Getting Started with Cupping Therapy

How to Attach Cups that Use a Flame (Bamboo, Pottery and Glass Cups)

  • Prepare by soaking your cotton balls in surgical spirits prior to your client arriving. Some therapists prefer long handled lighters, so ensure these are filled with gas, so they do not run out during the treatment.
  • Check the cups are clean with no chips, cracks or breaks.
  • Prepare your client and explain the contra-actions.
  • Work out your placement routine and your treatment plan. (see graph below)
  • Apply oil to the area if you are using the cups to massage with. Or apply them to the area on dry, cleansed skin.
  • Using tongs, pick up a small ball of cotton wool that was soaked in surgical spirits, put the end of the tongs on the candle to light.
  • Place the flame inside the cup and around the rim, then apply to the trigger point areas on the client. You will see the skin ‘suck’ into the cup.
  • Extinguish the cotton wool flame in water.
  • Repeat until you have all the cups placed on the client.
  • If the cup feels too tight for the client and causes discomfort, place your thumb at the edge of the rim and release some of the air from the cup.
  • You can change the placement of the cups throughout the procedure.
  • While the cups are resting on the trigger points, you can perform a massage or flash cupping with the cups.

To Start

  • Massage

    • Apply a light layer of oil to the surface of the skin.
    • Place the cups in the same way as your trigger points.
    • Move the cup up and down or side to side on the back. This may cause friction and cause blood to rise to the surface. You can also work in small circular motions.
    • It is safe to work over the spine with cups; you do not want to apply pressure – just glide the cup over the area; the cup allows the muscle to be worked over without pressure with great benefit to the client.
    • You may lose contact with the suction, just repeat the application and work over the area again.
    • If it hurts the client, release some air into the cup and try again.
    • Work over the area evenly.

  • Flash Cupping

    • Put the flame in the cup to remove oxygen and apply to the back and release quickly or apply 4 cups before releasing and moving area.
    • You can work this way up the spine.
    • Keep checking the rims of the cups to check they are not too hot before applying.

  • Ending the Treatment

    • Remove the cups from the back by releasing the pressure by placing your thumb gently under the edge of the cup to break the seal.
    • Wipe over the clients back with a hot towel.
    • Clean the cups and extinguish any flames.
    • Any excess surgical spirit soaked in cotton wool should be burnt off and then extinguished in your water.

Reference Points for Placement and Healing and Diseases or Disorders

Reference Points for Placement and Healing

70% of diseases, pain and ailments are caused due to the blood being unable to reach certain places in the body. Dry cupping and dry massaging cupping allow the blood to reach these places.

Cupping placement for front and back:

Placement Point Ref & Description

1 The shoulder, the 7th
vertebrae on the neck

2, 3 The area between the ears at the back of the head where the hair grows or side of the neck

4, 5 The air door between the two ribs, upwards in the branching of the trachea and the bronchus

6 The gall bladder at the
peripheral of the right rib toward the spine

7, 8 On the stomach place at the middle of the back opposite to the stomach on the spinal sides

9, 10 The kidney centre under 7 & 8 on the back

11 Lumbar vertebrae – prominent bone at the lower back of the vertebrae column

12, 13 On the sides of 11, slightly upward, 5 cm away from spine

14, 15, 16, 17 The colon, almost on the colon corners from the back

18 On the middle of the spine

19 The heart opposite to the heart from the back almost on the left side of the rib

20, 21 Tonsils triangle that lies in the area between the neck and the shoulder with a slight bending to the back

22, 23 Above the pancreas gland under the rib end

24, 25 At the beginning of the lower half of the back

26, 27 Bilaterally at the sides of the iliac bone

28, 29, 30, 31 At the upper part of the buttocks

32 On the middle of the head

33 On the right part of the hair near the forehead or the hair line

34, 35 The right and left part of the brain (temporal) as well as the occipital bone

36 The cerebellum (occipital)
prominent bone on the head

37, 38 Nearly 3cm above the ears

39 Prominent occipital bone, the deep area at the back of the head where cupping is prohibited, except in necessary cases

40 In the middle of the back

41, 42 On the back of the head to the right and the left

43, 44 The sides of the neck

45, 46 Nearly 3cm above the air trachea (4 & 5)

47 On the left shoulder in addition to the heart

48 On the right rib from the
upward, complementary to the gall bladder knot

49 The immunity area from the back, between the two scapulae (shoulder blades)

50 6cm slightly above 8 for stomach ulcers

51, 52 The two thigh bones (femur) from both sides

53, 54 The inner part of the knee from the back

55 Almost 3cm under the shoulder

Diseases or Disorders

The following are some diseases and disorders and the points where to place the cups to treat the ailments. Some of the points are on nerves and blood vessels, while others are on power lines (acupuncture), and some are on reflex points on the back. Some placement points are on lymphatic glands and some for the
accumulation of blood. Some points help to stimulate the endocrine secretions and others for strengthening the immune system.

