HOW IS DRY CUPPING DONE?

With the growth of Oriental Medicine in the West; Dry Cupping - an integral part of Chinese and Japanese Medicine, has making a well deserved comeback.

I will discuss with you whether Cupping could be used as part of your treatment, and explain the effects, you can then decide whether you would like it.

 Dry Cupping involves the application of  specially designed globe shaped cups to an Acupuncture point  on the skin or affected joint or skin surface.

Cups come in different sizes and have mouths’ ½ inch to 3” in diameter.

The mouth is applied to the skin, and on the other end is a fitting for a pump that draws the air out of the cup.

When the practioner creates a vacuum inside the cup, the skin is pulled up inside by ¼ to ½ inch  and the cup remains in place for some minutes .

 WHAT CONDITIONS COULD MY ACUPUNCTURIST TREAT WITH CUPPING

Arthritis and swelling of the joints, Tendonitis, Back Pain, Skin complaints, Colds and Flu, paralysis, ( facial palsy/ strokes, weakness and pain in muscles, diseases  of circulation, digestion, and breathing.

HOW DOES CUPPING WORK?

Drawing the skin into the cup stimulates the Acupuncture points, hair follicles, pores, skin, capillaries, arteries and veins and sub-cutaneous flesh in a local area, and facilitates the flow of the lymphatic system.

Stimulation of the area with this method promotes increased blood flow to muscles, stimulates the sensory nerves of the skin, increases secretion of Synovial fluid which eases the joints, and increases lymph flow, which can reduce fluid collecting under the skin. A Japanese Dr Katase has even suggested that Cupping may influence the composition of blood, increasing red and white blood cells and changing the alkaline/acid balance.

Cupping has been part of medicine for more than 2000 years; it is an ancient therapy that has been used in numerous countries and civilisations throughout the world.

In the ancient world the Egyptians, Greeks, Romans and Africans all made use of it. The first book in China that describes Cupping was written in 28AD by Zouhou Fang.

There are further Chinese books on this therapy in 755, 1005 and in 1600 AD. Continuing to the present day, it is routinely used in Chinese hospital along side Traditional Acupuncture.

Cupping was also done in Europe and America: from 1700 – 1900 it was an integral part of medicine here, and  there are many British and American references to its usefulness Cups could still be purchased in this country until the 1940s

Cupping died out in the West in the 1900- 40s, at a time of the growth of the pharmaceutical industry and the emphasis on medicine as science.  

Source  Chirali 1999