What is Cupping Therapy?
The How and Why Behind Cupping and Chinese Medicine
Cupping is a therapeutic modality that has been applied for thousands of years to release toxins from the body’s tissue and organs. Modernly, most know it as a tool for athletic recovery.
Many people are familiar with it for pain relief, but how does it work, and are there other applications this therapy has that could be helpful?
The process of a cupping treatment
After inserting a flame inside a glass cup, the cup is applied to the skin and localized negative pressure produces compression of the skin at the rim of the cup and distraction of the skin in the center of of the cup. The depth of tissue reached will depend on how strong of a suction is achieved.
What effect does cupping have on the body?
I’m diving into the physiology, so stay with me!
The negative pressure causes the skin to stretch and underlying capillaries to dilate, thereby increasing blood flow to the tissue and signaling the release of vasodilators. Once the capillaries rupture, the body signals an immune system response via macrophage activity. One particular response that has been researched with cupping involves the HO-1 system (Heme Oxygenase-1), whereby heme (which contains iron and binds to oxygen in the blood) becomes metabolized, resulting in the production of various components that have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-proliferative, and neuromodulatory effects. Both local and systemic effects have been observed in this process.
In short, cupping increasing blood circulation, reduces pain, stimulates the immune system to promote a healing response, and improves the body’s detoxification pathways.
In TCM terminology
“If there is free flow, there is no pain; if there is pain, there is lack of free flow. Where there’s stagnation, there will be pain. Remove the stagnation, and you remove the pain.”
