Cupping therapy dates back to ancient Egyptian, Chinese, and Middle Eastern cultures. One of the oldest medical textbooks in the world, the Ebers Papyrus, describes how the ancient Egyptians were using cupping therapy in 1,550 B.C.
A calm state of relaxation
Cupping therapy is a form of alternative medicine in which cups are placed on the skin to create suction that will removes harmful substances and toxins from the body to promote healing. According to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) cupping is a method of creating a vacuum on the patient’s skin to dispel stagnation, stagnant blood and lymph. Also improving qi flows and would help with respiratory problems such as common cold, pneumonia and bronchitis. Cupping also uses on back, neck, shoulders and other musculoskeletal conditions.
How it works
Once the suction has occurred, the cups can be gently moved across the skin (often referred to as “gliding cupping). The suction in the cups causes the skin and superficial muscle layer to be lightly drawn into the cup. Cupping is much like the inverse of massage – rather than applying pressure to muscles, it uses gentle pressure to pull them upward. For most patients, this is a particularly relaxing and relieving sensation. Once suctioned, the cups are generally left in place for about ten minutes while the patient relaxes. This is similar to the practice of Tui Na, a traditional Chinese medicine massage technique that targets acupuncture points as well as painful body parts, and is well known to provide relief through pressure.
Photo courtesy of ABMP
Treatment Benefits
Cupping can help to align and relax qi
Detoxification & target more specific maladies
Cupping strives to ‘open’ the channels
life energy flows freely throughout body
Cupping therapy is a form of alternative medicine in which cups are placed on the skin to create suction that will removes harmful substances and toxins from the body to promote healing.
Cupping therapy is a form of alternative medicine in which cups are placed on the skin to create suction that will removes harmful substances and toxins from the body to promote healing.