-- by Kristina Adams
Cupping therapy has been used in China for thousands of years. The earliest recordings of cupping can be found in the Silk Book which was written during the Han Dynasty in 167 BCE.
Initially, cupping was used to draw out poison from the body, treat coughs, and later for pain management.
Cupping works by placing a cup over the skin and creating a vacuum between the skin and cup by either using a hand pump or flame to evacuate air. This negative pressure creates a suction between the skin and cup, causing localized vasodilation. When this vasodilation occurs, the breakage of small capillaries can result, causing micro-leakage of blood beneath the skin's surface. The purple or red circular bruising you may have seen on others that have experienced cupping is an example of this.
The micro-capillary breakage has been shown to trigger an immune response, stimulating the production of white blood cells and increasing blood circulation. The local micro-trauma causes fresh, new blood to enter the area, alleviating pain that may have been present due to the stagnation of old blood. The sliding of cups along the skin's surface resolves adhesions between the skin, fascia, and muscle layers that often cause pain.
What can cupping treat:
- increase metabolism
- regenerate skin and hair
- move of synovial fluid in the joints
- cellulite
- gastrointestinal issues
- colds and flus
- dizziness
- lymphatic flow and drainage.
Cupping is an ancient technique with amazing modern healing indications. Come experience what a session of cupping can do for you at VCA with Kristina, practitioner of Tui na massage and cupping.