Table 1.

Characteristics of the included studies

Study ID	Country	Disease	Number of participants	Age (years, mean±SD)	Methods of intervention	Comparison	Cupping sites	Number of cupping	Follow-up period	Relevant outcomes (primary/secondary)
Cupping versus control (sole)
Versus waitlist (no intervention)
Arslan et al 32	Turkey	Computer users diagnosed minimum three neck pain	EG: 20 CG: 20	EG: 26.0±3.5 CG: 26.0±3.8	Dry cupping (moving)	No intervention	Upper shoulder and neck region	10	After treatment	VAS
Chi et al 29	Taiwan	Work-related chronic neck shoulder pain	EG: 30 CG: 30	EG: 43.6±6.3 CG: 42.5±5.8	Dry cupping	No intervention	SI15, GB21, LI15	1	After treatment	VAS
Lauche et al 30	Germany	Chronic non-specific neck pain	EG: 22 CG: 24	EG: 26.1±4.2 CG: 25.1±3.0	Dry cupping	Waiting list control group	Descending and transverse parts of the trapezius muscle	5	After treatment	VAS, NDI, SF-36
Saha et al 20	Germany	Chronic neck pain	EG: 25 CG: 25	EG: 54.3±8.6 CG: 53.3±11.1	Dry cupping	Waiting list control group	From the occiput towards the midlevel thoracic spine as well as over the upper trapezius muscle	5	Postcupping after 3 weeks	VAS, POM, NDI, SF-36
Lauche et al 31	Germany	Chronic non-specific neck pain	EG: 22 CG: 23	EG: 54.8±3.2 CG: 29.3±2.9	Wet cupping	Waiting list control group	Descending parts of the trapezius muscle	1	Postcupping after 3 days	VAS, NDI, SF-36
Versus active control (dry cupping)
Sui and   Cupping35*	China	Cervical radiculopathy	EG: 120 CG: 120	NR	Dry cupping (moving)	Traction	Acupoints at bladder meridian and governor vessel	20	After treatment	VAS, POM, NDI, SF-36
Cramer et al 22	Germany	Non-specific neck pain for at least the previous 3 months	EG: 24 CG: 24	EG: 44.46 CG: 47.88	Dry cupping	Standard medical care	Neck and shoulder lesion	3–4	After treatment	VAS, NDI, SF-36
Kim et al 24	Korea	VDT workers with neck pain	EG: 20 CG: 20	EG: 25.5 (median) CG: 28 (median)	Dry cupping	Heating pad group	GV14, GV16, GV15, GV12, GB20, GB21, LI17, SI11, SI12, SI13, SI14, SI15, BL10, BL11, BL12, BL13, BL14, BL15, BL16, BL17, BL41, BL42, BL43, BL44, EX-HN15	6	7 weeks	NRS, NDI, EQ-5D
Lauche et al 38	Germany	Chronic non-specific neck pain	EG: 30 CG: 31	EG: 54.5±12.3 CG: 53.7±13.4	Dry cupping	Progressive muscle relaxation (PMR)	NR	24	12 weeks	VAS, NDI, SF-36
Versus active control (wet cupping)
Liu et al 34	China	Cervical spondylosis	EG: 20 CG: 20	NR	Wet cupping	Tuina	GV14, Ashi points	3	After treatment	VAS, effective rate, tenderness
Mou et al 26*	China (Multi centre)	Cervical radiculopathy	EG: 68 CG: 56	EG: 46.4±11.6 CG: 47.8±11.9	Wet cupping	MA	GV14, GB21	4–12	After treatment	VAS, NDI, CAS
Yin and Wang27	China	Cervical spondylosis	EG: 56 CG: 55	EG: 32.13±7.87 CG: 35.24±6.67	Wet cupping	MA	EX-B2, BL11, GB21, Ashi points	10	After treatment	VAS, effective rate
Zhou et al 28	China	Cervical spondylopathy	EG: 100 CG: 100	NR	Wet cupping	MA	Ashi points, EX-B2, GB21	10	After treatment	VAS, effective rate
Jin et al 23	China	Neck type cervical spondylosis	EG: 33 CG: 33	EG: 31.81±8.30 CG: 30.48±9.74	Wet cupping	MA	Upper shoulder and neck region	5	After treatment	VAS, NPQ, effective rate
Yin et al 21	China	Cervical spondylosis	EG: 47 CG: 48	EG: 45.68±10. 46, CG: 47. 29±8.03	Wet cupping	Acupuncture	EX-B2, SI15, GB21, SJ5	4	After treatment	NPQ
Cupping with usual care versus usual care (add-on)
Dry cupping
Cai and Mao36	China	Chronic neck pain	EG: 60 CG: 60	EG: 45.48±10.9 CG: 45.7±11.1	Dry cupping	MA	EX-B2	12	After treatment	SF-MPQ
Su et al 33	China	Neck pain after sleeping	EG: 29 CG: 29	EG: 30.72±6.69 CG: 31.76±7.16	Dry cupping	MA	Upper shoulder and neck region	3	After treatment	VAS, effective rate
Sui and   Cupping35*	China	Cervical radiculopathy	EG: 120 CG: 120	NR	Dry cupping (moving)+traction	Traction	Acupoints at bladder meridian and governor vessel	20	After treatment	VAS
Wet cupping
Mou et al 26*	China (multicentre)	Cervical radiculopathy	EG: 59 CG: 56	EG: 45.4±11.6 CG: 47.8±11.9	Wet cupping + MA	MA	EX-B2, BL11, GB21, Ashi points	10	After treatment	VAS, NDI, CAS
Jiang et al 19	China	Myofascial pain syndrome of neck and shoulder	EG: 30 CG: 30	EG: 21±3 CG: 22±3	Wet cupping + MA	MA	Ashi points	5	After treatment	VAS, effective rate

*Is a three-armed study, that is, cupping group, control group, cupping plus control group.

CAS, clinical assessment scale; CG, control group; EA, electroacupuncture; EG, experimental group; EQ-5D, EuroQol 5-Dimension; MA, manual acupuncture; NDI, Neck Disability Index; NPQ, Neck Pain Questionnaire; NR, not reported; SF-MPQ, Short Form McGill Pain Questionnaire; SF-36, 36-Item Short Form Health Survey; VAS, visual analogue scale; VDT, video display terminal; POM, pain on movement.