Cupping:
Cupping: An Old Remedy That Is The New Therapy
What is cupping you ask?
Hollywood has made it the new therapy to help cure aches and pains, sore
backs, bad circulation -- you name it. Do you ever watch the stars on television?
Angoline Jolie flaunted a low-back dress, which showed slightly round bruises
from the cupping. The marks look like giant hickeys, but let me tell you, the treatment
works! There is hardly any pain, but lots of gain.
Cupping therapy is used frequently, and complements acupuncture. Suction
cups, placed at various points on the body, create a vacuum that draws
toxins to the skin’s surface. This stimulates the person’s immune response.
The skin is the body’s largest organ, and it clears the body toxins quickly
and efficiently because it has the richest circulation.
Cups are made of robust, rounded glass, plastic or bamboo. A vacuum is created inside the cup by burning a taper for a very short period of time in the cup, and then immediately placing the cup down over the selected area. Because the taper flame exhausts all the oxygen in the cup, a
vacuum is created. This has the effect of “drawing up” the skin beneath
the cup. The effect of this is to encourage the flow of Qi and blood in the
area beneath the cup. By moving the Qi and blood, local stagnation can be
cleared. Cupping naturally draws blood to the external capillaries of the body, and as
a result, minor weal or bruises may be left after a treatment.
This method is used for:
- joint pain
- muscle injury
- headaches
- infections
- bronchial congestion
The cost is anywhere from $15 to $35 per treatment and is sometimes included, at
no charge, with an acupuncture treatment.