Cupping is a traditional Chinese medicine practice that involves placing cups on the skin to create suction. This practice dates back over 2,000 years but has received recent attention in the media due to its use by world-class athletes such as Michael Phelps for injury relief. The cups used in cupping are typically made of bamboo, glass, or earthenware. The negative pressure created by cupping on the skin helps to alleviate vitality, qi and blood circulation. Cupping is highly effective in reducing swelling, pain and colds.

Applications and uses of Cupping

          1. Colds

Common symptoms of colds such as dizziness, stuffy nose, and shoulder pain can be alleviated with cupping therapy. Specifically, cupping the shoulder area and the back helps to loosen the shoulder and clear fatigue and dizziness.

         2. Chronic Pharyngitis

Drug treatments are generally unsatisfactory with many cases of relapse. However cupping around the neck area helps to lower inflammation and clear the throat.

          3. Chronic Rhinitis

By cupping both sides of the entire spine, inflammation is lowered quickly to help clear the mucous membrane inside the nose.

          4. Dysmenorrhea

Cupping around the belly and stomach area helps to loosen tense muscles to alleviate menstrual cramps. In addition, blood circulation is increased to help reduce pain further.

          5. Coughing

The main acupuncture points are selected and then cupping treatment is used with the flash fire method. This method is highly effective in reducing coughs. This method usually requires 3-5 treatment sessions.

          6. Neck and Shoulder Pain

Neck and shoulder pain is very common nowadays from the young to the elderly. Cupping treatment for neck and shoulder pain involves the use of lubricating oil. The oil is first applied to the skin on the neck, shoulder, upper edges of the trapezius muscles and other areas with pain and numbness. Cupping is then applied on to the oiled areas with additional acupuncture after cupping has finished to achieve the most effective results. Treatment is usually done within 5 cupping sessions.
          7. Knee Arthritis

Small cups are applied to the inner and outer parts of the knee. Suction is then applied for approximately 15 minutes. Treatment of knee arthritis usually takes 10 cupping sessions.

Cupping therapy has a wide range of applications and is highly effective in reducing swelling, relieving pain, and promoting blood circulation. Chronic pains, nerve paralysis, acute pains, colds, coughs, indigestions and other muscle cramps and dysfunctions are all treated effectively with cupping treatment.