Cupping Therapy: An evolution
A therapy with mysterious roots in Iranian and Asian medicine – Dry Cupping has emerged as a new alternative therapy for restored circulation, removal of toxins and clearing of the divine energy that lies within all of us: available as a rehabilitation tool at Alleviate Physiotherapy, Etobicoke
Cupping therapy originally came from China and is used as a type of alternative medicine. The process involves placing cups on the skin and creating a suction so that the skin is sucked up. This suction is believed to increase blood flow in the area and promotes the healing process. It is all based on ancient Chinese beliefs. It claims that the suction helps with the flow of ‘Qi’ (Chi), which is a word that means life force. Many of those in China believe that it helps balance the negative and the positive in the body and that it restores balance. Since blood flow is increased, it may help with muscle tension, which in turn, promotes cell repair.
Types of Cupping Therapies
- Dry Cupping
- Wet Cupping
At Alleviate we are focused on dry cupping therapy, which is a suction-only method that involves the use of glass or plastic cups in which suction is created using a pump. Traditional ways of cupping are usually with glass cups that are heated with a flame and placed onto the skin.
Cupping Therapy and Alleviate Physiotherapy
Dry cupping involves using glass or plastic cups in which suction is created using a pump. That is exactly what is used at Alleviate. A rubber pump creates the suction rather than the conventional heat. The suction created from the cup makes your skin turn red because the blood vessels are responding to the sudden change. The cup is usually left in place for 5-10 min. There is bruising like a mark on the site but that usually goes away within 5-10 days.
Treatments through Cupping
Cupping therapy is used for a vast range of different conditions. It is usually used for those conditions that cause muscle pains because it usually relieves these pains. The cups are sometimes applied to acupressure points which may help with treating digestive, skin, and other issues. The true effectiveness of cupping is wide-ranged and rehabilitative, but it has been shown that it helps relieve pain.
It primarily helps conditions like:
- Myofascial Restriction
- Sprain/Strain
- Scar tissue / Adhesion
- Chronic Pain
Side Effects
Side effects are not that common with cupping therapy, much like many alternative and ancient medicinal therapies. Cupping is usually a safe and effective method with negligible amount of side effects such as bruising, scarring or skin irritation.
The only reported side effects are:
- Light-headedness/Dizziness
- Sweating
- Nausea
- Skin Irritation
- Bruising/Scarring
Additional Information
As stated before, cupping falls under the category of Complementary and Alternative Medicinal (CAM) Therapy. However, this does not mean that it doesn’t offer desired benefits and results. Make sure you trust your therapist. It is important to become educated on dry cupping and how it works. This will ensure that you know exactly what treatment you are getting and why it will work for you.
Do you want to finally relieve the pain you have been feeling for so long? Do you want to have cool marks on your body? Because many people are unaware about Cupping as a therapy tool, they do not ask for it! At Alleviate we prioritize alternative medicines over allopathy because they offer long term solutions to our patients.
A pain-free life is just a call away.
