Cupping
What is Cupping?
Cupping therapy is a form of ancient medicine that originated in China. It is based on the belief that certain health conditions are generally caused by stagnant blood and poor energy flow through the body. In order to fix or prevent those health issues from occurring, cupping practitioners apply cups at certain points of the skin to create suction. The pressure created from the suction helps in drawing blood to the specific area and increasing blood flow. The increase in blood flow helps relieve muscle tension, improves blood circulation and reduces inflammation.
How does Cupping Work?
The cups used in cupping therapy can be made from glass, bamboo or silicone. A vacuum is created as the air inside the cup is removed. This causes the skin to rise and redden because of the expansion of the blood vessels. The cup is generally applied on the skin for up to 3 minutes.
Benefits of Cupping
In the Chinese medicine framework energy stagnation or blockage result in pain. As well as relaxing the nervous system treating maladies that cause pain, inflammation and emotional distress, cupping also improves the flow of energy, blood and other bodily fluids. The holistic modality supports the body's self-healing abilities, hence widely used to address a wide variety of health conditions, including:
- Backaches, neck shoulder and knee pain
- Headaches and migraines
- Muscle spasms
What can you expect from Cupping?
Before the session begins, the therapist applies oil on the client's back to relax their muscles and make gliding the cups easy. Then cups are placed on the desired spots and the air then remove to create a vacuum. During the session only the part of the body is being treated is exposed. Cupping may leave circular marks or bruises on the client's skin that could last for a couple of weeks