Acuhelp Advice & Insights
Why Everyone Should Try Cupping
If better health is on your list of your priorities than cupping is a wonderful technique that can improve your health and provide numerous benefits.
Cupping is a simple and effective therapeutic technique which can be used alone, or in combination with acupuncture, tuina massage or/and moxibustion to enhance the treatment of certain health condition.
One way to think about cupping is that it is the inverse of massage. While during the massage is applied pressure to the muscles, during the cupping the suction uses pressure to pull skin, tissue and muscles upwards.
Cupping is very ancient Chinese medicine practice which was introduced to the Mediterranean region and eventually into Europe by the Ottoman Turks. Cupping is mentioned in writings of Hippocrates and Galen was a great advocate of using this method, also. As cupping spread throughout the Europe widely was used by most of the best physicians. Unfortunately, as modern drugs were developed, cupping along with other simple but effective methods were excluded from general practice, being contemptuously regarded as “old women’s remedies”. However, in China cupping still has been used besides other therapies of Traditional Chinese Medicine.
The aim of cupping is to cause local congestion through the negative pressure created by a glass cup or a plastic cup applied onto skin. The vacuum inside the cup creates suction and underlying tissue is raised partway into the cup. The purpose of cupping is to enhance circulation of blood and vital energy – Qi, help relieve pain, remove ‘heat’ from the body and pull out the toxins that linger in your body’s tissues.
During the cupping therapy you may feel a tight sensation in the area of cups. Often, this sensation is relaxing and soothing. Depends on your health condition sometimes cups are left in one position, at other times may be slide by applying a lubricant on the skin. One of the most common areas of the body to be cupped is the back, although cupping works well on the other areas well too, particularly on the fleshy parts.
Cupping causes the skin to temporarily turn red, or purple, especially if there is an energetic blockage under the area that was cupped. The skin discoloration may last anywhere from a few hours to a few days, but is rarely painful. Once the marks have cleared, the procedure can be repeated until the condition or ailment is resolved.
Cupping Provides Relief for Many Health Conditions
Cupping treatment has numerous benefits. It can help to remove toxins from the body and stimulate the flow of blood, lymph and vital energy – Qi to the affected area and throughout the body. You ought to consider exploring the benefits of cupping if you seek relief from back/shoulder/neck pain, stress, fatigue, headaches, it often works wonders for patients with the common cold, flu, poor circulation (i.e. cellulite), red itchy skin condition (though cups are not applied to inflamed areas), allergies, fevers, aches.
There are some exception when cupping is not to be used: on patients who bleed easily, have skin ulcers, oedema. Also, pregnant women should have cupping with extreme caution and never on the area of the abdomen or lower back.
Cupping is used by athletes as a secret weapon
Always looking for methods to improve health and performance naturally, more athletes have turned to cupping. Chinese swimmer Wang Qun as well as Michael Phelps proudly showed off his purple marks during the Olympic Games. Andy Murray said he uses cupping alongside acupuncture and other treatments to relief stiffness and help him with back pain.
But cupping is not just for athletes…cupping is highly beneficial for everyone.
To be cautious I generally practice a less intense treatment the first time, and see how the patient reacts before implementing stronger pressure or longer amounts of time.