Disease or Disorder & Placement Points

Rheumatism 1 & 55 including any areas of pain

Roughness of the knee 2, 55, 11, 12 & 13

Oedema 1, 55, 9 & 10

Sciatic Pain – Right Leg 1, 55, 11, 12, 26, 51 and places on the leg especially the beginning and end of the muscle

Sciatic Pain – Left Leg 1, 55, 11, 13, 27, 52 and places on the leg especially the beginning and end of the muscle

Back Pain 1, 55 and cupping on both sides of the spine and places of pain

Neck/Shoulder Pain 1, 55, 40, 20, 21 and places of pain

Gout 1, 55, 28, 29, 30, 31 and places of pain

Rheumatoid Arthritis 1, 55 and all large and small joints

Paralysis of one half of the body 1, 55, 11, 12, 13 and all injured joints, massage daily

Paralysis of all four limbs 1, 55, 11, 12, 13 and all body joints and daily massage

Immune system deficiency 1, 55 & 49

Muscle Spasm Several dry cupping around the affected muscle

Poor blood circulation 1, 55, 11, ten cups on both sides of the spine from the top to the bottom

Tingling arms 1, 55, 40, 20, 21 and arm muscles and affected joints

Tingling feet 1, 55, 11, 12, 13, 26, 27, feet joints and affected muscles

Abdominal pain 1, 55, 7, 8 as well as dry cupping on the back opposite to the pain

Hemorrhoids 1, 55, 11 & 6

Prostate & Impotence 1, 55, 6, 11, 12 & 13

Chronic Coughs and lung diseases 1, 55, 4, 5, 49, 9 & 10

Hypertension 1, 55, 2, 3, 11, 12, 13, 6, 48, 9, 10, 7 & 8 you may need to replace 2 & 3 with 43 & 44

Stomach Problems & Ulcers 1, 55, 7, 8, 50, 41, 42 and dry cupping on 137, 138, 139 & 140

Renal (kidney) disease 1, 55, 9, 10, 41 & 42

Irritable Bowel Syndrome 1, 55, 6, 48, 7, 8, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 45 & 46

Chronic Constipation 1, 55, 11, 12, 13, 28, 29, 30 & 31

Depression 1, 55, 6, 11, 31 and below knees

Angiospasm & Arteriosclerosis 1, 55, 11 plus cupping on any points of pain

Inflammation of the stomach 1, 55

Excessive Sleep 1, 55 & 36

Heart Disease 1, 55, 19, 7, 8, 46 & 47

Diabetes 1, 55, 6, 7, 8, 22, 23, 24, 25 & 49

Liver & Gall Stones Disease 1, 55, 6, 48, 41, 42, 46 & 51

Skin Diseases 1, 55, 49, 6, 7, 8, 11 and cupping on the affected areas

 

Diseases or Disorders

Overweight 1, 55

Underweight 1, 55

Cellulite Daily massage over the affected areas

Infertility 1, 55, 6, 11, 12, 13, 49, 41 & 42

Thyroid Disease 1, 55, 41 & 42

Headaches 1, 55, 2 & 3 you can replace 2 & 3 with 43 & 44. If it is caused by high blood pressure add 11 & 32. If it is caused by constipation you can add 29, 30 & 31. Common cold you can add 4 & 5. Menstruation headaches you can add 11, 12 & 13

Tonsils, Throat, Gums & Teeth 1, 55, 20, 21, 41, 42, 49, 43 & 44

Weakness of Hearing 1, 55, 20, 21 & 37

Nasal Sinuses 1, 55, 14 and on the hair line

Neuritis 1, 55 and on the affected areas

Smoking Cessation 1, 55, 106, 11 & 32

Menstruation 1, 55

Stimulation of the ovaries 1, 55 & 11

Contra-Actions

  • Round red, purple or dark marks on the area where the cups were placed. These should dissipate within a week.
  • Blood spots or friction marks where the cups have been moved over the body. These will reduce over the following days. 
  • The area may feel numb. The feeling should resume within a few hours post-treatment.
  • Sleepiness, the nature of the treatment, may cause the client to feel tired.
  • Excess urination due to stimulation of the lymph and breakdown of intracellular swelling.
  •  

