With the onset of advancement in medical therapies, conventional means of treating typical diseases were gradually becoming extinct - until their importance has again started to gain the traction it deserves. Cupping therapy was and continues to be a popular treatment option among our forefathers for a variety of ailments.
What's Cupping Therapy?
Cupping treatment is a type of alternative medicine in which both mild and severe conditions are treated with the help of heated cups while inducing a local suction on the skin. It entails putting cups on a person's skin at certain spots. The suction in the cups is created by a practitioner, and it squeezes against the skin. Cupping boasts an ancient tag having been used by millions of ancient people to treat headaches, back pains, and neck-related problems. Though the exact origin of cupping therapy still remains a vague theory, many have attached it to having been born by Hippocrates in Greece in around 400 BC. Ever since cupping has been used in various societies including prominent Muslim scientists, Chinese people, and also Korean ancestors.
Types Of Cupping Therapy
One of the oldest and most efficient therapies, cupping, can be done in various styles depending on multiple factors. Cupping most commonly complements suction with acupuncture needles, moxibustion, burning mugwort leaves, laser therapy, electrical stimulation, magnets, medicinal herbs, essential oils, and water. There are 12 types of cupping therapy, and below we will discuss a few of them:
Dry cupping
This is the most popular cupping technique involving only suction of the skin and no traces of bleeding. Each cup is generally heated with an alcohol-soaked cotton ball. This eventually causes the oxygen in the cup to escape, resulting in a vacuum. Alternatively, to remove air from cups, a suction device can be utilized. The suction draws your skin up into the cup once it is put on your skin.
Wet cupping
Suction and controlled medicinal bleeding may be used in such therapy. Before, and occasionally after, cupping, a needle is used to softly pierce your skin. Then during the cupping technique, toxins exit the body from these pierced holes.
Oil cupping
In this, massage oils are applied to the skin and then the cups are gently glided across the area. After this style of cupping, rigid knots are untangled, and inflammation is alleviated.
Empty Cupping
In this, cupping is repeatedly done for a flash amount of minutes with almost no retention.
Is Cupping Therapy Worth it?
While seeming absurd to you, cupping therapy is still a highly popular and effective technique. Cupping is most commonly used to get rid of acute pains and aches, however, it can also be used to fight chronic disorders.
Cupping may also be used as a cosmetic approach to add glow to the skin on the face. Moreover, cupping may ease symptoms of arthritis and hypertension. Also, stressful breathing problems like Asthma are also seen to be treated effectively with the application of cupping. Back pain, neck pain, knee pain and shoulder pain, headaches, migraines, carpal tunnel syndrome, and gastrointestinal disorders are efficiently dealt with through cupping therapy. Cupping drastically improves blood circulation in the region around the cups thus relieving muscle tension, and allowing for better overall blood flow and cell repair.
Additionally, cupping can also alter the skin’s biomechanical properties and improve local anaerobic metabolism. Cupping aids in the detoxification of toxins from your body- by eliminating pathogens via the lymphatic system, concentrated blood flow benefits your body.
Are There Any Side Effects Of Cupping Therapy?
The good news is that cupping is rather safe if done by a competent health expert. However, you may have mild pain, burns, bruising, and minor skin infection in the region where the cups suck your skin.
The next day, you might feel tired or sick but it's perfectly natural. It's your body's way of digesting and eliminating the toxins discharged during your cupping session. Overall, these adverse effects are transient and can fade away fast, so there's no need to be concerned.
However, bloodborne infections such as hepatitis B and C and aids can be transferred if the cups and equipment become infected with blood and are not sanitized properly before switching between patients. So, once again, it's critical to get cupping done by a professional at all costs.
If you want to try cupping, fit o fine physiotherapy clinic is a good place to start. Our therapists are well-trained and equipped with cutting-edge procedures to treat a wide range of illnesses, from moderate to severe.
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