Cupping

Cupping is an alternative healing technique that consists of placing glass jars, or cups, over specific areas of the skin. Sometimes, the jars are heated and used as suction to create a vacuum, drawing up the skin and opening the pores. The suction created helps stimulate the flow of blood, balance and harmonize the flow of qi, breaking up obstructions and creating a path for toxins to be drawn out of the area.

The suction and negative pressure provided by cupping can loosen muscles, encourage blood flow, and sedate the nervous system, which makes it an ideal treatment for high blood pressure. Cupping is often used to treat conditions like muscle pain and tightness, colds with fluid accumulation, and swelling. It is also used to relieve back and neck pains, stiff muscles, anxiety, fatigue, migraines, rheumatism, and even cellulite. For cellulite treatments, oil is applied to the skin, and then the cups are moved up and down the skin where cellulite is present.

Cupping follows the lines of the meridians. There are five meridian lines on the back, and these are where the cups are typically placed on the patient’s body. Cupping can better align and relax your qi. By targeting the meridian lines, cupping moves on the paths through which life energy flows freely throughout the body, through all tissues and organs, thus providing a smoother and more free-flowing qi.

What is Qi?

In the West, qi is described as the vital life force. In the East, it is more detailed, and there are two parts to qi. There is the physical or nourishing part of qi which is the air, water, and food that humans ingest. The other part of qi is more insubstantial — it is the vital fluids and the energy itself that flows through our bodies. In the Orient, many practitioners believe that qi needs to be balanced for optimal health.

What Conditions Benefit from Cupping?

In the East, practitioners believe, “Where there’s stagnation, there will be pain. Remove the stagnation, and you remove the pain.” Cupping is a therapy that will effectively remove stagnation. The health conditions that showed improvement with cupping are:

• Acne
• Allergies
• Anemia
• Anxiety
• Arthritis
• Asthma
• Bronchial congestion
• Cervical spondylosis
• Depression
• Eczema
• Facial Paralysis
• Fertility
• Fibromyalgia
• Gynecological disorders
• Hemophilia
• Herpes
• High blood pressure
• Migraines

Are there any Side Effects With Cupping?

Sometimes, one of the side effects of cupping is a temporary discoloration that can occur over the area where the cups are applied. The temporary discoloration fades away within a few days. A light red color indicates inflammation is in that area of the body, whereas a purple color shows that blood is not flowing through the muscles.

Cupping Therapy is Available at Motus Integrative Health

Cupping is becoming more common in the United States. Some of the staff at Motus Integrative Health have been trained in cupping techniques. They know how to place the cups on your meridian lines to release toxins and increase your Qi. Call our office in Schererville for an appointment today. You will experience a healing sensation with cupping at our Northwest Indiana office.