Definition
Cupping therapy is a type of external treatment in traditional Chinese medicine and is an important part of TCM. Cupping therapy uses a series of specially designed cups or cylinders as tools, using methods such as burning or suction to create negative pressure inside the cups. The cups are then applied to specific acupuncture points or treatment areas on the body, creating a suction effect on the skin and causing local congestion or bruising. This physical therapy is used to treat various diseases.
Mechanism of Action
1. Mechanical and Thermal Stimulation
Cupping therapy can produce beneficial mechanical and thermal stimulation on the skin. Mechanical stimulation can cause local tissue congestion, enhance gas exchange in the local tissues, and promote the rupture of small blood vessels, resulting in the release of blood into the surrounding tissues. This process stimulates the skin's blood vessels and also activates the body's immune function, providing good therapeutic effects for conditions such as low-grade fever caused by immune deficiency. Pathological examination of the local tissues before and after cupping therapy has shown increased epithelial proliferation and formation of inflammatory granulation tissue.
2. Adjusting Yin and Yang, Expelling Pathogens and Supporting Vital Energy
Cupping therapy has the ability to adjust the balance of Yin and Yang. It can achieve this through the combination of acupuncture points and meridians, as well as through the combination with other therapies. For example, cupping therapy at the Guanyuan acupoint can warm Yang and expel cold, while cupping therapy at the Dazhui acupoint can clear heat. Cupping therapy can also expel pathogens and support vital energy by removing various pathogenic factors from the body. This can be achieved through different cupping methods and the combination of acupuncture points and meridians. Cupping therapy can correct diseases caused by imbalances of Yin and Yang, restoring the body's balance.
3. Clearing Meridians and Promoting Qi and Blood Circulation
The meridians in the human body connect internal organs and the limbs, running throughout the body and playing a role in the circulation of Qi and blood, and in connecting the body's internal and external, upper and lower, and regulating the activities of the internal organs. If the function of the meridians and blood circulation is disrupted, various diseases can occur. Cupping therapy can help clear the meridians and promote Qi and blood circulation when there is stagnation or deficiency of Qi and blood in the meridians. This can nourish the internal organs and tissues, and improve the condition of the skin. Cupping therapy can also stimulate the weak organ functions, enhance the body's resistance, and remove pathogens, thereby restoring normal Qi and blood circulation and eliminating diseases. Common cupping methods such as meridian cupping, walking cupping, and bloodletting cupping all have the aforementioned functions.
Cupping therapy is an independent treatment method based on the theories of Yin and Yang and the Five Elements in traditional Chinese medicine, as well as the theory of organs and meridians. It aims to achieve the goal of regulating Qi and blood, balancing Yin and Yang, and promoting health by applying pressure and negative pressure to the skin, scraping and stimulating the meridians and acupuncture points, and stimulating the circulation of Qi and blood.
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