Cupping Therapy: Ancient Art In a Modern World
By Briana J. Sabaj L.Ac, Dipl OM.
Have you explored the world of ancient medicine to help repair and maintain your current lifestyle yet? If not, I encourage you to dive into a realm full of ancient therapies used to help balance a person; body, mind, and spirit. One favorite therapy, which I often use in my Chinese Medicine practice, is called cupping therapy.
What is Cupping Therapy?
Cupping Therapy uses suctioned glass, bamboo, or plastic cups to move and remove stagnation from the body. Stagnation? What does that mean? Think de-oxygenated blood, fluid, etc. that collects in muscles from old injuries, surgeries, repetitive stress, inactivity, etc. This build-up becomes toxic, inflammed, and painful. Creating that suction allows the stagnation to be drawn from the deep muscle and released, so the toxic build-up can be processed and eliminated by the body.
Cupping can produce markings on the body that typically fade within 3-7 days, though sometimes lasting up to three weeks. I recently had a much needed cupping session that left several dark circular marks on my back and upper arms. The day after my treatment, I was at the grocery store and wearing a tank-top. I had forgotten about the marks on my back, though remembered quickly, as I caught people staring. I always wonder what they’re thinking.
How Cupping Can Help You
Cupping is an excellent way to maintain overall health and well-being, I believe it should be added to everyone’s health repertoire. As much as my patients and I love cupping, not everyone will enjoy it.
I have treated many skeptics, only to watch them learn to appreciate the value of cupping, as a result of their improved health and well-being. Using this method may help to:
- Relieve deep musculoskeletal pain (neck, shoulder, hip, or back pain)
- Open chest and lungs for respiratory ailments (ie. common cold, bronchitis, and pneumonia)
- Detox and support lymph drainage
- Improve blood circulation
- Relieve arthritis pain and inflammation
- Relieve GYN conditions
- Clear skin conditions (eczema, acne)
- Relieve Stress!
It’s very important to drink water following a cupping session to avoid detox side effects, such as headaches, lethargy, or even flu-like symptoms, which are uncommon, but do happen. You can add fresh squeezed lemon for more detox support!
Some Examples of Cupping
In Ancient times, cups were made of bone, horn, and bamboo. Currently, plastic and glass are the most common, coming in various shapes and sizes looking like glass balls with an opening between 1-3 inches.
Dry Cupping: Suction cups are placed on areas of the body and either stay in the area or are moved around using sliding cup method.
- Fire Cupping: An alcohol dipped cotton-ball is lit on fire and placed quickly in/out of glass cup. The presence of heat and lack of oxygen create a suction when the cup is placed on the patient.
- Plastic Suction: Plastic suction cups are used, instead of heat.
- Bamboo, Horn, etc.
Wet Cupping: (Please visit a trained licensed practitioner!) While it sounds barbaric-wet cupping is medicinal bleeding and very therapeutic! Certain points or areas of pain are selected, where the practitioner pricks the skin several times with a lancet. The cup is placed over this area to draw out toxic blood. The blood looks normal when coming out, though when the cups are removed, they are filled with toxic blood clots! Labs have shown the clots laden with heavy metals, parasites, and toxins!
Try Cupping For Yourself!
Please take the time to incorporate ancient therapies, such as cupping, into your life! Instead of relying on medications to numb the issue, tapping into ancient medicine is a proactive way to reduce or eliminate pain, help resolve respiratory issues, help your body detoxify, and much more.
It might feel ‘odd’ or ‘weird’ to have suctioned cups on your back (some patients have said they feel a little like an alien!) and you might be surprised by the circular marks left on your skin, but do yourself a favor and try it, at least once! Remember to seek the care of a licensed practitioner in your area.
Meet Briana Sabaj
As an acupuncturist, Briana Sabaj, feels that to reach optimal health, one must treat the whole person, from root to branch. Her passion is to help others reach this, using Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), Healing Touch Therapy, and Acutonics. When not at work, you can find her in the mountains of North Carolina, with her family. Please visit www.HealingPointNC.com.