Abstract

To date, there does not appear to be a study published that has examined the clinical usage and perceived and actual knowledge of cupping therapy among preceptors for athletic training education programs. A previous study suggested that the majority of athletic trainers use cupping therapy to some extent in their clinical practice, but exhibited a gap in perceived and actual knowledge. However, the study did not examine athletic training preceptors as a specific population. Thus, the purpose of this study was to determine the perceived and actual knowledge of cupping therapy among athletic training preceptor working with accredited athletic training education programs. A total of 102 athletic trainers who serve as preceptors participated in this study (age= 35 ± 11 years, certified experience = 12 ± 9 years). Participants were sent an electronic survey by email that assessed frequency of usage, perceived knowledge, and actual knowledge of cupping therapy. Measures of central tendency (means, standard deviations, frequencies) were calculated for all survey items. Data was downloaded and analyzed using a commercially available statistics package (SPSS Version 26, IBM, Armonk, NY). The majority of preceptors reported that cupping therapy was a necessary skill for their clinical practice. Additionally, the majority of participants also reported using cupping therapy at least once during a typical week of clinical practice. Regarding perceived knowledge, the majority of participants were in the mid-range of agreement/disagreement, indicating at least some uncertainty. Average scores on actual knowledge were 9.19 ± 1.68. A negative relationship was found between perceived knowledge and actual knowledge of cupping therapy (r = -0.941, P < 0.001). However, participants in this study scored higher on average compared to a previous study of actual knowledge of cupping therapy. Considering most athletic trainers reported using cupping therapy and viewing it as a necessary skill, it is important to ensure proper education on the technique is occurring. Further research should be conducted to determine the best method of knowledge transfer regarding cupping therapy.