CuppingTherapy
Cupping therapy is an ancient form of alternative medicine in which a therapist puts special cups on your skin for a few minutes to create suction. People get it for many purposes, including to help with pain, inflammation, blood flow, relaxation and well-being, and as a type of deep-tissue massage.
The cups may be made of:
- Glass
- Bamboo
- Earthenware
- Silicone
Cupping therapy might be trendy now, but it’s not new. It dates back to ancient Egyptian, Chinese, and Middle Eastern cultures. One of the oldest medical textbooks in the world, the Ebers Papyrus, describes how the ancient Egyptians used cupping therapy in 1,550 B.C.
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Cupping uses suction to draw blood to or away from specific areas of your body. People mostly use cupping to relieve conditions that cause pain. Some people say it also helps with chronic (ongoing) health issues. Cupping may ease symptoms of:
- Arthritis, including rheumatoid arthritis.
- Back pain, neck pain, knee pain and shoulder pain.
- Asthma and other breathing issues.
- Carpal tunnel syndrome.
- Gastrointestinal (GI) disorders like irritable bowel disease (IBD).
- Headaches and migraines.
- High blood pressure (hypertension).
Experts are still exploring how cupping eases pain and disease symptoms. There isn’t a lot of research on the therapy.
Suction from cupping draws fluid into the treated area. This suction force expands and breaks open tiny blood vessels (capillaries) under your skin. Your body replenishes the cupped areas with healthier blood flow and stimulates proper and normal healing at a cellular level. Because of this effect, some people think that cupping releases toxins.
There are different ways to do cupping. The steps vary slightly depending on the chosen method. Your provider will leave the cups in place for several minutes. Some treatments involve briefly moving the cups to stretch and massage the area.
Cupping methods include:
- Dry: Your provider heats the inside of each cup. The traditional method involves setting an alcohol-soaked cotton ball aflame. The heat sends oxygen out of the cup, creating a vacuum. A more modern approach involves using a suction device to remove air from the cups. The vacuum force pulls your skin up into the cup.
- Running: This is like dry cupping. But before beginning, your provider will apply lotion or oil to your skin. Once they place the cups, they’ll gently move them in different directions over the affected area of your body.
- Bleeding: Your provider uses a needle to lightly puncture your skin before placing the cups. This allows for the release of toxins through the suctioned blood captured in the cup.
Depending on the treatment, your provider may place multiple cups on your skin. On average, providers use between three and five cups, though they might use up to seven. It’s uncommon to get more than seven cups in a single treatment.
Most providers use glass or plastic cups, but cups may also be:
- Bamboo.
- Ceramic.
- Metal.
- Silicone.
Many people who’ve had cupping therapy report that it:
- Reduces pain and inflammation.
- Decreases muscle tightness.
- Improves blood flow.
- Increases range of motion.
Cupping is a relatively low-risk therapy. Still, you may experience:
- Bruising.
- Burns from heated cups.
- Fatigue.
- Headaches.
- Muscle tension or soreness.
- Nausea.
- Skin infections, itching or scarring.
In rare instances, people may develop vasovagal syncope (fainting after a drop in your blood pressure and heart rate). This is most common after wet cupping for people who pass out with needle sticks.
At Bahnano, we do cupping for you with the help of a cupping therapist who specializes in cupping, modern cupping.
Do you know that cupping is sunnah?