Aftercare

PRIOR TO YOUR CUPPING SESSION:

Eat a small, easily digestible meal w/in 2 hours of your session: Cupping on an empty stomach can cause dizziness or nausea. Stay hydrated starting the evening before your treatment. -Know your social schedule: Cupping marks will appear on the areas of the body being cupped and may last anywhere from 1 hour to 3 weeks. You may feel fatigued from the detox that is happening after treatment:
Keep your schedule light the rest of the day post-treatment. -Please wear a tank top, sports bra, or easily adjustable shirt for back & neck accessibility. -Bring clothing that can cover the area where you will be
cupped: Exposure should be kept to a bare minimum, and the body should stay warm following cupping sessions.

WHAT DOES CUPPING TREAT?

 -Anxiety, Back & Neck Pain, Chronic Fatigue, Depression, Detox: Blood/Cellular/Lymph, Digestive Disorders, Emotional Trauma, Fibromyalgia, Headaches & Migraines, High Blood Pressure, Liver & Gallbladder Disorders, Respiratory Ailments: Allergies, Asthma, Common Cold, Rheumatism.

DOES CUPPING HURT?

It is normal to feel a warm, pulling, stretching sensation from the suction of the cups. This sensation can be strong but can be adjusted to your comfort level by your practitioner. If, at any time during the treatment, it does become uncomfortable, let your practitioner know right away. There is sometimes a short period of tenderness at the places the cups have been applied after treatment. It’s okay to apply arnica gel or a gentle healing balm or massage oil as long as there is no broken skin or strong irritation on the top layer of the skin.

WHAT DO THE CUPPING MARKS MEAN?

The marks left by cupping are not bruises. The marks are the result of having unwanted internal toxins pulled up to the skin. Where there is dead, static blood, lymph, cellular debris, pathogenic factors, and toxins present in the body, cupping can leave marks that indicate that the stagnation or disease has been moved from the deeper tissue layers to the surface where it can be flushed out easier. This is a normal skin reaction. The extent of the mark depends very much on the length of the treatment time and the strength of the suction. The cupping marks can range from a light pink to a bright red to a dark purple, depending on the amount of stagnation present.

HOW LONG WILL THE CUPPING MARKS LAST?

Cupping marks can last anywhere from one hour to up to three weeks, depending on the severity of toxins released. Very occasionally, there can be some bleeding or blistering, but this is not something to be alarmed about. Take care to keep the area clean and covered until healed.

FOLLOW-UP CARE:

Everyone can react to cupping; differently, some feel tired, others feel more energetic. It’s important to give your body a chance to recuperate after the experience. It’s best to rest as much as possible after cupping treatment and try to get to bed early. Eat a wholesome meal (avoid heavy, high-fat meals of excess dairy or meat). Drink plenty of fluids to help flush out any toxins from your system. After a strong cupping treatment, along with toxin release, any long-standing emotions can get stirred-up as well. Some people may feel more emotional in the next few days; this is a normal detox reaction.

REST:

Physically, Mentally & Emotionally after cupping treatment. Avoid using any steam rooms, saunas, hot tubs, swimming (indoors or outdoors), or doing any kind of excessive exercise (that can physically over exert you), or sunbathing after cupping treatment. Do not get a draft or a chill for 48 hours after treatment.

 

Cupping Therapy Tutorial

Dr. Ryan Monahan demonstrates an overview in the basics of
cupping the back, neck and shoulders using piston air sucking cups.

How To Do Cupping Therapy

Michael Phelps the most decorated Olympian ever is doing it from a long time and admitted that it helped in enhancing his performance and quick recovery. People going to gym use it to improve the blood circulation for the targeted muscle.

Disclaimer

All the material contained on this website is provided for educational and informational purposes only. No responsibility can be taken for any results or outcomes resulting from the use of this material. While every attempt has been made to provide information that is both accurate and effective, this author does not assume any responsibility for the accuracy or use/misuse of this information. When in doubt, please consult your physician. Use this information at your own risk.