Cupping

Cupping therapy is an ancient form of alternative medicine in which local suction is created on the skin. The purpose of cupping is to enhance circulation, help relieve pain, remove "heat", and pull out the toxins that linger in your body's tissues.

When receiving a cupping treatment, there is typically a tight sensation in the area of the cup. Often, this sensation is considered relaxing and soothing. Depending on patient comfort and the practitioner's assessment, cups may either be moved around or left in place. The cups may be placed on the body briefly or for longer amounts of time. Each treatment is unique to the patient on that particular day. The most common place to be cupped is on the back, although cups can work well on other sections of the body.

Cupping causes the skin to temporarily turn red, blue or purple, especially if there is an injury or energetic blockage under the area that was cupped. The skin discoloration can last anywhere from a few days to a couple of weeks, but is rarely painful. Once the marks have cleared, the procedure can be repeated until the condition or ailment is resolved.

There are numerous of methods of cupping — the two most common here, in the U.S., are "fixed cupping" and "moving cupping."

Fixed Cupping

The cups are placed on a selected area of the body and then left in place, without being moved.

Moving Cupping

As the name implies, in this method the practitioner applies massage oil or cream on the skin in selected places, puts cups over the areas to be treated, and then slides them around that region of the body (most commonly the back). The cups slide easily because the cream lubricates the applied areas.

Consider exploring the benefits of cupping if you seek relief from stress, pain, allergies, fatigue, flu, colds, back pain, anxiety, muscle aches, red itchy skin conditions or fever.