What is Cupping and Can it Help Relieve My Pain and Tension?

Cupping therapy can generally be described as a technique that uses cups placed over the skin to create negative pressure through suction.

Biomedical research has found that cupping increases local blood flow through microcirculation and capillary cell repair and by this action is an effective tool to relieve pain and tension and can help with many other conditions.

By now you’ve probably heard of or maybe even experienced cupping. Olympian swimmer Michael Phelps sporting nothing but a speedo and purple cupping circles while winning gold in 2016 drew a storm of media attention to this ancient healing practice. Hollywood movies (ie: The Godfather, part 2 or the Karate Kid) have cupping scenes, while celebrities have exposed their cupping marks on the red carpet. If you have relatives from other parts of the world, perhaps you got to experience the benefits in childhood. Or maybe your first encounter with cupping was (or will be!) on your acupuncturist’s treatment table in our clinic.

Cupping therapy spread throughout Europe during the renaissance. It dates back much further though, to ancient Egyptian, Greek, Asian, and Middle Eastern cultures. One of the oldest medical textbooks in the world, the Ebers Papyrus, describes how the ancient Egyptians used cupping therapy in 1,550 B.C.

Traditionally, all cupping involves a flammable substance set on fire and placed in a cup to create a vacuum. As the fire is pulled out of the cup, the cup is turned upside down on your skin, creating a vacuum where the skin is pulled slightly away from the underlying tissue. This is an amazing way to help out your lymph system!

During stationary cupping the cup is generally left in place for up to 3-5 minutes. Moving (aka sliding) cupping, is where the skin is lubricated with oil to allow for massage-like strokes with the cups as they create a gliding suction over areas of the body such as the back muscles. A convenient cupping tool used by many acupuncturists today uses a pump instead of fire to create the vacuum. This style allows for the use of smaller cups to work with bony joints and even facial muscles. Some therapists also use silicone cups, which are easily maneuvered with a squeeze of the hand to create the desired level of suction.

Cupping is understood in TCM to assist with qi and blood flow. It also opens the pores to draw out pathogenic factors such as wind, cold, damp and heat.

One of the reasons this therapy stands up to the test of time is because it is safe and beneficial for so many conditions.

Here are some examples of uses where research supports effectiveness:

• Immune support

• Carpal tunnel syndrome

• Cholesterol management

• Asthma

• Cellulitis

• Migraines

• Shingles

• Facial Paralysis

• Osteoarthrits

• Insomnia

• Depression

• and of course Muscular Pain & Tension

So, the big question: How does it feel?

Like a massage! (especially the sliding cups) but instead of a push you feel a pull. Patients sometimes describe it as ‘a good hurt’, followed by a release of pressure. A good practitioner will communicate with you to find your balance point to make sure it is a relaxing, comfortable experience. And yes, you may leave with the famous ‘cupping marks’, but these are not bruises, as they are not caused by injury and do not hurt, rather they are evidence that stagnation has been released.

Remember, while it is generally considered a very safe technique, it is important to make sure your practitioner is skilled and taking proper precautions. Our Licensed Acupuncturists have extensive training in cupping, so call today and experience the benefits yourself!

See below for published research on cupping therapy

1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4488563/

2. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25453524/

3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4488563/

4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK538253/