Cupping Therapy

WHAT IS CUPPING THERAPY?

 

The earliest record of cupping therapy was in the Ebers Papyrus - one of the oldest medical textbooks in the world.  The textbook describes how ancient Egyptians used the therapy in 1550 BC.

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The therapy is more associated with the ancient Chinese culture, and is considered a form of traditional Chinese medicine.  The term cupping is used to describe a technique where a small glass and modern plastic cups are used as suction devices on the skin.

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There are two different ways to create the suction; 

The first - heat is applied to the glass jar with a flame to create draw, the heated glass cup is then applied creating a vacuum.

The second - plastic cups use a handheld suction pump.

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This suction causes the skin and superficial muscles to gently lift into the cup.  In this way, the therapy can be considered as an inversion of massage.  Instead of applying a pressure downwards on the muscle, cupping uses pressure upwards to lift the muscles.  For many, this provides a relaxing sensation.

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The aim of applying this pressure is to loosen and relax muscles, encourage blood flow, release toxins and relax the nervous system.  

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WHAT CONDITIONS CAN CUPPING THERAPY HELP WITH?

~ Back & neck pain

~ Headache & Migraines

~ Fatigue

~Anxiety

~ Skin problems

~ Fertility

~ High blood pressure

~ Respiratory problems

~ Muscle Dysfunction

~plus many more

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HOW DOES CUPPING THERAPY WORK?

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In western cupping muscles, nerves, skin, circulation, lymphatics systems can be effected to bring about a change to the tissue structures below.  It is good for tight muscles that are too sore to be directly massaged on.  It is particularly beneficial for trigger points within the muscles. 

In traditionally cupping follows the lines of the meridians (energy channels referred to in traditional Chinese medicine).  There are five meridian lines on the back, and these are where the cups are usually places to help 'open' these channels and relieve local congestion.  The theory behind cupping is that the move stimulates your body's natural energy, also called 'qi'.  It can be used in conjunction with sports massage therapy and medical acupuncture.

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WHAT DOES A CUPPING SESSION INVOLVE?

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Cupping involves placing glass or plastic jars on the skin and creating a vacuum by suctioning out the air.  The underlying tissue is raise, or sucked partway into the cup.  The purpose of cupping is to enhance circulation, help relieve pain, remove "heat" and pull out toxins that linger in your body's tissues.

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You will feel a tight sensation in the area of the cup.  Often, this sensation is relaxing and soothing.  Depending on your comfort and your practitioner's assessment of the problem, cups may be moved around or left in place.  They may remain on your body briefly or for longer amounts of time.  Each treatment is unique to you on that particular day.  One very common area to be cupped is the back, although cups work well on other areas too, particularly on flesh sections of the body.

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CUPPING MARKS

Cupping can cause the skin to temporarily turn pink, red, blue or purple, especially if there is an injury or energetic blockage under the area that was cupped.  The skin discolouration can last from anywhere from an hour, a few days to a couple of weeks, but is rarely painful.  Once the marks have cleared, the procedure can be repeated until the condition or ailment is resolved.