Cupping

Cupping therapy is the application of local negative pneumatic pressure to various parts of the body using glass, bamboo, ceramic, or silicone cups. It is used to treat a variety of of ailments, from musculoskeletal disorders to the common cold. The primary mechanism of cupping therapy is the application of the suction which draws old, stagnant blood and lymph out of the deeper tissues and to the surface where it can then be more easily dispersed by normal processes, allowing fresh, oxygenated blood and clean lymphatic fluid to now occupy that space. Painless, and similar in sensation to massage, cupping is a marvelous treatment either as a standalone, or in addition to acupuncture, massage, or chiropractic care.

 

Cupping therapy has been practiced around the world for 3000 years and in many different cultures. While most popularly associated with Traditional Chinese Medicine, it also shows up in traditional Iranian medicine. The ancient Egyptians described the practice of cupping in the Ebers Papyrus (c. 1500 B.C.) and also mentioned its use by Saharan peoples (Hippocrates 9C. 400 B.C.) used cupping for internal disease and orthopedic problems in ancient Greece. Its also mentioned in Maimonides’ book on health and was widely practiced in the Eastern European Jewish communities. In the modern world, cupping was first established as an official therapeutic practice in the 1950s across hospitals in China after Chinese and former Soviet Union acupuncturists conducted extensive research that confirmed cupping’s effectiveness. 

 

A lot of information can be garnered by the darkness of, and the duration of, the cupping marks. Typically, marks that are lighter in shade, such as a light pinkish shade, indicate less toxicity and stagnant blood in the body. Darker purple or brown marks, on the other hand, may indicate that circulation could be improved upon. In the same sense, if the marks that are created vanish within a day or two, this is a sign of adequate blood flow, whereas marks that last a week or more may suggest a sluggish or partially hindered blood flow. 

 

Although the marks potentially left by cupping look like a bruise, the cupping mark is not actually a bruise. The cupping mark is just stagnant blood being pulled to the surface tissues of the body. We lovingly refer to them as “medical hickeys.” They aren’t typically tender to the touch like a bruise, and they fade on their own, usually over the course of a few days. They’re also a fabulous conversation starter! 

 

Here are just a few of the symptoms that may be alleviated from cupping therapy: