I’ve recently read an article published by Irish Independent (read: here).
We’ve seen sport professionals (Michael Phelps) and other professional sport stars appearing with dark circles on their backs during competitions.
Now… What is Cupping?
Cupping is a medical practice where cups are placed on parts of the body to create a suction effect which raises the skin and draws the blood to the surface. It is used throughout Asia, the Middle East, and Europe to treat pain, swelling, inflammation, migraine, rheumatism, bronchitis, and the common cold. Recent studies suggest that it could also be a promising form of treatment for a host of other ailments, as well.
First oil is rubbed on the skin. Once the cups are placed on the skin, the therapist will wait several minutes to maximize the suction effect. The cups will then be moved over the body, pulling up other parts of your flesh. Since the cups will inevitably pop off, they have to be heated repeatedly and replaced on the skin. After several minutes, the cups are removed and a deep tissue massage usually follows.
The time the cup is on the skin goes between three to five minutes. Removal is also painless, after which you’ll look like you’ve been attacked by an octopus. The darker the bruising, the more your acupuncturist will focus upon it. A normal bruise should be a vibrant reddish or reddish orange. If it is dark, it means the patient is coping with more pain.
It usually takes three to four days for the dark circules to leave completely, though in some cases, it can take as long as a week. It usually depends on how good the blood circulation is.
If you do feel pain after cupping, you must let your acupuncturist know right away, though this is extremely rare.
If you hate needles, stick to the masseurs, because cupping and needles are virtually synonymous in traditional Chinese medicine. It wasn’t always so, however. According to the historical texts, cupping once stood on its own and was prescribed for chronic pulmonary diseases as it still is today.
Research is showing that ventosa with this vacuum may also be effective at finding deep tissue and muscular problems, again by observing the bruising which occurs without having to resort to surgery. Mitigating minor scars and stretch marks are other areas which seem promising as of this writing.
Since traditional Chinese medicine functions on a completely different model than that used by modern medicine, it’s only inevitable that certain misunderstandings arise when comparing the two. The same applies when both systems look at the same problem.
For example, Chinese Medicine considers Cupping to treat pain due to (Hot) Bi Syndrome which means the initial stages of an inflammatory processes (acute) as the cupping releases the tight tissues as well as reduces the heating within the tissue (bringing blood to the surface so heat is released).
Photo by Freepik
