What is cupping in traditional Chinese medicine?

Cupping therapy is an ancient form of alternative medicine in which a therapist puts special cups on your skin for a few minutes to create suction. People get it for many purposes, including to help with pain, inflammation, blood flow, relaxation and well-being, and as a type of deep-tissue massage.

Is Chinese cupping good for you?

Cupping increases circulation The suction from the cups increases circulation to the area where the cups are placed. The additional blood flow to that area can help relieve muscle tension and promote cell repair. Increasing circulation with cupping also helps to reduce the appearance of cellulite.

What was cupping originally used for?

In ancient Greece, Hippocrates (c. 400 BC) used cupping for internal disease and structural problems. Roman surgeons cupping vessels were used in bloodletting. The method was highly recommended by Muhammad and hence well-practiced by Muslim scientists who elaborated and developed the method further.

Is cupping therapy Chinese medicine?

Cupping is the term applied to a powerful Traditional Chinese Medicine technique using small glass cups (or bamboo jars) as suction devices applied to the surface of the body.

What do the colors mean in cupping?

Pale skin marks after cupping, feel cold on the skin; deficiency cold or dampness. Dark, purple spot cupping marks , stagnation and cold. Light or bright red spot cupping marks, Qi and blood deficiency, Yin deficiency.

What are the side effects of cupping?

Cupping can cause side effects such as persistent skin discoloration, scars, burns, and infections, and may worsen eczema or psoriasis. Rare cases of severe side effects have been reported, such as bleeding inside the skull (after cupping on the scalp) and anemia from blood loss (after repeated wet cupping).

How do you know if cupping works?

After regular cupping treatments, you will find that the marks will visibly become lighter and lighter.

  1. Light pink: Fade within a few minutes to an hour.
  2. Dark red: Fade between 3 days to a week (up to 2 weeks if it is an old injury)