Objective To explore the rehabilitative effects of flash cupping combined with respiratory training in patients with occupational pneumoconiosis (hereinafter referred to as "pneumoconiosis"). Methods A total of 94 patients with pneumoconiosis were selected as the study subjects by the convenient sampling method. Participants were divided into treatment group and control group based on pneumoconiosis stage using the stratified block randomization method, with 47 cases in each group. The patients in the control group received routine symptomatic treatment, and the patients in the treatment group received flash cupping therapy combined with respiratory training in addition to the routine treatment for six weeks. Diaphragmatic displacement (DD), 6-minutes walking distance (6MWD), metabolic equivalents of task (MET), predicted percentage of forced vital capacity (FVC%), predicted percentage of forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV₁%), Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Assessment Test (CAT) score, and the modified British Medical Research Council Respiratory Questionnaire (mMRC) were assessed before treatment, after six weeks of treatment, and three months after completion of treatment. Results Before treatment, no significant differences were observed in patients between the two groups in DD, 6MWD, MET, FVC%, FEV₁%, CAT score, or mMRC grade (all P>0.05). DD, 6MWD, and MET of patients in the treatment group were higher than those before treatment in the same group and those of the control group at the corresponding time points after six weeks of treatment (all P<0.05). In addition, the CAT score of patients in the treatment group was lower than that before treatment (P<0.05). At three months after treatment, 6MWD and MET of patients in the treatment group were higher than those before treatment and those of the control group at the same time points (all P<0.05). There were no significant differences in FVC%, FEV₁% and mMRC grade of patients between the two groups (all P>0.05). Conclusion Flash cupping combined with respiratory training can improve the diaphragmatic function, exercise endurance and quality of life of patients with pneumoconiosis, and has improved exercise endurance, which can be used as a useful supplementary treatment in the pulmonary rehabilitation of pneumoconiosis.