Cupping
“Where there’s stagnation, there will be pain. Remove the stagnation, and you remove the pain.” “
This classic Chinese saying stems from their belief that pain results from the congestion, stagnation, and blockage of Qi, or vital energy, lymph, phlegm, and blood. Since pain is a result of obstructed flow in the body, Chinese cupping helps to break up the blockage to restore the body’s natural flow of energy and blood and therefore reduce pain.
Generally, cupping is combined with acupuncture in one treatment, but it can also be used alone.
Cupping is the term applied to a technique that uses small glass cups or bamboo jars as suction devices that are placed on the skin. The suction and negative pressure provided by cupping can loosen muscles, encourage blood flow, and relax the nervous system. Cupping is much like the inverse of massage, rather than applying pressure to muscles, it uses gentle pressure to pull them upward.
What are the benefits of cupping?
What to Expect
A hand held pump is used to pull air from cups of various sizes, that are placed onto the skin, creating a vacuum effect. Traditionally, the suction was created by swabbing an alcohol-soaked cotton ball into the bottom of a glass cup, then lighting it and putting the cup immediately against the skin. In either method, the suction in the cups causes the skin and superficial muscle layer to be lightly drawn into the cup. It feels a bit like skin rolling, a common massage technique.
Gliding Cupping:
Oil is applied to the skin to help the cups gently glide across the skin. Generally done for about 5-10 minutes during a massage or other integrated session.
Static Cupping:
Once the suction has occurred, the cups are left in place (5-10 minutes) to act on localized area of stagnation or an acupuncture point.
A potential side effect of cupping is mild, temporary skin discoloration. It looks like a bruise but is non-painful; the skin should look normal within 3-10 days.
Not advised for people taking anticoagulants.
Testimonials
I was suffering from recurring neck pain for more than 10 years, the cupping therapy sessions have brought me a lot of suppleness.
In addition to this, along with targeted massages of muscles and tendons, I was finally able to regain mobility and flexibility in my daily life.
The techniques used have no therapeutic or medical aim. They have no sexual connotation.
