Cupping Today

The History of Cupping Therapy

Believe it or not, while you may have recently heard about cupping therapy, it has been around for quite some time. Despite it all, to this day, the true origin of cupping still remains uncertain – the earliest known use of this therapy is found in the Ebers Papyrus from Egypt, which is 5,000 years old.

In China, it is mentioned in medical treatises that go back some 3,000 years. Yet, its first properly documented use was by a practicing Taoist, alchemist, and a medicinal herbalist named Ge Hong. Ge Hong was famous during his time as an accomplished healer and a trusted confidante of many high officials in ancient China. He successfully applied cupping to treat a variety of diseases which couldn’t be cured by conventional methods in his time. Back in the Qing and Tang Dynasty, cupping has been used to treat pulmonary tuberculosis, moxibustion, common colds, back pains, knotted nerves and muscles, and arthralgia. It has also been used for promoting general health and wellbeing among patients who could afford it.

In modern day China and elsewhere in the world, common glass cups or even fine plastic cups have been used to replace its ancestral animal horns and bamboo. The type of cups have also evolved over time to suit the patients’ needs. Besides China, Hippocrates, the Greek doctor who composed the Hippocratic Oath, mentions it in 400 BC. The prophet Mohammad recommended the practice in the Koran 1400 years ago, while in Finland, they’ve been doing it since the 15th century.

Cupping has been also found to be used in deep East Asian regions, especially in Northern China, Japan, and the Korean peninsula. Certain areas such as the Middle East use a similar method known as “Wet Cupping”. Today, Cupping has also been implemented widely in eastern and Western cultures through the process of globalization and it is called by many names including ba gwan, giac hoi, bekam, buhang, and bentusa in Southeast Asia. In the Middle East, it is commonly referred to as hijama, hejamat, and badkesh, among many others.

About Bamboo Cups

  • Dry Cupping

    Let’s start out by explaining what dry cupping is. Dry cupping is the basic & most common technique that is used.

    Here, cups are used to create a vacuum over your skin. A combustible material, such as herbs, alcohol or paper will be lit and put into the cup. As the fire goes out, the cup will be placed over the selected area. The cooling air that is inside the cup will create a vacuum, which causes the blood vessels under the skin to redden and expand. The cup may be placed here for up to ten minutes.
    In another variation of dry cupping, the cup will be held over a flame to heat the air inside it before it is placed on your skin.

    Many therapists choose to put a piece of insulating material over the skin and place the lighted material on it before inverting the cup. Don’t worry, because this will extinguish the flame right away, so it’s not going to burn you.

    Most who use the dry cupping method use glass cups because they are durable and easy to sterilize. Plus, they create a perfect seal.

  • Wet Cupping

    This is not used in traditional Chinese medicine, but is still popular around the world. Some studies show it to be more effective in treating some problems such as migraines, nonspecific lower back pain, and post-herpetic neuralgia. As to its other acclaimed health benefits, on the other hand, those remain in contention.

    Nevertheless, there are clinics throughout Europe and the Americas which do provide wet cupping services under sterile medical conditions, if you’re interested.

    In the beginning, suction will be created similarly as in dry cupping, but instead of leaving the cup on for 10 minutes, it will be left on for about 3 minutes. Next, the therapist will take a scalpel to make minute incisions on your skin. During this time, a second cup will be placed in the area in order to suck up a couple of drops of the toxic blood and the harmful substances from your body – this will allow the healing to take place.

    When completed, you will be dressed with antibiotic ointments and sterile bandaging should be applied in order to prevent infection.
    Wet cupping may sound scary, but it isn’t as painful as you may think it is.

  • Needle Retaining Cupping

    Needle-Retaining Cupping is another form of cupping that we feel the need to discuss. This method involves a combination of acupuncture and cupping. Attach a cup to the area around one or more of the retained needles and keep the needles inside the cup. Remove the cup and needles after 5 to 10 minutes, or when the localized skin becomes red.

    Cupping, both wet and dry, is an ancient technique still practiced today by millions. Recently celebrities have even taken it up, increasing its popularity further. Dry cupping raises few eyebrows, in addition to the ugly bruises it leaves behind, that is. However, there have been no reports of any complications arising from cupping sessions.

    As such, it’s generally safe, if done properly. There are even home kits that you can buy so you can do it on your own in the comfort of your own home. If you remember the five-minute rule and do it no more than twice a week, you should be good to go.

    As for wet cupping… well, you’re on your own there. Under the right conditions, it can be perfectly safe and can’t possibly be worse than some of the other alternative methods available.

Things To Consider Before Beginning Cupping Therapy

It may seem exciting to get started with Cupping Therapy. Beginning anything new is always an exciting phase. However, there are a few pointers that you need to remember before embarking on your Cupping program. Remembering these points will not only keep you safe from harm but they’ll also ensure that you stay on track and not quit on your health & wellness journey after a couple of therapy sessions.

Far too many people get off to a roaring start and after a couple of sessions, they stop doing it and go back to their old, sedentary lifestyle. You must guard against this at all costs. When considering cupping treatment, It is important that you comprehend exactly what cupping is and how it can help you. While this guide has been put together to help aid in exploring these things it’s always great to solidify the information contained. So the following is a revise of what you need to know before thinking of starting cupping therapy

Cupping is a natural treatment that uses pressurized glass or bamboo mugs to give a tender vacuum on your skin, which will help assuage torment, evacuate poisons, and numerous different things. It is a conventional Chinese medication that has been utilized for a long time throughout history and is turning out to be more prominent nowadays. Cupping treatment supporters trust that wet cupping expels destructive substances and poisons from the body to advance healing.

To help you comprehend who will truly benefit by this treatment, here is a portion of the diverse wellbeing conditions that it will help with:

1. Cerebral pain – Many individuals feel migraines; however, a few individuals experience them more intensly. This treatment will help mitigate the torment from the migraine and keep you from having so them so intensly.

2. Back Pain – Do you feel pain in your lower to center back? If you do, then as studies have shown you will most likely profit by this treatment.

3. Joint Agony – Cupping will help to alleviate torment from your Joints and help them be more adaptable.

4. Rheumatic sicknesses – There are numerous individuals that experience the ill effects of this condition that have discovered this treatment extremely advantageous for them.

5. A Sleeping Disorder – If you discover yourself not having the capacity to rest, then this may be the response to helping you rest. Numerous individuals with a sleeping disorder have benefited enormously from this treatment.

While there are many benefits to cupping, there are some things you will need to consider before you start cupping therapy.

The Side Effects

You could experience the following side effects:
• Burns • Bruises • Mild Discomfort • Skin Infection

You may also experience markings. After a cupping session, you will most probably have round marks on your skin (this is left by the cup). Most markings should vanish anywhere from a couple of days to a week.

Who Shouldn’t Use Cupping?

If you are pregnant, you may want to avoid this form of therapy and those individuals who have steel implants, such as pacemakers, insulin pumps, or computer implants should avoid this form of therapy. Also, those with severe bleeding disorders, including thrombocytopenia and those will allergic skin reactions should avoid cupping.

BACK PAIN Therapy with THAI BAMBOO CUPS

Thai Bamboo Cupping Massage Therapy for Back Pain.

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.