Cupping therapy is a tool that has withstood centuries and is still used today across the globe for various treatment modalities. Many cultures have developed specific techniques working with cups of different form for overcoming colds and flus or avoiding them completely relieving symptoms of common colds, the pain of back aches, the look of cellulite, nagging carpal tunnel pains and even depression.
Cupping is commonly used in many musculoskeletal conditions since the clearest benefit of cupping is increased blood flow, which helps increase the rate of healing in recovery from muscle fatigue, injuries, and other conditions.
In Chinese, cupping is known as "pulling-up jars" 拔罐 pinyin: báguàn.
This technique has been used for thousands of years and one of the earliest documentations of cupping can be found in the work titled A Handbook of Prescriptions for Emergencies, which was written by a Daoist herbalist Ge Hong all the way back in 300 AD.
Cupping was established as an official therapeutic practice in the 1950s across hospitals in China after research conducted by Chinese and former Soviet Union doctors confirmed cupping’s effectiveness. Prior to the 1950s, cupping had also been practiced as an auxiliary method in traditional Chinese surgery. In recent years cupping has been growing in popularity, with celebrities like Gwyneth Paltrow, Jennifer Aniston, David Arquette, and athlete Michael Phelps drawing public attention to the traditional Chinese therapy technique.
Currently, cupping therapy is a well-recognized traditional method used for health promotion, prophylaxis, and treatment for a variety of illnesses like:
Decrease muscle activity which results in pain reduction
Help with muscle relaxation by improving microcirculation, promoting cell repair and angiogenesis in tissues
Promote healing process via increased local tissue metabolism
Activate the lymphatic system to drain excess fluids and toxins
Induce comfort and relaxation on a systemic level
In summary Cupping Therapy is a time tested modality that can help with:
Musculoskeletal pain : Muscle adhesion, sciatica, lower back pain, neck pain, fibromyalgia
Digestive problems : Bloating, gastric reflux and constipation conditions
Improving respiratory : Cough, asthma and common cold as it breaks up phlegm in your lungs, which will allow you to cough it out while it pushes back the invading pathogens.
Boosting immunity : Falling sick often, seasonal allergies, chronic year round allergies, chronic tiredness