What is Cupping Therapy?
Cupping therapy here at En Pointe Ancient Therapies in Wigan is an excellent complement to acupuncture or can be used as a stand-alone treatment. It can be used for various health problems. Currently, it is mainly used to relieve musculoskeletal pain. The application of the suction cups strongly activates the circulation of the blood and at the same time relieves the pain.
This technique has been used among others by Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) practitioners for thousands of years.
Treatment Resurgence
Until recently this technique was very little known to most people in the West. In recent years it has been gaining popularity. Cupping therapy is now more and more popular, it has had a renewed interest following the 2012 Olympics when Michael Phelps and other swimmers were seen with these strange marks on their shoulders and backs
History of Cupping
This technique could be more than 3500 years old. Various objects were used including hollow bones, animal horns, shells, bamboo, etc. cupping was also evidenced as being used by the Egyptians in hieroglyphs dating from 3500 years. We also know that many people in Africa, Europe and Asia used the technique of cupping. In Arabic culture the practice of cupping is under the name of Hijama.
The Cupping Therapy
The therapist will use various kinds of cups including fire cups and vacuum cups. The more traditional method is the use of fire where a glass cup will have a flame inserted into it to dispel the oxygen and then quickly removed at the cup is placed on the skin. This forms a vacuum and the muscle and skin is drawn upwards into the cup in a kind of reverse massage technique. This draws blood stagnation up to the skin where I can safely be dissipated via the lymphatic system. This method solves knots in muscles by pulling them up and away from the area and then allowing the fibres to re-settle into a better alignment. By removing any stagnation from the area new blood can get in and begin the healing process. The treatment is relatively painless although in some cases it can be a little uncomfortable for about 60 seconds or so until the body gets used to the idea that it isn’t being harmed.
You may or may not be left with some marks where the cups have been, these can range from a white mark which show the area or a deep purple mark which shows deep stagnation, and many shades in between. These marks are not bruises they are simply where stagnated blood has gathered in the muscles or tissues and has now been brought to the surface so that the body can get rid of it.
A Chinese Medicine Practitioner can use this technique to stimulate acupuncture points and meridians on the body to get things balanced again so not only can you get muscular issues solved you are getting organ systems re-set as well.
It is a fantastic treatment and once you have experienced it you will come back to it time and time again! Often people use this as a maintenance therapy once a month instead of the usual massage techniques because it treats the organ system as well.
Contact Me for Details
If you are in the North west of England contact me if you would like more information about cupping therapy in Wigan or to book an appointment.
