title: [Effect of time and pressure factors on the cupping mark color].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effects of the factors of time and pressure during cupping treatment on the cupping mark color, so as to provide scientific data and evidence for study on parameters and effect of cupping treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Orthogonal experimental design was used with 12 stimulating parameters on 3 time levels and 4 pressure levels, cupping was given at 12 sites on the back of a same healthy subject, and 34 persons/times were completed in the experiment. The cupping mark color at each site was assessed 24 hours after cupping with a cupping mark color atlas, and the change law of cupping mark color was analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was a significant difference for the different parameters (P < 0.01). The time factor had statistically significant effect on cupping mark color (P < 0.05), showing 10 min >30 min >20 min. The effect of pressure factor on cupping mark color was significant (P < 0.01), showing -0.07 MPa > -0.06 MPa > -0.05 MPa > -0.04 MPa.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The stimulation of 10 minutes and the pressure of -0.04 MPa produces a marked ecchymosis on the cupping site, getting darker and darker along with increase of the stimulation intensity; the effect of pressure factor on cupping mark color is the largest with a linear relationship, which can be expressed as Y (cupping skin color) = 2.025 + 0.902 x 100 x negative pressure absolute value (-MPa); while the effect of time factor on cupping mark color is more complicated, which is possibly related with the cupping site.
authors.affiliation: School of Acupuncture and Massage, Henan College of TCM, Zhengzhou 450008, China. zhaoxixin10@yahoo.com.cn
authors.forename: Xi-xin
authors.initials: XX
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Bo-ying
authors.initials: BY
authors.lastname: Tong
authors.forename: Xue-xia
authors.initials: XX
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Gai-ling
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Sun
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008516:Medicine, Chinese Traditional / Q000379:methods*; D011312:Pressure; D012880:Skin Pigmentation; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult