1. It is a safe therapy.
Cupping is often performed by acupuncturists, although other healers also use it on their patients. The theory behind cupping suggests that moving blood and Qi can heal a variety of different ailments. A healer swipes a burning piece of cotton or alcohol swab inside of a glass cup before applying the cup to the patient’s skin. This creates suction. The cups may be stationary, or the healer might move them around. While this is certainly not something that a layman should try at home.
2. Cupping is not new.
While you may be hearing about it for the first time, cupping has been used to alleviate pain and eradicate stagnation for more than two thousand years. It originated in China, and healers originally used bamboo and cattle horns as cups.
3. The marks that are left after a cupping session indicate the level of stagnation in your body.
Cupping helps circulation in addition to eliminating stagnation.
4. There are different methods of cupping.
Generally when people talk about cupping, they are referring to fire cupping. Some healers employ a method called “wet-cupping” which involves using a scalpel or needle to allow a small amount of blood to be suctioned out by the glass cup. (Wet-cupping is not practiced at Evolution.) There are also cups made of various different materials, such as plastic or rubber.
5. Cupping is effective in treating a wide variety of conditions.
Over the years cupping has been used to treat everything from snake bites to coughs to indigestion. According to a 2008 study published in the American Journal of Chinese Medicine, wet-cupping can be effective in treating migraines and tension headaches. Mayo Clinic suggests that cupping can relieve symptoms of fibromyalgia when the patient is also receiving acupuncture treatments. Studies indicate that cupping might also be helpful for stroke patients, and people suffering from hypertension or persistent non-specific low back pain, although more research is needed before researchers can make a definitive statement.
Written by Em Wooden
