, co-occurrence, and temporal evolution. Results: A total of 341 articles were included. The period from 2013 to 2018 was the most active, with the annual publication volume peaking at 28 articles in 2015. Zhao Li was the most prolific author (9 articles), and Hebei Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine was the most productive institution (23 articles). After standardization, 504 keywords were obtained, among which “cupping”, “cough”, “asthma”, “pneumonia”, “bronchitis”, “children” and “chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)” were the main high-frequency keywords. The expansion of the disease spectrum, combined therapies, pediatric populations, and the objectification of outcome indicators were the research hotspots. Research topics expanded from asthma, bronchitis, and basic cupping application in the early stage to cough, children, and pneumonia, and have shifted to COPD, pulmonary function, pulmonary rehabilitation, and inflammatory factors in recent years. Conclusion: Research on cupping therapy for cough and related respiratory disorders has reached a considerable scale, with combined therapies and the objectification of outcome indicators as current hotspots. The independent efficacy and underlying mechanisms of cupping remain to be further verified by standardized, multicenter, and high-quality clinical studies.

Keywords

cupping therapy

cough

respiratory disorders

chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

bibliometric analysis

Funding

Science and Technology Project of Binhai New Area Hospital of TCM, Tianjin: “Clinical Efficacy Observation of Yin-Yang Paired Acupoint Cupping Therapy in the Treatment of Post-COVID-19 Cough” (Project No.: bhzy202302)

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