5 Cool Facts About Cupping
Anyone who has watched American athlete Michael Phelps compete for a medal has probably seen those strange red circles lining his back and arms. Phelps’s use of Chinese cupping has definitely made it a much more popular choice in Traditional Chinese Medicine, but it has been used for centuries as an alternative non-invasive healing therapy. Looking ahead, cupping has skyrocketed in popularity in 2023! Read on to learn more about some interesting facts when it comes to cupping:
#1: It’s Not Just for Athletes
You don’t have to be a world-famous swimmer or celebrity trendsetter to find out what cupping is all about. Cupping is available to anyone who is looking to detoxify their body using traditional methods. It is also affordable and accessible. Cupping is most often used for improving blood circulation to muscles and tissues, releasing excess fluid, and supplying oxygen to cells.
#2: Scientifically Proven to Relieve Pain
Several aspects of Traditional Chinese Medicine, like many alternative therapies, has been accused of being a pseudoscience, touting many health benefits without any or very little scientific evidence to prove it. However, cupping has been studied and medically proven to help patients with certain ailments, mainly acne, herpes zoster, facial paralysis, cervical spondylosis, and most importantly, pain management.
#3: There Are Different Types of Cupping
The most well-known form of cupping is Dry Cupping, which is when the cup is set on fire and as it begins to go out, the cup is placed on the person’s skin, usually the back. As the cup cools, it creates a vacuum, forcing the skin to pucker into the glass and turn red. This is done for three minutes at a time.
Wet Cupping utilizes the same method with the added step of removing the cups after three minutes and making slight incisions with a very sharp scalpel to release excess blood that is believed to carry the body’s toxins.
Massage Cupping is a form of massage therapy whereby the practitioner moves the cups across your skin instead of keeping them in place.
A Chipperfield Mobile Physiotherapy client receives cupping therapy in the comfort of their home.
#4: It Uses the Body’s Natural Energy Meridians
Traditional Chinese Medicine is based on the philosophy that our bodies possess twelve meridians from which energy flows. You can access different meridians depending on where you apply treatment, which focuses on healing certain parts of the body. The back contains five meridian points.
#5: It Creates A Healing Response
Cupping is a part of the overall healing process of an injury, muscle inflammation, or pain. Through cupping, the tissue is stretched, which creates an inflammatory response in the area. When there is inflammation, white blood cells begin to break down the scar tissue, which helps in the healing process. It also helps to relax the tissue in a knotted muscle.
Interested in finding out for yourself why millions of people have turned to cupping therapy? Book your appointment today.
