Chinese cupping how does it work

Medical massage oils are sometimes applied to improve movement of the glass cups along the skin. 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. The side effects of cupping are fairly mild.

Bruising should be expected, but skin should return to looking normal within 10 days. Other potential side effects include mild discomfort, skin infection, or burns. However, a trained health professional will apply an antibiotic ointment and bandage to prevent an infection.

The old Chinese medical maxim holds that pain results from the congestion, stagnation, and blockage of Qi, or vital energy, vital fluids, lymph, phlegm, and blood. If pain is the essence of disease, then suffering is a result of obstructed or irregular flow in the body. Interested in becoming a certified acupuncture professional? Visit the campus web site nearest you:.

San Diego acupuncture school. Chicago acupuncture school. New York acupuncture school. Generally, cupping is combined with acupuncture in one treatment, but it can also be used alone. The suction and negative pressure provided by cupping can loosen muscles, encourage blood flow, and sedate the nervous system which makes it an excellent treatment for high blood pressure. Cupping is used to relieve back and neck pains, stiff muscles, anxiety, fatigue, migraines, rheumatism, and even cellulite.

For weight loss and cellulite treatments, oil is first applied to the skin, and then the cups are moved up and down the surrounding area. Like acupuncture, cupping follows the lines of the meridians. A study paper in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine notes that professional athletes are increasingly using cupping therapy as part of their recovery practices. However, the study found no consistent evidence to show that it was effective for anything related to sports recovery.

If a person has a skin condition such as eczema or psoriasis , cupping may make it worse on the area where the practitioner applies the cups. In rare instances, a person may experience more significant internal bleeding or anemia if the practitioner takes too much blood during wet cupping.

According to a study paper that appears in the Journal of Acupuncture and Meridian Studies , cupping can also cause:. Due to the poor quality of studies investigating cupping, it is difficult to know how common these side effects are.

If a person has any of these side effects following cupping therapy, they should speak to a medical professional. Some people may have health conditions, such as problems with blood clotting, that making cupping less than ideal. There is some evidence to suggest that cupping therapy may be able to help a person with certain health issues. However, there are not enough high-quality studies to support this. To understand whether cupping therapy is effective, how it works, and what issues it is best for, scientists need to conduct and publish more high-quality research.

If a person finds that cupping therapy relieves their pain or helps their health in another way, and if they do not experience any adverse side effects, cupping may be a very good choice. However, some therapies have better evidence for their effectiveness. Doctors may advise that people consider these first. A person may choose to use cupping therapy alongside better-evidenced therapies. If this is the case, it is important that they let a medical professional know.

Thai massage is an ancient practice wherein a practitioner will bend a person's body into different poses.

Learn about the benefits and possible side…. People have used natural pain relief methods for centuries. In this article, we discuss 12 natural pain relievers that people can try, including…. Many people use hot and cold treatments at home to alleviate aches and pains caused by muscle or joint damage. Cupping was originally performed using animal horns.

The suction was primarily created through the use of heat. The cups were originally heated with fire and then applied to the skin. As they cooled, the cups drew the skin inside.

Modern cupping is often performed using glass cups that are rounded like balls and open on one end. Your practitioner, your medical condition, and your preferences will help determine what method is used. During a cupping treatment, a cup is placed on the skin and then heated or suctioned onto the skin.

The fire source is removed, and the heated cup is placed with the open side directly on your skin. Some modern cupping practitioners have shifted to using rubber pumps to create suction versus more traditional heat methods. When the hot cup is placed on your skin, the air inside the cup cools and creates a vacuum that draws the skin and muscle upward into the cup. Your skin may turn red as the blood vessels respond to the change in pressure. With dry cupping, the cup is set in place for a set time, usually between 5 and 10 minutes.

With wet cupping, cups are usually only in place for a few minutes before the practitioner removes the cup and makes a small incision to draw blood. After the cups are removed, the practitioner may cover the previously cupped areas with ointment and bandages. This helps prevent infection. Any mild bruising or other marks usually go away within 10 days of the session. Cupping is sometimes performed along with acupuncture treatments.

For best results, you may also want to fast or eat only light meals for two to three hours before your cupping session. Cupping has been used to treat a wide variety of conditions. It may be particularly effective at easing conditions that create muscle aches and pains. Since the cups can also be applied to major acupressure points, the practice is possibly effective at treating digestive issues, skin issues, and other conditions commonly treated with acupressure.

The researchers found that cupping therapy may help with the following conditions, among others:. However, the authors acknowledge that most of the studies they reviewed contain a high level of bias. More studies are needed to assess the true effectiveness of cupping. The side effects you may experience will typically occur during your treatment or immediately after. You may feel lightheaded or dizzy during your treatment.

You may also experience sweating or nausea.