Cupping Therapy

What is Cupping therapy?

This form of alternative healing dates back to ancient Egyptian, Chinese, Korean, Tibetan, Latin American, and Middle Eastern cultures. In each of these, the practice reflected the area's indigenous materials. Practitioners used bamboo, animal horns, glass, and ceramic for cups. The use of all of them, though, was focused on one goal: to restore the body's innate power to heal itself. 

How does it work?

Like acupuncture, cupping follows the lines of the body’s meridians and acupuncture points. The cups are placed on these points for a few minutes as suction devices. They perform deep tissue suction. In the process, the suction improves blood flow. It also disperses any congestion that may be happening. As a result, cupping restores the body’s natural flow of energy, stimulates healing, and promotes relaxation. 

What can you expect from a session?

In traditional cupping, a practitioner ignites a flammable material inside a cup; they may light up herbs, alcohol, or paper. As the flame dies out, the practitioner places the cup upside down on specific points of your skin. The cooling air in the cup, then, creates a vacuum. You blood vessels expand, as a result, increasing blood flow. Modern cupping uses a rubber pump instead of fire to make a vacuum inside the cups. The effect is the same. In both traditional and modern cupping, the cups are placed on your skin from three, five, or 10 minutes at a time. These are the dry methods. In the wet method, the practitioner also creates a mild suction using the cups. After about three minutes, though, they take out the cup and make tiny incisions on your skin. The practitioner, then, does a second suction with the cup to draw out a small amount of blood. It is believed that this can remove toxins from your system. Normally, the practitioner may use just one cup for your first session. Depending on how it goes, this may go up to three to five cups in succeeding sessions. After a session, you may get an antibiotic treatment to prevent infection. Expect to leave the clinic with red circles on the areas where the cups were placed. These marks are normal. They should disappear in about 10 days. 

Which conditions can cupping therapy help ease?

• Acne

• Anxiety

• Arthritis

• Asthma

• Back pain

• Blood pressure

• Depression

• Diabetes

• Digestive issues

• Eczema

• Fatigue

• Fertility

• Fibromyalgia

• IBS

• Pain

• Sleep disorder

• Sports injury

• Stress

• Weight management

Cupping therapy can also help improve health and wellness. 

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