Traditional Cupping for Effective Pain Management
What is Cupping?
Cupping is a therapy where glass, bamboo or plastic cups are placed on various parts of the body to help with pain management, chest and nasal congestion and relief from coughs or fevers. It is part of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) but almost every native cultures e.g. Greek, Middle Eastern, Hispanic use them.
When Is Cupping Indicated?
At Healing Circle Community Acupuncture, cupping is done as an adjunct to your acupuncture treatments. It is done to further alleviate your musculoskeletal pain symptoms. In addition, cupping is also incorporated when patients have cold and flu, chest congestion, cough with or without phlegm, pneumonia, shingles and fever. Cupping is safe on both children and adults.
When is Cupping Contraindicated?
Early stages of pregnancy
Open wound or sores
Recent surgical scars
What Does a Cupping Session Look Like?
Approximately, six cups or less (depends on patient’s body size i.e. child or adult) will be placed on your entire back and you rest with them for 10 minutes. You will feel a light suction where the cups are placed and sometimes itching as your liver is detoxing. Depending on the color of the cupping marks, decision will then be made as to whether we can move the cups and massage your back. Due to the various essential oils that we use during cupping, patients reported feeling good and have increased mobility in their necks and backs post cupping. They also breathe easier and have less chest tightness with repeated cupping.
How Many Sessions Do I Need?
It varies based on your health condition and how well you respond to treatments.
What To Do Post Cupping?
We recommend patient not to shower or wet their backs and hair the night after cupping therapy. We would like the essential oils that we used during your cupping session to work further in releasing your muscles. We encourage you to take note how long the cupping marks take to disappear. The length of time it takes to disappear is a good therapeutic diagnosis on how fast your body heals.
