CUPPING
Must Try
Cupping Therapy
“Cupping is a therapy used in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) to remove stagnation and stimulate the flow of qi (chi). Qi is the free flow of vital energy circulating through the body and the world around us, if the qi is disrupted or disturbed, it can create stagnation (blockages) or imbalances in the body.”
What is cupping therapy and what should I expect?
A cupping treatment involves warming and placing cups made of glass onto the body. By warming the air within the cup,
vacuum like suction is created and then placed on the body. Once the glass is placed on the body the suction pulls tissue into the glass.
This increases the blood flow, loosens the muscle or connective tissue, and stimulates healing and a calming effect.
I explain to my clients that cupping is very similar to the benefits of deep tissue massage in the way that it helps break up
scar tissue and metabolic waste in the tissue.
“Cupping may cause temporary bruising and soreness, depending upon the degree of suction created by the vacuum and the level of internal stagnation.
According to TCM, this would be a favorable outcome, suggesting the treatment has successfully removed toxins and stagnation.”
BENEFITS
Cupping can help alleviate the following:
- Cough
- Eczema
- Anxiety
- Asthma
- Acne
- Depression
- Most type of lung disorders
including congestion - Fertility complications
- Arthritis
- Digestive disorders of all
kinds - Insomnia
- Gout
- High blood pressure
- Local and systematic pain
- Diabetes
- Back pain of all kinds
- Fibromyalgia
Potential Side Effects and contraindications:
Cupping commonly leaves circular marks on the skin. The color can vary from light to very dark depending on the amount of stagnation in the person’s body. Generally speaking, the darker the mark is, the more stagnation there is/was. It’s nothing to be alarmed by, it simply means you were able to stimulate a significant amount of blood flow and release toxins that were contributing to pain or discomfort in your body. The color is due to bringing blood to the surface, similar to a bruise.
For patients with bleeding disorders such as hemophilia or who are being treated with anticoagulants, cupping may not be the best treatment option. People with these conditions should discuss the pros and cons of treatment with their therapist or doctor before receiving cupping. Cupping should not be performed on skin sites with active inflammation, burns (this includes sun burns), infection, or open wounds. Some discomfort can occur but should not be painful. Moderate, temporary discomfort is expected as stagnation is removed and the tension is the muscle and connective tissue is released.
