Benefits of Cupping

Cupping is a type of alternative therapy that originated in China. It involves placing cups on the skin to create suction.

There are different types of cupping sets, the most common ones are glass cupping and vacuum cupping.

The suction in the cups causes the skin and superficial muscle layer to be lightly drawn into the cup. Cupping is much like the inverse of massage – rather than applying pressure to muscles, it uses gentle pressure to pull them upward.

This suction force expands and breaks tiny blood vessels (capillaries) under the skin which gives the dark color on your skin after cupping. Your body treats the cupping area like an injury. It sends more blood to the area to stimulate the natural healing process.

Recent research shows the following benefits from cupping therapy:

1. Help with pain reduction.

2. Help with muscle relaxation by improving microcirculation, promoting cell repair and angiogenesis in tissues.

3. Activate the lymphatic system to drain excess fluids and toxins.

4. Good for digestive problems: Bloating, gastric reflux and constipation conditions.

5. Good for respiratory conditions such as Cough, asthma and common cold.

Cupping marks have different colors which indicate different conditions in your body:

1. Pale skin marks after cupping, the skin feels cold to touch. This indicates deficiency or cold.

2. Dark, purple cupping marks. This indicates stagnation and cold.

3. Dark red or right red cupping marks. It means heat.