What is Cupping Therapy? Key Benefits and Uses

You may have heard of cupping after seeing circular areas of discoloration on someone’s back. Cupping therapy is an ancient form of treatment and it’s still used today, with plenty of research to support its effects. Still, cupping is unlike most of what we see in Western medicine, so it’s fair to question how it works. Here’s what you need to know.

What is Cupping?

Cupping is an alternative therapy that uses cups to create suction on certain areas of the skin. The suction facilitates blood circulation and fascial release, which can relieve muscle tension, improving blood flow and cell repair in the entire body. Some research suggests that cupping can even help the body produce new connective tissues and create blood vessels there.

Cupping is typically performed by an acupuncturist, though chiropractors, massage therapists, and medical doctors may also perform it. Cups are often made of glass, but they are also sometimes made of plastic, bamboo, ceramic, metal, and silicone. There are also two types of cupping: dry and wet. The practices are the same, except that wet cupping involves a light puncture of the skin before placing the cup.

In the procedure, the practitioner heats the inside of the cups using a cotton ball soaked with alcohol that has been lit on fire. The heat drives oxygen out of the cup and this creates a vacuum. Then, the practitioner places the cups on your back, arms, stomach, legs, or other parts of the body, depending on your ailment. The vacuum pulls the skin upward into the cup and the cups are typically left on for about three minutes. In some cases, the practitioner may move the cups to massage and stretch the area.

The suction draws fluid to the area of skin inside the cup, which expands and breaks open capillaries, or tiny blood vessels, under the skin. This is what causes the noticeable circular bruises that occur from cupping. As a result, the body reacts and treats the area as an injury, sending more blood to the area to begin healing the damage. 

Benefits of Cupping

Although cupping is not typically used as a sole treatment, it is often used to alleviate symptoms of a variety of conditions. These benefits are brought about by promoting peripheral blood circulation - blood that is close to the skin. A 2018 modern medicine review of cupping therapy found that cupping has the following benefits:

●      Improved blood flow to the skin

●      Changes to the skin’s biomechanical properties

●      Reduced inflammation

●      Improved cellular immunity

●      Improved local anaerobic metabolism

●      Increased pain thresholds

It’s worth noting that there are many theories on how cupping provides these effects and more scientific studies need to be done. However, one study confirmed that the physical suction stretches underlying tissue. In other words, cupping stimulates fascial release - similar to that of myofascial release therapy, which is used in massage or foam rolling. This tissue stimulation, in addition to blood circulation, creates impressive benefits.

It is also likely that cupping stimulates the immune system because it causes local inflammation where the cups are applied. Researchers also theorize that it can increase the flow of the lymphatic system, alter pain signal processing, and decrease uric acid and cholesterol. It’s also suspected that cupping activates Heme oxygenase-1, which is a gene that helps prevent vascular inflammation. By activating this key gene, cupping can create widespread, systematic health benefits in the entire body.

There is also some evidence that cupping therapy can remove toxins from the body. Although the body has its own toxin removal system via the liver and kidneys, it is still possible for toxins to build up. Cupping can specifically help remove toxins via the immune and lymphatic systems. Cupping can produce a local and whole-body immune response, which may help remove toxins. Additionally, the lymphatic system can sometimes experience fluid build-up, which can disrupt the flow of the entire system. This system is partially involved in eliminating bodily waste, so it’s important to keep it moving. Cupping can help increase its flow and prevent build-up, similar to the effects of lymphatic drainage massage.

What Conditions Can Cupping Treat?

Cupping is often used to treat pain and ease symptoms that are the result of other conditions, including chronic health issues. This includes:

●      Back, neck, shoulder, and knee pain

●      Carpal tunnel syndrome and arthritis

●      Gastrointestinal disorders, like irritable bowel disease

●      High blood pressure

●      Asthma

●      Migraines

●      Shingles

●      Facial paralysis

●      Cervical spondylosis

●      Diabetes mellitus

●      Lumbar disc herniation

Curious about cupping therapy? Want to take a more holistic approach to eliminating pain, improving mobility, and reducing the risk of injury? Book an appointment today!