Traditional Chinese medicine believes there is a biofield that is responsible for health and wellness in human bodies. This biofield, also known as ‘qì’ is the free flow of vital energy circulating through the human body and the world. When qi’s flow is disrupted, it causes disbalance within the body resulting in stagnation of qi or discomfort.
Cupping therapy is a means to enhance the flow of qi within our body to provide relief from ailments such as arthritis, cervical pain, the release of toxins, tissue regeneration through accelerated blood flow, and relief from inflammation and chronic pain. Cupping therapy can be traced back to the ancient forms of contemporary and alternative therapy across the world within every culture.
What is Cupping Therapy?
Cupping therapy involves the usage of special cups, usually made of glass, that creates suction promoting increased blood flow and healing. The process requires the therapist to put flammable substances such as spirit, alcohol, or herbs inside the cup to create a vacuum and as the air begins to cool, it causes the skin to get sucked into the mouth of the cups. The traditional practice uses heat as its foundation to create suction, however, modern practices prefer rubber pumps to attain suction that is easier on the patient’s skin. Silicone cups can be customized to cover large body parts and big joints that glide on the skin with utmost ease.
Once suction is created between the cup and the body, the cup is glided across different areas of the body in order to loosen and lift connective tissues. The cups can be glided longitudinally across muscle fibers to relieve pain. Cross fiber technique is used in case of scarred tissue and circular cupping technique is used as a means to cover all the affected areas, usually done towards the end of a session. Similar to deep tissue massage therapy, cupping helps break the scar tissue resulting in pain relief. Cupping is used for lymphatic drainage to get rid of toxins and is helpful in relieving neck pain, chronic back pain, and muscle spasms by generating negative pressure through suction that results in hydration, muscle relaxation, and drainage of toxins.
Mechanism and Types of Cupping therapy
There are different types of cups available for cupping therapy. Traditionally glass cups are used, however, it is difficult to cover big joints and large muscle areas using traditional glass cups. Bamboo cups and earthenware cups are the predecessors of glass cups that are still extensively used in parts of the world. In order to enhance the effectiveness of cupping therapy, silicone cups were introduced that enable the comprehensive cupping of large muscles. Another modern technique that revolutionized cupping physical therapy is pulsatile cupping that is used to generate a pulsatile vacuum in order to achieve a wholesome cupping experience.
Essentially there are two kinds of cupping therapy – wet and dry. Dry cupping therapy is used to target chronic pain, lymphatic drainage, and relief from muscle tension. Wet cupping therapy is used to release toxins from the affected area by combining cupping therapy with acupuncture.
Both dry and wet cupping therapy traditionally practices lacing of cups with spirit, alcohol, or herbs that are lit and placed upside down on backs, hipbones, etc. As the hot air inside the cup cools down it generates a vacuum that pulls the distressed skin inside the cup causing mild bruising and redness in that area. The suction allows accelerated blood flow which is responsible for the bruising. Once the affected area is cupped, large muscles such as the neck, back, and hips are covered sliding the cups along the skin. Massage oils are slathered across the body to assist with the sliding technique that treats muscle spasms and chronic pain.
Wet therapy combines the suction method with acupuncture. The process is initiated with preliminary suction that lasts for a couple of minutes depending on the severity of the ailment. Followed by lancets poking in pressure points making small incisions on the skin. Another session of suction is carried out that results in mild bleeding which dispels internal toxins. This blood discharge is the release of toxins via incisions that are pulled to the surface of the skin with preliminary suction and provides a cooling effect on inflamed areas.
The advantages of Cupping Therapy
Cupping therapy is traditionally used to treat lung disorders such as cough, congestion, and asthma. It also focuses on treating paralysis, digestive complaints, and chronic pain. Dry cupping or fire cupping is used to treat tension in muscles and musculoskeletal pain such as neck and back pain. From local pain relief and muscular relaxation, the benefits of cupping therapy are boundless. It improves overall health by removing qi stagnation and energy blockages. Especially for athletes, it may relieve pain instantly by increasing blood flow to the particular region.
Cupping accelerates blood flow improving circulation to the area where cups are placed. Increased circulation also caters to cellulite reduction and has been crucial in diminishing scars and stretch marks. Cupping enables tissues in releasing toxins by pulling them to the surface through wet cupping whereas lymphatic drainage is enhanced through dry cupping. The sliding method of cupping activates your parasympathetic nervous system that results in relief from anxiety. It puts your body into a relaxed state which restores lymphatic circulation and helps remove edema.
Side effects and Snags
Like every good thing, cupping comes with its own limitations and challenges. One must be mindful while consulting their doctors and choosing the type and duration of cupping based on the targeted ailment. People with bleeding disorders and wounded, infected, or inflamed skin that is active should refrain from cupping. There is mild bruising which resolves itself within weeks. Cupping is a fairly safe therapy as long as one listens to the trained health professional. Mild discomfort, burns, and bruises are a package deal with cupping that can be treated easily.
It is crucial for the cupping process to be sterilized, the lancets, cups, all pieces of equipment must be thoroughly cleaned before using it on multiple patients to reduce chances of bloodborne infections. Maintaining hygiene is of the utmost importance throughout cupping therapy to prevent possible side effects. Another major limitation that cupping presents is that it doesn’t help in the treatment of internal organ disorders. The duration, suction pressure, and proper procedure while heating the cups is important to reduce the risk of burns, bleeding, and scarring.
