Cupping therapy, a characteristic therapy in traditional Chinese medicine, is widely used in folk medicine and is called "horn therapy" because animal horns were commonly used in ancient times to make the cups.
Cupping uses cups as tools to create negative pressure inside the cups through methods such as burning, suction, and steam, causing the cups to adhere to the body surface and produce beneficial stimulation. Cupping has the functions of connecting the surface and interior of the body, dredging meridians, supporting the healthy and eliminating the pathogenic, promoting qi circulation and blood flow, reducing swelling and alleviating pain, dispelling wind and dispelling cold, detoxifying and clearing heat, harmonizing qi and blood, and relieving fatigue. It is an external treatment method aimed at adjusting body functions and preventing and treating diseases. As a "green" physical therapy, it is increasingly favored for its safety and effectiveness.
Modern medicine has explored the mechanism of action of cupping. Cupping can draw out toxins and pus, promote wound healing and disease recovery, traction muscles, increase pain threshold, relieve fatigue, promote blood circulation, accelerate metabolism, regulate immune function, enhance self-resistance, stimulate nerves, and adjust body functions. Cupping can also improve the respiration and nutrition of the skin, promote the secretion of sweat glands and sebaceous glands, enhance the elasticity and mobility of joints and tendons, increase blood flow to muscles, enhance muscle working capacity and endurance, and prevent muscle atrophy. It can also deepen breathing, promote gastrointestinal motility, stimulate the nerves that control abdominal organs, and enhance the secretion function of the stomach and intestines. It can accelerate blood return in venous vessels and adjust the distribution of blood flow and reserves between muscles and internal organs.
Cupping has a wide range of therapeutic applications. It has been found to be effective for at least 363 types of diseases, including colds, cervical spondylosis, frozen shoulder, lumbar muscle strain, acute lumbar sprain, lower back and leg pain, sciatica, rheumatoid arthritis, pain syndromes, urticaria, herpes zoster, acne, facial paralysis, asthma, cough, diarrhea, myofasciitis, mastitis, lateral femoral cutaneous nerve syndrome, soft tissue injuries, tennis elbow, allergic rhinitis, etc.
Cupping cups generally include bamboo cups, ceramic cups, glass cups, suction cups, horn cups, and purple copper cups. We often use glass cups and suction cups. Glass cups are often used with fire suction method as an adsorption method, especially suitable for cup walking, flash cupping, meridian puncture cupping, and needle cupping. They are aesthetically pleasing and transparent, making it easy to observe changes in the skin during cupping and grasp the cupping time. They are currently the most widely used cups in clinical practice, but they conduct heat quickly, are easy to burn the skin, and are prone to breakage, so caution should be exercised. Suction cups do not require fire or electricity, eliminating safety hazards and preventing burns to the skin. They are easy for patients to accept. Suction cups are easy to operate and learn, only requiring the extraction of air from the cups to create negative pressure and adhere to the skin. They have a wider range of applications and can be used almost anywhere the hand can reach. They can also adjust the tightness according to needs. This makes cupping therapy widely used in self-medical care for individuals and families, and it is also a popular type of cupping device.
However, it is worth noting that cupping therapy should be used with caution for open soft tissue injuries, bleeding or diseases with bleeding tendencies, skin allergies, ulcers, edema, and areas with large blood vessel distribution, as well as various types of fractures, acute infectious diseases, critically ill patients, those who are excessively hungry, excessively full, or intoxicated.
