Get Fast Pain Relief With Traditional Chinese Medicine Cupping
What Is Cupping?
Cupping is an ancient technique performed by acupuncturists and other therapists to treat everything from lower-back pain to arthritis to common colds. It can be thought of as an intense and vigorous massage with a lot of suction cup action.
It feels like a gentle squeezing/tightening of the skin. Imagine the sensation of a vacuum cleaner stuck to your skin and you’ll have a pretty good idea of what cupping feels like. The suction can be created using heat (fire) and glass cups, plastic mechanical hand pumps, or electrical pump devices. The cup can be left in place for 1 to 15 minutes, all dependent on the person, or the cups may be moved up and down in a massage motion.
What Are The Benefits Of Cupping?
Many people experience immediate pain relief as the cup increases blood flow to the stiff and tight muscles, causing them to relax. Cupping is an excellent option for treating pain, trigger points, and deep scar tissue as well as loosening the myofascial lines and reducing swelling and inflammation.
Does Cupping Leave Marks On My Skin?
They may or may not, it really just depends. Any marks that are left typically disappear between 1 to 4 days. The marks on the skin come from blood rushing to the area of the cup, causing them to darken. The more tension in the muscles, the more likely the discolouration will be. For this reason, cupping is usually done in conjunction with acupuncture to first move the energy in the area.
The Chinese say, “cupping pulls the bad blood out, so that the good blood may reach the area of injury”. Encouraging fresh circulation to an area can promote and accelerate healing. If you have any back pain from getting your garden started, running, or any other sport, consider cupping and acupuncture to get you back on track.