Cupping, as an ancient and unique traditional Chinese therapy, is widely used in the treatment of various diseases and health maintenance in modern times. Similar to acupuncture, cupping is also a physical therapy. Let's take a look at the methods of cupping therapy.
Cupping Can Cure Three Types of Diseases
1. Stiff Neck
In autumn, when there is a large temperature difference between morning and evening, many people wake up with severe neck pain and inability to move, which is called a stiff neck. Cupping therapy is more suitable for treating stiff neck with wind-cold obstruction of meridians. The main characteristics of this type of stiff neck patients are: neck and shoulder pain and stiffness in the morning, limited movement when turning the head, especially difficult to rotate and tilt backwards, head tilted to the healthy side, muscle spasms and soreness, accompanied by symptoms such as chills, dizziness, fatigue, and thirstlessness.
After getting a stiff neck, it is helpful to change the pillow. A pillow that is too low will cause the head to sink, making the neck muscles prone to spasm. On the other hand, a pillow that is too high will keep the neck muscles in a stretched state. Both of these states can cause discomfort in the cervical spine. For healthy individuals, the pillow should be soft and loose. For those who sleep on their back, the height of the pillow should be 5cm to 10cm. For those who sleep on their side, the height of the pillow should be 10cm to 15cm.
2. Muscle Spasms
With the recent cold wind blowing, the neck and shoulder muscles are exposed and easily stimulated by cold wind, causing local muscle protective contractions, leading to tension and spasms in the neck and shoulder muscles, which can compress nerves and blood vessels, causing pain and discomfort. Cupping therapy is suitable for treating neck and shoulder diseases with cold obstruction of meridians. The main symptoms of this type of patients are: headache, pain in the occipital or shoulder area, stiffness in the neck, difficulty turning the head, numbness and soreness in the shoulder and fingers on one or both sides, or headache radiating to the upper back, aversion to cold and preference for heat in the neck and shoulder area, and sometimes swelling nodules can be felt beside the cervical spine.
Don't rush to massage your neck when it hurts. Liu Yajun, deputy chief physician of the Spinal Surgery Department of Beijing Jishuitan Hospital, suggests that if you have repeated neck pain, you should pay attention to identifying the cause. It is best to take an X-ray of the cervical spine to see if there are problems such as cervical disc herniation or cervical instability. After determining the type of disease, then decide whether massage therapy is appropriate. Although massage therapy for cervical spondylosis is non-invasive, it is not necessarily safe and effective. Wrong treatment methods can cause secondary damage to the cervical spine.
3. Pharyngitis
Bloodletting and cupping therapy at the Dazhui acupoint can relieve throat pain by draining excess heat and reducing inflammation. This therapy involves a very small amount of bloodletting using a triangular needle or plum blossom needle after acupuncture, mainly to achieve the purpose of opening the orifices, draining heat, and promoting the circulation of meridians. It is particularly suitable for traditional Chinese medicine heat syndrome characterized by sudden onset, high fever, severe throat pain, and even purulent spots. Cupping therapy at the Dazhui acupoint located behind the neck can help reduce fever, clear heat, balance yin and yang, and achieve better therapeutic effects.
Four Things to Note About Cupping
1. Don't Take a Shower Immediately After Cupping
It may feel comfortable to take a warm bath and then have cupping therapy, or to have cupping therapy and then take a bath. But the order is important. You can take a bath after cupping therapy, but you should never take a shower immediately after cupping. This is because after cupping, the skin is in a vulnerable state and very fragile, and taking a shower at this time can easily cause skin damage and inflammation. If you take a cold shower, the pores will be open and you may catch a cold. Therefore, it is necessary to wait after cupping before taking a shower.
2. Wait for 3 Hours After Cupping to Take a Shower
It is not advisable to take a shower within 3 hours after cupping therapy. Cupping therapy should not be performed before or after meals or after drinking alcohol. Pregnant women, people with weak constitution, and patients with skin diseases should not receive cupping therapy. In addition, people with low platelet levels are prone to skin congestion during cupping therapy, so it is not suitable for them. Children can also receive cupping therapy, but the frequency and quantity should be less than that for adults.
3. Cupping Time Should Not Exceed 10 Minutes
Some people believe that cupping should last at least half an hour, and that blisters should be formed to show the effectiveness of cupping therapy. Especially among elderly people, this view is more common. But is it really better to have longer cupping therapy? In fact, the duration of cupping therapy varies depending on the size and material of the cupping jar and the intensity of negative pressure. However, it is generally recommended not to exceed 10 minutes from the ignition of the cupping jar to the removal of the jar. The main principle of cupping therapy lies in negative pressure, not duration. If the cupping jar is left on for too long under high negative pressure until blisters form, it can not only harm the skin but also cause skin infections.
4. Avoid Repeated Cupping in the Same Area
It is not recommended to cupping the same area twice in a row. Even if you believe that cupping therapy in that area is not effective, repeating cupping in the same area is also incorrect. While cupping therapy can be performed all over the body to achieve a comprehensive therapeutic effect and help relax the muscles and bones, repeated cupping in the same area can easily cause redness, swelling, and skin damage. If a wound infection occurs, it will be counterproductive.
