Thick coating on the tongue, loose stools, and low spirits are all symptoms of excessive dampness in the body. Scraping therapy and cupping are both traditional methods of health preservation. So, which one is better for treating excessive dampness: scraping therapy or cupping?
Scraping Therapy or Cupping for Excessive Dampness?
Both scraping therapy and cupping have certain effects in eliminating dampness and relieving symptoms of excessive dampness. It can be chosen according to the specific situation.
If excessive dampness is accompanied by dysmenorrhea, frozen shoulder, painful diseases, or degenerative diseases of the bones and joints, scraping therapy can be chosen for regulation. It not only eliminates dampness but also promotes blood circulation, relaxes tendons, dredges collaterals, and activates blood circulation to remove stasis.
When excessive dampness is accompanied by symptoms such as cold, headache, and cough, cupping therapy can be chosen for regulation, as it has better effects. It not only eliminates dampness but also removes coldness from the body.
Benefits of Scraping Therapy
Scraping therapy is based on the theory of traditional Chinese medicine, using special tools to scrape the skin and produce "sha" marks. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that excessive dampness is caused by stagnation of pathogenic cold-dampness or hot-dampness in the meridians. Scraping therapy on the Spleen meridian and Bladder meridian acupoints can invigorate Yang qi and eliminate dampness.
1. Eliminating dampness. Scraping therapy can effectively eliminate dampness and reduce symptoms of excessive dampness.
2. Safe and reliable. Scraping therapy is performed on the surface of the skin and is lubricated with scraping oil, which helps to expel dampness. Compared to medication and other treatment methods, it is safe and convenient.
3. Promoting metabolism. During the process of scraping therapy to eliminate dampness, patients with excessive dampness can also benefit from other advantages of scraping therapy, such as promoting skin metabolism, reducing pore size, decreasing wrinkles, and delaying skin aging.
4. Adjusting overall body functions. During scraping therapy, some acupoints have systemic functions in addition to eliminating dampness, which is beneficial for adjusting overall body functions.
Benefits of Cupping Therapy
1. Cupping therapy can help eliminate dampness and coldness from the body by allowing dampness and coldness to penetrate out of the body through the skin tissues, making people feel more energized.
2. Because the meridians, acupoints, and organs of the body are interconnected, external suction can stimulate the acupoints on the body's surface, and through the meridians and collaterals, it can regulate the internal organs, promote the smooth flow of Qi and blood, and strengthen the body.
3. Cupping therapy also has certain effects on local tissue damage, lumbar disc herniation, and other symptoms. Long-term regular cupping therapy can alleviate pain and relieve symptoms.
4. Pressure relief: Cupping therapy produces positive effects such as promoting blood circulation, relaxing tendons, reducing swelling and pain, and eliminating wind and dampness, which stimulate the body's self-adjustment and promote the recovery of normal functions.
5. Warmth: Cupping therapy has a warm stimulation effect on the local skin, especially with large cupping, water cupping, and herbal cupping.
6. Balancing yin and yang: After cupping, self-hemolysis occurs, followed by the production of a substance similar to histamine, which circulates throughout the body's fluids and stimulates various organs, enhancing their functional vitality and helping the body recover its normal functions.
The Key to Treating Excessive Dampness: Regulating the Spleen and Stomach
The main cause of excessive dampness is imbalances in the Spleen and Stomach. When the digestive functions of the Spleen and Stomach are imbalanced, there will be obstacles in the metabolism of water and fluids in the body, resulting in the accumulation of dampness. Patients with excessive dampness should first identify the type of dampness and can use dampness-expelling medications or ingredients to relieve surface symptoms. Since the root cause of excessive dampness is the insufficient transformation function of the Spleen and Stomach, after expelling dampness, it is necessary to regulate the Spleen and Stomach to fundamentally improve the constitution.
