What is Cupping Therapy And Its Benefits?
Cupping therapy is a form of alternative therapy where cups are placed on the skin to create suction for treatment purposes. It has been used over 3,000 years to treat a wide range of conditions and symptoms by removing harmful toxins and substances from the body, relieve pain, remove heat and enhance circulation. Cupping therapy has been known to outweigh modern medicine techniques, hence being used far and wide as an alternative medicine practice. It is done mostly for people who are experiencing chronic lower back pain, headaches, arthritis, fibromyalgia, infertility, muscle tightness and knots due to swelling stiffens or anxiety. It is used alongside essential oils, massage therapy or even acupuncture.
The process of cupping therapy involves placing the cups on the patients’ back in a series of positions in order to produce suction. The cups are then carefully heated using fire by use of a special cupping torch or heating the cups in hot water or oil. The heated cups are sealed off, hence produce a vacuum effect which targets the deep tissues on the back and targeted areas of the skin, which then works, dulls the pain, breaks up the deep scar tissue and expands the capillaries and increases the lymph fluid entering and leaving the tissues.
Cupping therapy has worked for a lot of people and it is said to have the following benefits:
- It helps reduce muscle and joint pain naturally and it has been used to help soothe the pain that is associated with respiratory issues. It works by releasing the tissues deep in the body, relaxing the tense muscles and easing the stiffness that is associated with pain, migraines, fatigue and rheumatism.
- Cupping alleviates the physical tiredness and allows one to enter into a relaxed mode by sedating the central nervous system. When cupping is being done, one is forced to lie still during the cupping therapy sessions which lead to a positive effect on the psychological wellbeing hence being a relaxing method.
- Cupping therapy helps clear away any congestion and phlegm and nourish the lungs. It also speeds up the healing time for respiratory illnesses like common cold and flu. This is through improvement of the immune function, hence good blood and lymphatic fluid flow throughout the body which is associated with reduction in infections, allergies, asthma and chronic cough
- Cupping therapy reduces digestive symptoms such as irritable bowel syndrome, diarrhea, acute gastritis, loss of appetite, stomach pains and also improves digestion hence a healthy digestive function. The cups are placed over the bladder, around the navel, over the stomach or around the kidneys.
- It helps one have a healthy skin as it is known to reduce herpes, skin inflammation and acne. It firms and tones the skin by improving the blood flow and expands the capillaries. It also helps in detoxification as it clears any blockage in the veins and capillaries.
What happens when Cupping Therapy Gone Wrong?
Cupping therapy has to be done by a professional as it can be harmful if it is done wrong. Cupping done wrong is known to cause blisters, burns, and irritation. This mostly occurs when the cups are placed in the same position every time an individual is done cupping hence causing the blisters to occur. When the blisters burst, it leads to high fever and serious bacterial infection.
Cupping Therapy Bruises
Cupping therapy is known to leave marks or bruises on the areas cups were placed and these bruises are an indication that the stagnation or disease has been moved from the deeper tissue layers to the surface during cupping or the capillaries opened up. The bruises pattern and color will depend on the stagnation level in that particular area and they may range from bright red to dark purple. Most people don’t find them to be a bother as they disappear within a week. If there was no stagnation in an area, a pink mark appears and it disappears within a few minutes to a couple of hours.
Cupping therapy for cellulite
Cupping therapy will help remove cellulite when the reverse pressure felt when suction is applied to the skin causes cellulite to break up, there in increased blood circulation and the toxins and fat are released and move to the lymph drainage network. Cupping also eases the cords connecting the muscle and skin, hence there is reduced build up and the skin develops a more cellulite-free appearance.
Cupping therapy for lower back pain
Cups are placed on the back, shoulders, legs or hips and instantly pull the tissues and muscles into the cup, hence there is increased blood flow to the surface which helps relax bound and tight muscle tissues.
Cupping therapy for knee pain
The vacuum lifts the skin of the muscles and organs so there is a flow of fresh blood filled with oxygen and nutrients which reduce the swelling and also draw away the accumulated toxins that could have caused the swelling. Uric acid which builds up in the joints and tissues and causes swelling is also removed and there is fresh lymph circulation, which reduces the inflammation and alleviates the pain one feels.
Cupping therapy for shoulder pain
Cupping increases blood flow and there is increased flow of fresh blood filled with oxygen and nutrients to the shoulders. It also stretches the tight and increases the muscle tone, hence there is less inflammation and pain in the shoulders.
Cupping therapy for infertility
This helps by heal the reproductive problems that cause fertility in both female and male and also raises the probability of the success of IVF treatment.
Cupping therapy for weight loss
Cupping provides slimming effects by stimulating the pressure points running along the lymphatic lines, hence there is no stagnation of Qi and there is rupture of the stubborn fat which is then shed off the system and there is increased metabolism. It also moves toxins and excess water, which may be causing weight gain.
