Cupping is a method of relieving local congestion by applying a partial vacuum that is created in a cup(s), either by heat or by suction. Cupping has been used for thousands of years. Although it is often associated with Traditional Chinese Medicine, the entire world once knew this of therapy and used it. The Ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Chinese used cupping therapy. The oldest recorded medical textbook, Ebers Papyrus, written in approximately 1550 BCE in Egypt, mentions cupping (Curtis, 2005). In the UK, the practice of cupping therapy also dates back a long time in one of their leading medical journals, The Lancet. It was named after this practice as it refers to the surgical instrument that can scrape the skin to perform a style of cupping.
Conditions Which Can Benefit From Cupping
Conditions that can benefit from cupping include: headache, back pain, joint and muscular pain, infertility, sexual disorders, rheumatic diseases, hypertension, breast enhancement, bed wetting, common colds and flu, insomnia, stroke, fever, constipation and diarrhea, chest pain, asthma and blood disorders.
Precautions and Contraindications
Always take sensible precautions when using cupping or be sure that the therapist you seek cupping treatment from follows these precautions.
* Sterilization: this is the main key to success.
* Use suitable cups for the area being treated.
* Take extra care with children and the elderly.
* Do not apply strong cupping to the face.
* Do not treat pregnant women.
* Do not use cupping on inflamed or cut skin.
* Take extra care when scraping the skin and do not cut a vein or artery.
* Do not treat people with a serious heart disease.