For the last few decades the medical industry has turned over a new leaf. If given a choice, people will often gravitate to natural and alternative forms of treatment and shun invasive and allopathic therapies. Obviously, any person who wants to be assured of good health would rather seek safe and effective healing techniques than knowingly use drugs that come with harmful and even dangerous side effects.
One such safe and downright effective alternative healing modality is cupping therapy, which has recently caught a lot of attention due to the recently concluded Rio Olympics. This therapeutic procedure may be a relatively recently new concept in the United States but has actually been practiced for thousands of years in Asia and hundreds of years in some countries in Europe.
What is Cupping Therapy?
Cupping therapy is a holistic form of treatment involving the use of silicone, plastic or glass cups that are heated and applied by practitioners on the back, stomach, arms, legs and other muscular areas of a patient in order to cure ailments and illnesses.
There are four ways in how cupping therapy is administered.
1. Fire or Dry Cupping
In fire cupping, a cotton ball is soaked in alcohol or other flammable substance. Then the ball is set aflame and used to heat the cups. The cups may also be heated in hot water or oil.
Once the cups are hot enough, they are then immediately placed on the skin surface of the patient. The heat inside the cup causes a vacuum effect on the skin and muscles in the treatment area to pull into the cup which causes a small puff to develop in the treatment area. The practitioner leaves the cup in that position for a number minutes after which he or she removes them safely.
2. Moving Cupping
In this method, the cups are moved slowly and carefully over the various parts of the skin and then left in a stationary position. But prior to placing the cups on the skin, the practitioner may need to apply oil or cream on the patient’s skin first to lubricate the skin and facilitate the smooth movement of the cups over the area of treatment. The treatment site of the body becomes red due to the force of the suction and the widening of the blood vessels.
3. Wet cupping
Wet cupping is the third type of cupping and in this procedure the practitioner creates tiny incisions on the patient’s skin before placing the cups on the skin. The suctioning process is performed repeatedly in order to draw tiny amounts of blood to the cup.
4. Cupping and Acupuncture in West Orange
Acupuncture and cupping is the fourth type of cupping therapy and is the best in terms of results among the four types. This process involves the inserting of needles into selected acupoints before placing the cups to the acupoints.
Here are some of the benefits derived from cupping therapy:
• Relaxes tense and knotted muscles as well as the body as a whole
• Relieves inflammation
• Increases flow of blood which promotes healing
• Draws out toxins that have gathered in the tissues
• Bolsters performance by replenishing the flow of Chi or vital energy throughout the body
• Beefs up the immune system making the body more resilient to allergies, flu, and colds
Cupping Therapy to Relieve Pain
Widely acclaimed as a very useful treatment for a lot of illnesses, cupping therapy specifically works in the treatment of bodily pain. This is why a growing number of athletes use it on a regular basis. It works well for the following painful conditions.
• Among women, cupping therapy can be especially helpful in the treatment of severe menstrual cramping. It can be a safer but equally effective therapy than analgesics.
• It works perfectly for the relief of severe toothaches
• It alleviates pain associated with respiratory disorders
• Cupping therapy can be a long-term solution for people suffering from pain related to rheumatism and arthritis.
• Cupping therapy reduces the severity of joint and muscle pain helping you get relief from muscle injuries and stiffness as well as neck pain and back pain
• Cupping therapy can reduce the severity of tension headaches and migraines
Being a form of alternative therapy, Cupping can provide a lot to help improve the health and well-being of your body. It can help you lose weight, increase blood flow, relieve pain and stiffness in the joints and muscles as well as alleviate anxiety, and improve digestion. If combined with acupuncture, cupping therapy can be a very good form of treatment for several types of illnesses and pains.