Have you heard of ‘cupping therapy’? You may have seen pictures of famous athletes or celebrities with red circular marks from cupping on their shoulders and backs. A lot of people have questions about the benefits of cupping and wonder what this mark is. What is Cupping Therapy? There are two types of cupping, Dry and Wet.
In dry cupping the suction cup will be placed on the skin and in wet cupping, the practitioner will make a small incision on the skin and then apply the suction cup to draw CUPPING THERAPY’ – PART I Dr. Kate Boonyakiat DAOM, LAc. – Terra Acupuncture out small amounts of blood. Sometimes we move cups along the muscles, a process called gliding cupping, cups are typically left on for between 5-10 minutes, depending on your specific need.
How does it work? When toxins or cell waste stagnate in the muscles, the body has difficulty disposing of the debris causing the body to experience discomfort, the stagnation can be caused by various reasons such as poor circulation in a localised area, or an injury that never fully healed. When the liver and kidneys cannot process these toxins and excrete them correctly, the toxins are put in storage to be handled later, usually housed in the muscular level.
The vacuum action of cupping facilitates the release of rigid soft tissues, stimulates the peripheral nervous system, loosens and lifts connective tissue, and breaks up and drains stagnation, it can also increase blood and lymph flow to the skin, muscle, and connective tissue. Cupping draws stagnant blood and other fluids that have fallen out of healthy circulation up to the skin and away from the injury to restore circulation to the affected area. It creates space for oxygen, living cells, and nutrients needed for the healing process. How does it work?
Many people know that cupping can ease muscle pain or tightness and cause relaxation to the body, cupping therapy is also used to treat a broad range of conditions, including respiratory infection, headaches and cellulite.
