Cupping

Cupping Therapy, or Kyukaku, is one of the oldest forms of traditional Chinese medicine. Although best known for its ability to relieve both acute and chronic muscle pain, it is also commonly used to alleviate digestive disorders, respiratory issues, menstrual irregularities and similar conditions. According to traditional Eastern medicine, cupping therapy can open the body’s ‘meridians’, allowing energy to flow freely and restabilize the system. Modern scientific research has found that the benefits of cupping include:

• Eliminating built-up toxins from tissues
• Activation of the lymphatic system
• Clearing the veins, arteries, and capillaries
• Revitalizing the skin and clearing stretch marks
• Reducing muscle tension
• Smoother blood flow
• Sedating the nervous system, which makes it an excellent treatment for high blood pressure
• Reduction of cellulite

How Does Cupping Work?

When you undergo a cupping treatment, a therapist places specially designed cups on the skin to create suction that forces fluids to the surface without harming your skin. Treatment is generally focused on your back although the legs are sometimes targeted for certain types of muscle tension. During the session, the cups are left on your skin for a certain period of time. Sometimes the therapist will slide them along certain muscle groups for additional tension relief. The process breaks up toxins and fluids that may have accumulated in the tissue, bringing them to the surface so that you can sweat them out or eliminate them via the liver or kidneys. The suction also mobilizes blood flow, realigns the flow of Qi (energy) and relieves pain.

What Does Cupping Feel Like?

Cupping typically leaves circular marks on your body, which causes people to wonder if there is any pain involved. The treatment does create a feeling of pressure. If stronger suction is used it can feel like a deep tissue massage, but it should not be painful. Cupping marks usually disappear in a few hours but when stronger suction is used or the treatment area is especially tense, the marks can be darker and take longer to fade. These marks indicate that dead blood, cellular debris, pathogenic factors, or toxins present in the body. With each treatment, they become progressively lighter as the pathogens are removed from the body.

Is Cupping Right For Everybody?

While cupping is considered relatively safe, it may not be suitable for patients who are pregnant, breastfeeding, have hemophilia, or suffer from low blood pressure. Other contraindications include open sores, contact dermatitis, heart failure, and leukemia. If you have questions about what cupping can do for you, please contact Acucure Clinic at (778) 200-7543

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