Cupping

Like acupuncture, cupping is an ancient form of Chinese medicine that has been proven to help relax and relieve pain. Cupping works by targeting local qi, and blood stagnation in the channels. By doing so, cupping helps improve blood circulation and the flow of oxygen through the body.

Cupping is done in a number of ways. The traditional method is by using fire to warm a round cup. Once the cup is warm the fire is removed and the cup is placed on the body. The cooling of the cup creates a suction. This anchors the cup to the skin by pulling the skin into the glass. Today, modern technology has removed the need for fire in this process. In my practice, I use a hand-operated pump designed to extract the oxygen from the cups and create suction. The cups are left on for 5-10 minutes. Once removed the cups may leave busing. This bruising typically lasts one to two days.